The 2024 Taipei European School Gala at the W Taipei

As a documentary family photographer, I find myself photographing a lot of quiet, intimate moments. Sure, sometimes there’s laughter, screaming, or crying, but all in all, the stories I tell with my photography are about family life and the world of home. I feel I do my best work when I get to observe and capture the family story because it’s a tale I’m both familiar with and fascinated by, but I also relish the opportunity to shake things up and photograph people coming together to have fun and party. I’ve found that a documentary approach to photographing an event allows me to capture moments that run the gamut of the entire experience in an authentic way—from setting up at the beginning to the empty wine glasses and flyaway hair towards the end, plus all of the unpredictable moments in between.

I recently had the privilege of photographing the 2024 Taipei European School Gala at the W Taipei; the theme was the Roaring 20s. I can think of no better location or theme for an event in Taipei. The atmosphere of the W Hotel felt worthy of Gatsby himself, and the people of Taipei European School went all out with their 20s-themed attire. Fringed hems! Glitzy headbands! Sequins! Every last detail lent itself perfectly to a film noir sort of look. This event was a joy to photograph and edit! Below is a small taste.