Jerusalem Artichoke - Liljana

Melbourne resident Liljana. A quaint backyard. Jerusalem Artichokes.
Let’s take a moment to hear a little story of how a friendly lady named Liljana introduced me to an interesting vegetable called a Jerusalem Artichoke in her humble home in Brunwsick.

Approximately two months ago I saw a post on Facebook from somebody in a local community group page. Somebody was asking whether any locals were interested in taking home some of her Jerusalem Artichokes. This generous woman was Liljana. Upon seeing the post, I reached out with interest to not only take home some of her Jerusalem Artichokes, but as a story-lover, learn about her relationship to this tuber.

So a few weeks later, on a warm evening I arrived in front of a cute corner house in Brunswick. The house was surrounded by greenery. You can see heaps of fruit trees and countless plants all around - as if they creating a protective barrier for her home. Liljana met me at her front gate and welcomed me into her lovely home. Her generosity surprised me. After walking in, she invited me to sit at her kitchen table for tea and biscuits. As one who spent time in New York before migrating to Australia, I was expecting to quickly take a seat, chat about the task at hand and head out. Boom boom boom, done. As I noticed the calm, welcoming pace she invited, I almost felt guilty as slowly sat me down, asked for my tea preference, steeped my tea, and poured it into my cup. She next offered her delicious biscuits that paired wonderfully with the earl grey. Eventually she too sat down, and storytime began.

Over tea, Liljana shared the story of herself and her Jerusalem Artichokes. While sipping our tea, Liljana smiled while sharing her Macedonian connection with the root vegetable. She enthusiastically expressed how she loved the beautiful flower the blooms just before harvesting is ready. She also taught me how the long stalk served as great firewood. The multi-functionality of the root vegetable was unexpected. While we were chatting, the story was amplified by the glowing streak of warm light that danced along the edge of her face. Keen to show me what the vegetable tasted like, Liljana opened a jar of pickled artichokes that she prepared earlier. What I experienced was far different from expected.

The pickled Jerusalem Artichokes were nothing like I expected. Given how it presented as a cross between a ginger and potato, I expected a potentially dull and heavy tuber. Y’all, it was tasty! My mouth experienced the crispness of a water chestnut or apple, with the delicious, light, savoury flavour from the vinegar and salt. I liked it so much that she sent me home with not only the artichokes but the pickled ones too.

For those of you fellow curious folk, here are some fun facts about this interesting vegetable:

Jerusalem Artichokes:

• have origins in North America, where it was cultivated & cooked by the Native Americans. These tubers were even used for trade!

• are related to the sunflower, and thus produce a lovely yellow flower before they are ready for harvest.

• are an invasive species, meaning they may invade your other plants if grown close together.

• are known to produce gas in the stomach, and have earned themselves the nickname ‘fartichoke.’

• Are recommended to plant in spring in order to harvest during autumn, after their yellow flower has died back.

• Are hardy enough to grow in any soil. It’s preference is light, sandy soil with good fertility.

• Like potassium.

It was a blast capturing and creating this short story about LIljana and the interesting Jerusalem Artichoke. Although I’m still in the beginning phase of my videography journey, I hope you can feel the warmth that I felt from sitting with this Brunswick resident on that warm April night from what I’ve produced so far.

So, what is growing in your yard? I’d love to learn and share the wonder of your produce! If interested, shoot me a message on the contact page.

Hugs,

Masumi

Tasmania: Hobart

In early June this year, I got to visit Tasmania, Australia.

For those who aren’t familiar with this place, it’s a small island off the southern coast of the country.

I will now refer to this place as “The Hidden Gem.”

My friend & I decided to spend seven days on this island together. How did we explore it? Using both a borrowed and rented car, we “started from the bottom now we’re here.” Well, more like we started from the bottom and went up north. Making four major stops, we travelled from Hobart (southern Tasmania), to the northeast side Bicheno, travelled westward to Cradle Mountain and concluded in Launceston. Those seven days were jam-packed, but it so worth it. I cannot wait to return, hopefully to explore for a longer duration.

In this post, I’d like to speak with you about the first stop: Hobart.

If you look on the map, you’ll see that Hobart is located at the south-eastern area of Tasmania. It’s a place known to witness the lesser known global phenomenon, the Southern Lights,. During our three-four day stay we sadly didn’t catch it, but ironically it appeared the day we left. That said, we saw quite a few natural wonders, and I don’t feel to have particularly missed out on anything.

Shortly upon arrival, there were a few things I instantly noticed about Hobart:

It immediately reminded me of Portland, Oregon, my favourite place in the United States.
The reasons being:

• It was lush with nature, with beautiful autumn reds paired with lush greenery. There were hills everywhere. I guess some of us like elevation differences hey?

• This place had personality. The people I met were quite quirky, and unique, much like the people I often met in Portland.

Like Portland Oregon, Hobart was a fairly small town that felt like it was “just the right size”, for a smaller-town lover like myself. To give you context, sometimes the inner city of Melbourne feels overwhelming with the number of people who bump into you. Hobart had many beautiful buildings and streets, but it wasn’t overwhelmingly large. Many buildings showed a mark of history through its materials used to construct the city. The urban structures had symbolisms of flow and recognition of nature.

So about the Nature.

There was stunning nature all around. Tasmania seemed to have held onto autumn longer than Melbourne. There was an array of red and orange tones spread throughout the city, like a celebration of autumn, my favourite season. It was also very hilly. Since arriving in Australia, I had been missing hilly landscapes, as I grew up in such an environment (Would you like to hear about my bike story?). Additionally, Portland had heaps of hills too. Even while driving through the city, you can enjoy the ups and downs in the roads.

Personality

The kind person who picked up my friend & myself pointed to some chickens hanging out at the roadside and casually said, “Oh those are the Robo-chooks. You can see them along the roadside a lot”. Now yes, Australia has birds they call “bin chickens” which is also hilarious, but robo-chooks had a twang that just felt a bit more like the quirky Portland vibe. These robo-chooks are so normal that a gift shop had a badge of one. If you guessed whether I bought it, yes indeed, I did. That was the beginning of noticing the cuteness of this city. Not to impose my love for Portland onto it, but the point is simply that Hobart had traits that I loved which the good ‘ol city in the U.S. did too.

I want to tell you something special about the stay in Hobart.

We haven’t discussed where my friend and I stayed during our time there, have we? Well, do you remember my Yearbook project? Yes, the awesome part of this time in Hobart was that we were hosted by a close relative of one of my Yearbook participants! Earlier this year, I got to meet a Canadian man for project Yearbook during his short, several hour gap opening while he & his wife were visiting Melbourne. Somehow he stumbled upon my Yearbook advertisement at a cafe and scheduled a Yearbook session during the time that his wife was getting a tattoo. After the photo shoot, he happened to mention that their next destination was Tasmania to visit his in-laws. Sharing that my friend and I were going to visit in June, he kindly connected me to his mother in law. I may argue that his mother in law, Christine, is one of the most generous people I’ve ever met. Best of all, she was genuine, authentic, and hilarious. So we stayed with her free of charge, she offered for us to drive one of her cars, and fed us often. What was our agreed “payment”? A board game night. She showed us an intriguing, mentally challenging and engaging game. You guys, it was so fun that I might get that game myself one day.

The places we visited in Hobart were absolutely stunning, but the most memorable part of Hobart for me was staying at Christine’s. She gave me inspiration to continue a tradition like hers one day: to become a cool, successful person who welcomes people into their home with a heart as pure as that person’s.

Hugs,
Masumi

PNG Coffee Cooperative Leader: Elizabeth

“I belong on the coffee farms, back in Papua New Guinea”

I believe that one of the most beautiful results of human encounters is the gentle mark which people leave on each other.

I met Elizabeth in early May through my company. My work outside of photography is involved with global supply chains, so I got lucky to having a chance to meet her. I’ve never met a coffee farmer before, and how lucky was I to meet a cooperative leader? It took 33 years of living. It was definitely worth it.

We first met at the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE), where she was sharing samples of her coffee, grown from PNG. What first caught my attention was her eyes. They showed confidence, story, strength, determination, and care. You know when you meet somebody, and you can feel the depth through their eyes? Elizabeth was one of those people. I watched as she looked deeply into the eyes of every person she met. Each interaction, sincere & honest. I felt that sincerity several days later, when I got to spend some time with her before her flight home.

Stepping back temporarily, let me give you a more surface level description of her. Elizabeth is a coffee cooperative leader in Papua New Guinea, in fact, the only female coffee cooperative leader in PNG. Directing and administering in Goroka, she is the voice that guides her farmers towards growth in the coffee production industry. Her farmers trust her vision and direction to protect them and helping them compete in the world of coffee trade.

Her stay here was short, a few days here in Melbourne. It was her second time visiting Australia and first visit to Melbourne, the land of (justifiably) coffee snobs.

I got to spend some time with Elizabeth once more before she left to PNG. While travelling down to south Melbourne together, I observed as she looked at various Melbourne architecture zoom by on the local tram and enjoyed how she shared her thoughts about the tram experience. While walking around the Botanical Gardens, we exchanged stories of our backgrounds & why we’re where we are today. Spending those few hours with Elizabeth taught me that leaders, although they need to be strong and stern, are also silly. When we encountered fancy structures and architectures, Elizabeth exposed her silly personality as she stuck silly poses and laughed at herself (with me) in the process.

Near the end of our time together, Elizabeth spoke about belonging and purpose.

Something she said to me that day struck me. She looked at me and asked, “Do you belong here? Do you have purpose here in the city?”
She proceeded, “I do not belong here in the city. What would I do here? I belong on the coffee farms, in Papua New Guinea.”

I understood that question as, “What purpose, what would I have to offer where I am now?”
”Do I feel fulfilment in where I am, what part of me I am sharing with the world today?”

Her question continues to linger in my mind, and may forever do so.
She taught me that each person has a unique contribution to offer the world, and they occur in different parts of the world. In this world where freedom and individualism are becoming mainstream, I cannot deny the feeling of simultaneous loneliness which can result our need for community, the beauty in knowing how and where we feel that we are making a fulfilling contribution.

To somewhere. To somebody.
Even in the arguments for the acceptance of meaninglessness, which I respect and to a degree resonate with, I cannot argue against the reality, which is that each living entity leave some sort of impact that moves this planet in some direction.

So dear reader, I bring this question to you. If you can fill in the blanks, what would you write?

“I belong on the , back in ”

Cheers,
Masumi

Wedding Tips for the Budding Photographer

Howdy y’all 📸

Last month I had the privilege of shooting an intimate wedding in Phillip Island. Y’all, it was one of the most laid-back weddings I’ve got to shoot! It definitely sat in the top three. Having focused on grad school for the last few years, it felt great to revisit the wedding photography mentality. Having shot again, I felt this serves as a chance to share three tips that I’ve found helpful in shooting weddings that I’d love to share with you.

1. Tell the Story

   The opportunity of the photographer at a wedding is to capture the story of the day. Enjoy this process, and focus on the moments that represent figuratively, pages in a book. Ask yourself the questions:

   • “Who are the characters?”

   • “What made them uniquely them?”

   • What was the main event of this story?” - This one may be obvious

   • How did this story unfold? How did it end?

2. Deliver Quality over Quantity

Fellas, be confident in the images you provide. Deliver the images which support you in relaying the story. Refrain from letting anxiety overtake you. Sometimes I see this analogy akin to the concept of TMI - too much information. Sometimes, oversharing takes away from a wonderful story. Don’t afraid to pull yourself back. To some photographers, this means delivering 150 images. For others, it may mean 400.

3. Communicate

Like any relationship that you wish to have, communication is vital. Before you shoot, have an in-person chat so you are all on the same page. This is an opportunity to share your photography shooting style (imagery as well as on-site shooting preference), check for any points of concern, discuss turnaround time, additional products, etc. During the weeks approaching the wedding day, don’t be afraid to ocassionally stay in contact to provide updates & check for any from the wedding party.

I hope these tips will help you along your wedding journey :).
Feel free to reach out with any questions.

Cheers,
Masumi

Children on Cinestill 50D

Last month I got to photograph a few adorable children on the film stock Cinestill 50D.

One cold July morning, my friend, her two children, and I met up at a cute cafe called Park Street Cafe in North Carlton. We enjoyed hot chocolate, coffee and a giant muffin. The staff kindly let us use their blocked off area to click some photographs by yours truly. Afterward we snapped a few more images using the Kodak 400 film stock at the outdoor play area.

In all honesty, I can’t remember the last time I photographed kids. So that said, here are my thoughts of photographing children. Please enjoy.

One of the best part of children, in my opinion is how unabashedly honest they are. Seeing their personalities and honest feelings being shared with me, it is such a privilege to capture who they are, at that age, at that moment in their history. When taking the photograph at the back corner of the cafe, the older boy looked straight into my camera lens to be photographed, as if it was a task that simply needed to be checked off to go play. The younger child, when it was her turn to be photographed, reached for her mother to sit with her, nervous of what was to happen. She eventually crawled under the table, coy in front of a camera.

When outside, they were a bit more of a challenge to photograph on a manual focusing lens, as they ran around as children do. That said, it was heaps of fun. I would do it again.

10 years from now, these two children may have completely different personalities. 10 years from now, they will gain an uncountable amount of new experiences. I wonder what they will be like after so many years. Only time will tell, and I quite like that thought.

Speaking about the film, I love how Cinestill 50D makes images look like a scene from a movie.

As shown in the images, this film stock highlights natural tones beautifully.
The oranges are gently present.
The greens are soft yet deep.
The reds are saturated, unafraid of attention.

These images have minimal edits, which is rare because I love editing.

I cannot wait to shoot more on this film stock.

Jennie Pu: Hoboken Library Director

Earlier last year I had the privilege to take headshots for the new director of the Hoboken Library: Jennie Pu

Several months later this opportunity extended to her entire library staff body. Thank you Jennie for this opportunity, it was a great pleasure!

The images were taken on Sony a7iii, using the Zeiss 85mm. I loved how sharp the images turned out and created a nice bokeh in the background.

Cheers,
Asuka Visions

Anu - Fujicolor 100

Good morning Melbourne, New York, you. Wherever you are.

A few weeks ago I got to try out a new film stock: Fujicolor 100.

From this shoot, I can conclude that this film stock highlights blues, greens and yellows wonderfully.

Enjoy!

Lucky for primarily natural light shooters, the sun is pretty strong so it is easier to capture images like the one shown above. I simply fell in love with the light that shot through the fence and touched her skin gently.

That said, it also scorches you. So my dear Australia visitors, wear sunscreen if you visit!

I am glad to report to you that this film stock captures my favourite warm tones as well!
Stay tuned - posting images from my trip to the Great Ocean Road soon. :)

XO,
AV

Asuka Visions: Relocated to Australia

Hello my dear Asuka Vision supporters!

For those who have not yet heard, here is my life update: Asuka Visions has moved to Australia.

At the end of last year I finally got to make the grand move to the opposite side of the world: Australia.
Although not too public about it, I have been waiting for Australia to open up since early 2021. At the end of the year, the country decided to open their border. Upon notice I gathered my belongings once again, similarly to when I moved from Oregon to New York, and took a 40 hours trip to land in Melbourne, Australia.

Writing this

today, it would be almost a month since arriving. How fast time flies. During the first week, it felt unreal. To think that at the opposite side of the world from where I grew up, there is land. Clean air, beautiful trees, majestic creatures. Life has existed my entire life, and I never knew of it. It is humbling. It is awe-inspiring.

Luckily, within the first few weeks upon arrival I made a new friend who enjoys adventures. Early New Years, she took me on a road trip along the Great Ocean Road. There she and I saw many wonderful creatures and landscapes. Of course, I photographed them on film. What a treat to have made such a sweet friend so quickly. She calls me crazy asian. She is pretty dang correct. Currently I am awaiting to receive the images back from my local film lab. Stay tuned :)

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In regards to bookings,

the change in locations would evidently lead to having a new client base down here. That said for my friends up in the northern hemisphere, I am still available for travel shoots for a few months of 2022.

Asuka Visions is available for travel bookings June, July, August & December 2022.

California Elopement: B & N

Last year during the calm period of the COVID storm, I had the privilege of photographing a beautiful elopement for B and N.

Everything about it was beautiful.

The warmth of sunny California day. The gentle breeze. The calming blue sky. The minimal guest count.
The special feeling behind this treasured occasion: two people who love each other dearly, asking a few endeared people to witness their extremely intimate moment of demonstrating commitment to one another. I love elopements.

Their bridal attire harmonised with the California desert colours of beige, orange, yellow and green. I happen to have known the bride for a few years - she, like the sunflower accents you see in the photos, is a wonderfully cheerful and bright individual. Her partner, Niel, though I don’t know him as much, I found at the elopement to be such a gentleman. I was beyond happy to have been selected to capture their demonstration of love, their special day through my film camera.

The images were taken on Portra 400. I am so glad to have photographed them with that film. Their warm tones shone wonderfully through it.

For those who are curious, I capture weddings and elopements via both digital and film. That said, the images that I love most are always taken on film. There is an undeniable feeling of tenderness and nostalgia that is emitted through the film medium. Honestly, I literally gush about film. This year I hope to gain a new medium format film camera and capture more portraits and elopements around the world through it.

I will provide a few updates soon in regards to bookings and travel :)

Stay tuned!

Asuka Visions

Quarantine

I heard her voice shift towards the spectrum of sorrow.

Yesterday, a woman who was standing in line behind me to take a PCR COVID-19 test was speaking to her friend over the phone. Upset with her circumstance she started to tell her friend that she was to spend Christmas isolated. I could see the tears through the voice my ears heard.

One week ago, I packed up my life and ventured over to Melbourne, Australia. Yes, I ventured to the opposite side of the world. Australia requires a three day mandatory quarantine. All newcomers are to take a PCR test within one day of arrival as well as between the five to seven day span to ensure that they did not bring the virus to their country. Yesterday I was in line to take my second test - in anticipation of receiving my second negative test.

While waiting in line, I heard the conversation of the person behind me in frustration and sadness. She rather calmly expressed frustration that her housemate tested positive for COVID-19, and now she was to spend seven days in quarantine, to spend Christmas alone.

Having spent the holidays quite alone for the past few years I have quite gotten used to isolation during these times. Hearing her conversation, it reminded me that for many being along for the holidays is tragic. To want to see people, to want to feel the embrace of loved ones, and have that privilege ripped from you, is something to mourn. This experience reminded me of the tragedies of forced isolation, and hence I decided to do a self-portrait mini shoot dedicated to how people may be feeling during forced quarantine.

So this is for you,

my friends who experienced the internal challenges associated with the circumstance of being isolated, in a world where we live for connection.

Quarantined.

People have shared with me the following which occurred due to quarantine: Depression - lack of motivation, low energy, social anxiety - difficulty to talk to others, loneliness.

Whatever you experienced, and whatever you are currently working through due to living through such an unexpected yet mammoth challenge, you are most likely holding hands metaphorically with somebody who is working through similar difficulties today. Please hold that hand gently. Please be kind to yourself, to that person who you don’t know - but maybe one day will know.

Some people, myself included have grown tremendously internally from this prolonged time of self-isolation. For me, thanks to the support of a wonderful therapist I took the time of isolation to dig deep within to address parts of myself which I did not know needed detangling. I also should share that as somebody who leans more towards introversion, isolation was far more comfortable than my extroverted counterparts. Each went through their own unique experience, and yours is valid.

If you need a listening ear, some of us here are eager to share that burden.

Photos shot on my digital camera, using a timer. 35mm lens.

For photography, I am planning to do more creative shoots as I meet more models upon settling down a little better here in my new home. I am still open to elopements and portraits but only during specific months this year. Feel free to contact for details.

Cheers,
Masumi

Au Naturale: Sanctuary Pt. I

Lately I have been venturing more into shooting an art style that I have avoided for years: nude.

Growing up in a very conservative religion, the term “modesty” was strongly ingrained in my brain. Modesty in that religion entailed covering your body with clothing in order to avoid sexually tempting, or attracting a man. Everybody followed rules to cover their shoulders, wear pants that hid the majority of their thighs, and for women, their breasts and midriffs were not to be seen. I lived according to this standard for over 20 years, and after finally leaving this faith, I have come to embrace an entirely new philosophy about us, and our bodies.

It has taken years of questioning, re-discovering and understanding my own body and how I feel about it to get here today, and boy am I glad to share with you how i feel about… yes, the body. The body, once so shameful to show, now no more.

It is these very lessons I learned about humans and their bodies that have led me to delve into shooting people in their honest, raw, natural form. Here are my thoughts about the body au naturale from the lens of appreciation, grace, respect, and safety.

Your body holds you. It contains you. It works quietly to support you.

In return, I believe that the body appreciates the consistent care you give it too. After all, it is a part of you. Your body is not a sinful piece of flesh - it is not solely temptation to man. I’d like to believe that we have the privilege to choose who touches it, who gets to hold it, who gets to embrace all that the body stands for. Your body holds your dreams, your thoughts, your fears. It is the instrument through which you can laugh and smile today and tomorrow. Your body is free to be and should not feel ashamed to be seen and appreciated for what it is or how it looks.

In a sex-concentrated society, I’d like to shed light on a countering viewpoint. Yes, bodies can express sexual energy, and that is fire-y and spicy, yes. Thus said, I beckon that we first and foremost appreciate the body and its wonderful sensuality. The softness of the inner palm, the toughness of a collarbone, the shift in color shown on the shoulder as dawn arrives. The beauty of the body, and what it means to be walking on this planet is what motivates me to photograph people in their nude form.

I understand that exposing parts of yourself, your body that often feels safe while hidden with attire can come with a lot of fear. Conversation is extremely important when allowing yourself the opportunity to be seen. If you are interested in a portrait session to be photographed nude do reach out to me via e-mail. If there is one lesson I have learned about fear throughout my thirty years of existence, it is that most of the time fear exists because there is something wonderful ahead of you.

The role of the photographer is to create safe space for openness and vulnerability. It is an opportunity to create a sanctuary for somebody to say, “This is me” and capture the essence of that person. I am looking forward to having wonderful sessions with you in the near future.

Model: Josette Penzel
Shot on: Portra 800 35mm & 120mm.
Studio: Brooklyn, New York.

Cheers,
Asuka Visions

Oregon Respite

It was nice to be back.

Last month I got the privilege to return to Oregon. It had been 2.5 years, and many parts of me missed it. For those who know, I came out here to New York from Portland Oregon, the closest place where I felt like was home. It felt that it was time to go, to finally venture off to new lands, as I have always wanted to, as I have always feared to do.

People always told me, “West coast, best coast.” I don’t like to believe people’s strong opinions until experiencing it myself, so I told myself that I’ll try living out in the east coast. Little did I know that I had two full years of immense growth ahead of me that were gained through many struggles, tears and laughter. During my time in New York, I often missed the relaxed, accepting and gentle vibe of the PNW. There are few places throughout my travels that I have felt that I want to return to. Portland is one of the very few places that I have and will continue to desire visiting again.

Interestingly, while being back in Portland I noticed how much I have changed - how much I have grown. The gentleness of Portland, the loving, genuine vibes were still there - the same kind I reminisced about often on the east coast. One observation I made was that, although it was lovely being back, I missed the hustle energy, the diversity, the drive of New York. I realized I have west coast vibes with an east coast drive. It was wonderful being back to and seeing old friends. This trip to me was a symbol of the growth made internally - I am a far stronger individual now. I know myself more than ever and hope to continue discovering more.

In this blog I share with you some of my memories of my trip - hope you enjoy.

PNW, I will return to you again someday. Hopefully next time, I’ll have a bit more time to spend with you.

Model: Huijun Tan.

Portra 800, 120mm.

Cheers,
Asuka Visions

Your Headshot Components

Lately I have been receiving more requests for headshots, and with these opportunities I decided to share with you a few personal insights as to what might help you for your headshot shoot. For those of you who are looking to either update your headshot or get your first ones ever, here are a few important components to consider while preparing.

Color

You may notice that people in certain industries wear similar colors in their headshots. The color you wear has a lot of power in displaying the kind of energy which you give your viewer. The colors you wear affects the kind of energy which you give out, so it is recommended that you speak with your photographer about what to wear. In fact, if you want to discuss with me attire options I will most likely appreciate it. There is a lot more to discuss about color so I will follow up with another post to share with you more information about it.

Location

The location of where you shoot can add so much to your headshot. When choosing your spot, keep in mind the kind of vibe you want to present to your audience. Some photographers and/or clients enjoy the controlled aspect of studio shoots, and some prefer feeling the fresh breeze of the wind while shooting outdoors. Both are valid. From my experience shooting outdoors tends to invite a warm and comfortable setting, while indoors can carry a more serious vibe to focus directly on the task of photographing you. If shooting outdoors, make sure that your setting has colors that contrast well with your skin tone. Also, check hat the vibe of the location matches with the intention of your shoot.

Energy

Energy is emitted in a variety of ways, we can talk about this for hours, but for the sake of this post we will discuss energy only for headshots. The main question to ask here is this: What kind of vibe am I trying to send out? Calmness? Confidence? Seriousness? Welcoming energy? Depending on the energy that you want to portray, the components to create the photograph will be affected. Neat, right?

Some ways which energy is showcased is through attire, makeup, locations, and body posture. There are tips and tricks that I personally use to make the body emit the energy we seek. Every artist will have their own unique ways to make photographs work. Many times I start off with presenting this tips for clients to keep in mind and then oftentimes give direction for angles , body positioning, etc, to make my client look their best.

So to wrap it up, what we discussed today are three main components of photographing a headshot that fits for your needs. Don’t forget, color, location and energy. I hope it helps!

Cheers,
Asuka Visions

Eco Project: Homage

Times have been tremendously busy, but I am still holding on to the goal of producing one creative, environmentally conscious photo shoot once per month. Despite much chaos going on outside of photographer, thankfully during April I got to manifest Homage.

Homage is a project created to give respect to the existing space between an end and a beginning. That empty space in between the end of a chapter and the introduction of a new one. Those moments of your eyelids closing as it welcomes rest. The silence between the inhale and exhale.

This







Space.

Often when events in our lives come to an end we eagerly anticipate what is next, but this project hopes to provide space to embrace the moments that often go unnoticed. I would argue that it is these moments that are the strings which connect our human experience that deserve a hug of recognition.

What is the eco aspect of the shoot you ask?

Over a span of several weeks, I crafted this skirt from local foliage which I individually picked from near my apartment. Two other types of skirts were crafted but in the end I chose the one you see here, as I felt it was fit for the concept. It is nowhere near perfect but I had a blast making this skirt.

Model: Kelsey Butler
Hair Stylist: Arisa Gonzales
MUA: Yuka Ito
Photographer: Asuka Visions

On an extra fun note, I got to retry shooting Portra 800 on 120mm again. This time around the images turned out fabulous. I am beyond pleased to have tried again and cannot recommend it enough.

I can’t wait to go on another adventure photo trip. Asuka’s travel plans are going to be seldom due to the pandemic, but for future bookings you can send an e-mail to see if we can work out a happy arrangement.

Cheers,
Asuka Visions

Eco Project: Dried Baby's Breath

Unexpected Hobby: Dried Flowers

Last year during the pandemic I picked up a new and frankly unexpected hobby.

Dried Flowers

Embracing feminine energy

Why unexpected? Generally speaking, my hobbies and interests are on the masculine side. I used to spend countless hours practicing parkour, I enjoy climbing rusty buildings to get to the highest point, my favorite subject in school was P.E… you get the point.

Once the pandemic commenced I became an unprofessional hermit. Yes, I was frightful to go outdoors especially as a New York dweller and was afraid to get a friend sick. So I stayed inside for most of the days. On the flipside this also made me appreciate what I usually take more for granted. One of those things was the flowers growing out on the streets, in the park. Maybe the creative in me was looking for a new adventure, but this further appreciation for flowers led me to venture into making dried flowers and pressed flowers. This pandemic allowed an opportunity for me to step a little more towards my feminine energy.

After some months of experimenting I purchased some baby’s breath from a local market and successfully made a dried edition of them after two short weeks. It was quite a simple process. Now it adds a lot of home and photo joy into my life. The wonderful part about these dried flowers is that not only can they make soft home decor but they also serve as reusable photo props! When I say reusable, believe me they last unless you smush them, please refrain from doing that.

Go longevity.

The following are some photos created with them. Enjoy!

All of the photos are taken on medium format film, Portra 400.

The models are my good friend as well as phenomenal model Tenzing Kalden from MMG.

Any questions? Feel free to drop them in the comments below.

Cheers,
Masumi

Eco Project: Passive

The Fabric: Abandoned Curtain to Photo Prop

Once Thrown Away

I believe that the lifespan of an object rests in the eye of the beholder.

Last November when moving out of my apartment, I noticed that my roommate had left behind his curtains when he moved out a few weeks prior. Sensing that an opportunity to reuse them will later come along, I brought the curtains to my new location. As anticipated, the beginning of this year found a chance to repurpose the curtains for a photo project. I am glad to report that after a combination of time, cutting, and sewing, the curtains ended up serving as the main aspect of my most recent shoot. In fact I was fortunate to use them for a few other expressive photos, but the main purpose was for the project which you will see in this post.

So you may be asking: “What did you do with the curtains?” Well, I took the two to three curtains and turned them into one long, approximately 25 foot strip of fabric. After hours and days of cutting and sewing by hand, the curtains, once thrown away became a nice and sturdy strip of fabric. When I tell you that the estimate length of the fabric is about twenty five to thirty feet, it is because frankly I haven’t measured it. What I do know is that it’s long enough to span an entire room.

The Representation

Passive

Why is the project named passive?

Let’s discuss this photo project.

Ever since reaching the age of thirty I have been appreciating more deeply the opportunity to simply be alive. One thing that has been fascinating me is the undeniable reality that nobody knows what our individual lifespan is. What most of all know is when we were born and how old we might be today, at this moment. What we will never truly know is when we will pass, when we will die. Or as some of us would say, when our end is. What makes this intriguing is the fact that most of us live every day, never knowing if today will be our last, or tomorrow, or in 50 years. We just live day to day, innocently, unknowingly.

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The long fabric to me is the representation of the length of our lives - we don’t know where the end is, but yet here we are doing what we do every day. We might be talking to a friend, brushing our teeth, daydreaming, dancing, crying, working, yet in every frame of our lives, there is that line. It is “just there”, quietly existing with us.

This line is passive.

Gentle, coexisting with us, passive.

Now for those who may be feeling uncomfortable reading this, this is not meant to bring up any fear. If though, it is raising anxiety in you perhaps this can serve as a wakeup call for us to live with a little more intention, a little more motivation, a little more honestly. To me, the passive line is simply an indication of where we might be in our lifespan, and I hope to simply breathe with it.

All of the photos were shot on medium format film with my still favorite Kodak 400. For more technical information feel free to drop a question below.

Big thank you to the wonderful model Tenzing Kalden with MMG.

Hope you enjoyed, more to come soon.

Masumi