Everyone knows a photo is worth a thousand words. This photo only needs to describe three, “Michelle LOVES cooking.”

It all started with a plan to spend the day at a park and take photos, but Michelle and I decided to go straight for a yummy meal at brgr in midtown Manhattan. After a cup of coffee it was getting dark and Michelle needed to cook dinner for her friends, so we went grocery shopping, then off to her place and she started preparing dinner. I could see her experience in cooking by her knowing what and how to do everything without a recipe, just doing it freehand, like any mom can do. It felt very warm, familiar, and intimate. In the kitchen, Michelle felt most comfortable, happy, and perhaps most confident, and it was in that environment where I just observed and captured a few candids of her.

After looking back at the photo did we realize how I captured Michelle in her best moment, doing what she loved most and was passionate about. Even Michelle’s friends and family complimented on the perfect representation of her. If we had stuck to the plan and took photos outside, we might have created some pretty photos, but I bet none of which would have had the impact that this particular shot generated. I feel very privileged to have been invited to her home and to share the experience.

I hope I can participate in more of these personal experiences with individuals and capture them in their best moment. Anybody want to let me in?

Makeup by Elizabeth Chang

For some reason all through out my college life I thought Vietnamese women weren’t very attractive. It was only after I expanded out of the Rutgers community did I realize how there are some really gorgeous ones out there, from some of my models to some of my brides, and I am hungry to meet more. I also discovered how much I love their cuisine as well, but I usually have to drive down to Philly for that.

Speaking of food, some girls joke about having their photo-cherry popped by me, but after that, they no longer have any inhibitions and the imagination is the only limit. I think nudity is the ultimate ice breaker for my line of work. The crux of my style is capturing the chemistry and sensuality in the bedroom, and it requires a real confidence and comfort level that takes time to build between the model and photographer. Most beginners need time to build up the courage to be undressed, while my favorite models feel the trust and chemistry from the beginning. The difference is wasting time building up the confidence versus having it from the start. Imagine joining a group activity with strangers without an ice breaker. You probably wasted the first 50-75% of the time slowly easing into communicating with each other, and in the end you may have completed the activity but you still haven’t truly connected with each other.

It’s through extensive experience that I know this to be a fact. I can immediately feel the vibe between the model and I change once the barrier has been broken. It’s a freeing experience – one moment you were stuck in a shell, and the next moment the shell completely shatters and a rush of fresh air wakes you up. You grow, you mature, you embrace your body – and in that brief and vulnerable stage I embrace you and give you absolute undivided attention while you feel like the sexiest, most desired, and important woman in the world. The results should prove that. I am an artist and I need to work off my emotions. If I don’t connect with my subject, there will be an obvious disconnect in the results. When the magic happens, it is an amazing experience, which is why I have some very loyal customers.