Film

Letters to Our Children | November

Your baba told you that that is a "river stirrer."

Your baba told you that that is a "river stirrer."

Dear Children: 

I am typing this blog lying in bed because someone is having major bouts of separation anxiety. You (Max) just woke not long ago sobbing and screaming devastatingly "mama mama maaaamaaaaasaaaaa." That was one thing I dreaded knowing that you are using more and more words...it's kind of heartbreaking. Not wanting to have that happen again but not wanting to miss my deadline, I decided to be techy and download the blog app. See kids, always be a solution seeker!

Alright guys. This week's sole focus is to recover from jetlag after returning from Taiwan and Hong Kong Saturday evening. We are all waking at 2 or 3 am and you and M are completely overtired by dinner time. The trip to Taipei, Hualien, and Hong Kong was worth it though! Esp when you guys met my grandma - I will be forever grateful that we got to spend this time with her. Though I am not going to lie that it stressed me out A LOT that you guys rode in cars and buses and vans without car seats and seat belts. 

E - you said that Hong Kong is your favorite because of juice. Juice means this juice booth about two blocks from our airbnb that makes fresh juice. I was surprised at your willingness to learn and speak some Chinese, especially strangers. Your dad and I were also so proud at how much more willing you were to engage others and were really surprised that you seemed to be less shy in Asia. You would pay for things yourself..going up to cashiers and saying "xie xie" in Taiwan or "hm goy" in Hong Kong. You told me that you want to go to Chinese school, so I definitely want to make that happen! Notable memory from this trip: you got your hand stuck in between two glass sliding doors at a bakery in Taipei. You stuck your hand in and then got caught when M triggered the automatic doors. The rescue was quite dramatic and the bakery lady wasn't too thrilled. 

M - You were a handful. It was rough battling separation anxiety and losing your mind because we won't let you do everything that you want to do...like roaming the crazy busy streets of Asia or stomping around on the subway and MTRs. I can't blame you though...age wise, it is rough traveling as a 1.5 year old. You threw so many tantrums that I lost count. But I won't forget the tantrums you threw face down in very dirty public spaces and then picked up a mild case of impetigo. We have photographs to remind you once you are older. 

Can't wait to get our film scans back on this vacation and to relive our travel adventures with you two.

Mama is too jet lagged and tired to write more right now..GOOD NIGHT.

Love,

Mama

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Ready for memories like this with your family? Contact me to book a session near Ventura, CA!

Po Chi Fung is a Ventura County Lifestyle Family and Newborn Photographer, also serving Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and other surrounding areas. She captures real-life moments with a documentary approach on film to tell your family's story. 

A lifestyle newborn photography session | Ventura County Newborn Photographer

Today, I'm going to be diligently packing for our big Asia trip but before I start that boring task, I'm sharing some squishy baby photos to brighten our film Friday!  It was so fun to get to photograph this sweet sweet baby boy with his glowing mama for their newborn photography session. Every time I photograph a newborn, it reminds me of my early days with Evie and Max - utter exhaustion but filled with moments where it just feels as if the time slowed down and a tiny human perched on top of me, their belly rising and falling against your chest, and the whole time I wonder how is it that I can love someone I just met so so much.

Such a joy to be able to document these fleeting days for others. Thanks for having me!

Developed and scanned by the FIND Lab.

Need sweet memories with your new baby? Contact me to book a newborn photography session near Ventura, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Ojai, Santa Monica, or Oxnard!

Po Chi Fung is a Ventura County Newborn Photographer, also serving Ojai, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and other surrounding areas. She captures real-life moments with a documentary approach on film to tell your family's story. 

A Black and White Film Friday

I shoot a lot more color film than I do BW film nowadays but what drew me to film initially were the classically beautiful black and white photos that we see from artists such as Vivian Maier and Ansel Adams. 

Since I just got a few rolls of black and white film back, here are some of my favorites :). 

Film stock: Acros 100 (accidentally rated at 160, so pushed 1)

Processed: The FIND lab (Chris Kale is the BEST).

 

*Po Chi Fung is a Washington DC and MD lifestyle and documentary family photographer serving Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, and Potomac

 

 

A recent family session with Brianna and her family

This is my third time photographing Brianna and her immediate family. It means a lot when a client welcomes me back for another session, and it means even more that she reached out to specifically get photographs of her kids with their grandparents. How lucky these kids are to have grandma and grandpa loving on them. In a day and age where so many of us live away from our parents, it just feels like a treat to have some of these shorter-lived memories preserved.

Here are some of my favorites from the session.  Thanks for having me photograph your family again, Brianna!!!

 

 

*Po Chi Fung is a Washington DC and MD lifestyle and documentary family photographer serving Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, and Potomac

Cherry blossoms on film

Since we've started dating, J and I take a trip down to the tidal basin every year to see the cherry blossoms around sunrise because he can't stand crowds. I usually take a second trip back down around sunset hours to photograph, so he doesn't have to wait around for me.  But we've missed the last two years for good reasons, so I was super excited that we were able to make it this year!  AND we got to take Evie along.  I was also really excited that I was going to photograph mostly with my new film camera.

It was super overcasted that day and I was really nervous about how the photographs would turn out.  I initially hated them but after sleeping on it for a day or so, I think I really love them.  Hope you do too!

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Notes: Fuji400H, ISO400, slight add of contrast, taken 1/30 or 1/60

 

*Po Chi Fung is a Washington DC and MD lifestyle and documentary photographer serving Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Rockville, and Potomac