Thanks for reading and sharing the significant moments of the new couple. I wish them a happy life together ever after.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wei and Geoff's wedding
I was so honored to attend and photograph Wei and Geoff's wedding held in a sweet little village--Dorset in Vermont on Sept the 10th. It's my first time to go to Vermont actually. Although New York City is everything I want, it's still nice to get away and enjoy the tranquility and peace of the countryside once in a while. Vermont is cooler, greener and of course safer compared to Brooklyn NY. Ironically, i just had my car broken in near my apartment two days before I drove there. So when the little hotel owner in Dorset said they didn't even lock their door, I was a bit surprised and then realized this was indeed a very different place from NYC.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
new domain and new start
Some of my friends might have noticed that I have changed my name to Jocelyn Jiang. As much as I love the simplicity and meaning of Yue, which means Joy in English, I don't like to see people having difficulty pronouncing it. It happened a lot and I realized my name would be a limitation of me reaching out to people and trying to let them remember me.
My new website is http://jocelynjiang.com, and this blog is renamed as http://blog.jocelynjiang.com. Please update your bookmark to avoid any chance of connection error.
Cheers! Happy autumn!
My new website is http://jocelynjiang.com, and this blog is renamed as http://blog.jocelynjiang.com. Please update your bookmark to avoid any chance of connection error.
Cheers! Happy autumn!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Discrimination or fear?
I am someone that needs to be punched from time to time. And I was just punched by the photographer I've been assisting, so hard that it woke me up.
Well, via email, he was making a joke about telling his sons that men were used to waiting for women, after I told him I hated being late for a meetup. I said women were already discriminated against in this male dominated industry, and I didn't want to be treated differently than men. Just a week before, I told him about my concern about discrimination against colored people, Chinese, and women in the photography business. So when he heard me talking about discrimination again, he said bluntly:" Stop caring! Give it up! It doesn't matter anymore. If you carry this thought as your excuse for not getting ahead or getting a job, you don't get ahead. When I don't get a job, I explain it as"fuck it" and move on. There's a lot of power in not caring!" Right there, I was punched.
Sitting in front of the computer, I was stunned that someone just told me that. Is there really no discrimination? Is it just the fear of being discriminated against that keeps us from getting ahead?
The Chinese don't like risk. We invest in real estate and education coz that's something that gives us return. Influenced by Confucius, Chinese people prefer stable and predictable lives. Before they do something, they always ask around to gather opinions from the elder or more experienced to lower risk and have someone to refer to when going down the path. Whether it's choosing a job, buying a house or deciding a major. When they ask around and find few knows about it, they tend to hesitate and step back to find something more popular and that has a set path. Take a look at the engineering department of universities across the US, I am sure you've noticed many Asian faces working hard late at night. For those areas that have few Chinese people, the Chinese think they are hard to get into and there's discrimination. That's where I am.
Blaming things we can't do to something we can't change such as racial discrimination does make us people feel more comfortable. And people tend to stay in their comfort zone, until their butt is kicked.
Speaking of kicking butt, the Chinese society is blunt and judgmental. When you do something wrong, people tell you you did it wrong, It makes you uncomfortable and alert. And you try to do better the next time. But the American society is more tolerant, it tells people to accept what they are, to be comfortable with themselves, but when you are comfortable, you don't wanna push forward. In this sense, I do agree with "the Battle Hyme of the Tiger Mother"'s parenting somewhat.
I am someone that needs to be punched every now and then. It kicks my butt, it wakes me up and it makes me work hard.
My butt was kicked earlier this year by Penny De los Santos when i watched her online food photography workshop. She is so inspiring that I felt the urge to rush out to shoot photographs immediately, but as time goes by, the pain on the butt disappeared and I felt comfortable again. So I quoted her here to keep me reminded.
"Free yourself to go beyond what is obvious for you. Being uncomfortable is when you grow the most. You grow the most when you put yourself in a very uncomfortable place and you solve the problem. It doesn't always work out, but when it does, you step up a little. You move beyond."
— Penny De Los Santos
Well, via email, he was making a joke about telling his sons that men were used to waiting for women, after I told him I hated being late for a meetup. I said women were already discriminated against in this male dominated industry, and I didn't want to be treated differently than men. Just a week before, I told him about my concern about discrimination against colored people, Chinese, and women in the photography business. So when he heard me talking about discrimination again, he said bluntly:" Stop caring! Give it up! It doesn't matter anymore. If you carry this thought as your excuse for not getting ahead or getting a job, you don't get ahead. When I don't get a job, I explain it as"fuck it" and move on. There's a lot of power in not caring!" Right there, I was punched.
Sitting in front of the computer, I was stunned that someone just told me that. Is there really no discrimination? Is it just the fear of being discriminated against that keeps us from getting ahead?
The Chinese don't like risk. We invest in real estate and education coz that's something that gives us return. Influenced by Confucius, Chinese people prefer stable and predictable lives. Before they do something, they always ask around to gather opinions from the elder or more experienced to lower risk and have someone to refer to when going down the path. Whether it's choosing a job, buying a house or deciding a major. When they ask around and find few knows about it, they tend to hesitate and step back to find something more popular and that has a set path. Take a look at the engineering department of universities across the US, I am sure you've noticed many Asian faces working hard late at night. For those areas that have few Chinese people, the Chinese think they are hard to get into and there's discrimination. That's where I am.
Blaming things we can't do to something we can't change such as racial discrimination does make us people feel more comfortable. And people tend to stay in their comfort zone, until their butt is kicked.
Speaking of kicking butt, the Chinese society is blunt and judgmental. When you do something wrong, people tell you you did it wrong, It makes you uncomfortable and alert. And you try to do better the next time. But the American society is more tolerant, it tells people to accept what they are, to be comfortable with themselves, but when you are comfortable, you don't wanna push forward. In this sense, I do agree with "the Battle Hyme of the Tiger Mother"'s parenting somewhat.
I am someone that needs to be punched every now and then. It kicks my butt, it wakes me up and it makes me work hard.
My butt was kicked earlier this year by Penny De los Santos when i watched her online food photography workshop. She is so inspiring that I felt the urge to rush out to shoot photographs immediately, but as time goes by, the pain on the butt disappeared and I felt comfortable again. So I quoted her here to keep me reminded.
"Free yourself to go beyond what is obvious for you. Being uncomfortable is when you grow the most. You grow the most when you put yourself in a very uncomfortable place and you solve the problem. It doesn't always work out, but when it does, you step up a little. You move beyond."
— Penny De Los Santos
Monday, August 15, 2011
one box of cherry tomatos, six presentations
I'd like to make the most of everything available. After buying a box of colorful cherry tomatoes from Union Square's green market. I styled them differently, using both natural and flash light. I was kind of scared of artificial lighting, but after attending a photography workshop, I was amazed at the dramatic effects it creates.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Fun day with food stylist Michael-Ann Rowe
I can't believe how lazy i have been lately with blogging. I did this test shots with Michael-Ann over a month ago and i finally climbed up here to give my blog an update.
These photos were taken right before a thunderstorm, the sky gloomy, the light dim. I really like the moody look of some of the pictures. The dark table surface with scratches on was an improvise converted from Michael-Ann's computer desk. We ate all the food after the shooting thanks to the wonderful cook! Something i wish I had done was to take some portrait photos of the stylist. Her blond hair is beautiful.
These photos were taken right before a thunderstorm, the sky gloomy, the light dim. I really like the moody look of some of the pictures. The dark table surface with scratches on was an improvise converted from Michael-Ann's computer desk. We ate all the food after the shooting thanks to the wonderful cook! Something i wish I had done was to take some portrait photos of the stylist. Her blond hair is beautiful.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Photo shooting with food stylist Michael Giletto
If you have been following my earlier posts, you may know that I have had the opportunity to work with a food stylist on a photo shoot. Well, here is an update on how things went.
I contacted an executive chef in New Jersey named Michael Giletto. After the back and forth phone calls and emails where we were deciding what dishes to make and what style of photos we were looking for, we finally set the date of the shoot for Saturday, May 28th.
I contacted an executive chef in New Jersey named Michael Giletto. After the back and forth phone calls and emails where we were deciding what dishes to make and what style of photos we were looking for, we finally set the date of the shoot for Saturday, May 28th.
As it was my first time to work with a food stylist, I was quite nervous. The weather forecast earlier in the week was forecasting rain and thunderstorms for the weekend of the shoot, so I was beginning to worry. What else could I do but keep my fingers crossed? As the weekend approached, I made a list of things to bring with me, including a tripod, foam boards, mirrors, clamps, backup camera and battery, my collection of fabrics and props, the laptop, and a light stand and umbrella (in case the window light wasn't diffused enough). Oh, and I received my new Nikon D7000 camera on Wednesday, just in time for the project! So, my Nikon D60 was relegated to the task of backup camera.
On Saturday, much to my relief, it was mostly sunny with a slight breeze. It was an ideal day for natural light food photography. I drove down to Oceanplace Resort and Spa in Long Branch, NJ where Michael manages quite a number of kitchen staff and all of the restaurants in the hotel, which makes him quite busy. However, he still found time to set aside a whole day for the photo shoot, of which I am very appreciative. The photo shoot took place in the fine dining room, in which one entire wall was glass. They set up one dining table with a white tablecloth and another that had a rustic, natural wood look to it. I was provided with a tall ladder to use for my overhead shots.
Michael was very easy-going and flexible to any ideas I had for the shoot. Before I met him in person, I had read about his appearances on the Food Network and about some of his other accomplishments. He mentioned he will also be appearing in a series of shows set to air in June. Honestly, reading and hearing about all that made me nervous, but soon after we began working together, I felt comfortable and relaxed. Michael is a very talented food stylist and is awesome to work with!
On Saturday, much to my relief, it was mostly sunny with a slight breeze. It was an ideal day for natural light food photography. I drove down to Oceanplace Resort and Spa in Long Branch, NJ where Michael manages quite a number of kitchen staff and all of the restaurants in the hotel, which makes him quite busy. However, he still found time to set aside a whole day for the photo shoot, of which I am very appreciative. The photo shoot took place in the fine dining room, in which one entire wall was glass. They set up one dining table with a white tablecloth and another that had a rustic, natural wood look to it. I was provided with a tall ladder to use for my overhead shots.
Michael was very easy-going and flexible to any ideas I had for the shoot. Before I met him in person, I had read about his appearances on the Food Network and about some of his other accomplishments. He mentioned he will also be appearing in a series of shows set to air in June. Honestly, reading and hearing about all that made me nervous, but soon after we began working together, I felt comfortable and relaxed. Michael is a very talented food stylist and is awesome to work with!
You will find some of the photos from the shoot after this post. Enjoy!
My thoughts and prayers go out to those families who have lost loved ones that have given their lives in defense of, and to those who are currently serving this country on this Memorial Day.
My thoughts and prayers go out to those families who have lost loved ones that have given their lives in defense of, and to those who are currently serving this country on this Memorial Day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)