Inappropriate, According to Whom?
A client once changed her mind about a portrait she loved after someone close to her said she was “showing off.” It made me think about how often women are taught to question the versions of themselves they feel most comfortable in.
"Can We Do This Chop Chop?"
A fellow coach shared a familiar frustration: corporate clients who want to "get it over with." I realised I've heard the exact same words in my portrait studio. It made me think about why some things simply cannot be rushed.
Still Credible in the Age of AI?
AI can make almost anyone look polished, credible and professional. But as generated imagery becomes more convincing, the way we respond to what we see may depend increasingly on whether we believe it is real. This reflection looks at a small study on trust in AI generated imagery, a client message that arrived at an oddly perfect moment, and what all of this might mean for professional portraits and first impressions.
It Started With a Selfie
A client was invited to speak at a conference and needed a professional portrait for the event. A reflection on speaker profiles, first impressions and why different moments call for different photographs.
When the Company Logo Comes Off
She had spent years building a respected career inside established organisations. Then came the decision to build something of her own. A reflection on why, when the company logo comes off, your portrait often becomes part of your introduction.
The Coaching Rule I Keep Breaking
I’m still relatively new to life coaching, and there is one rule I keep finding myself bending. If I know something that could genuinely help a client, should I share it, or does that mean I’ve stopped coaching?
Why I Hesitate to Say Yes to Passport Photos
When people ask if I can take their passport photo, I often hesitate. Not because it's difficult, but because passport photos and portraits serve two very different purposes. One is about recognition. The other is about representation.
A.I and the human part
As a lecturer and a photographer, AI keeps showing up in my world in different forms. In the classroom, in the studio, in the questions clients ask. The technology isn't the hard part. The harder question is what we risk outsourcing along the way.
Strangers. Teachers.
I never quite know who's going to walk through the door. But every person who sits in front of my camera carries a story and I always leave the session richer for it.
Unexpected Places
I've stood in front of boardrooms and lecture halls more times than I can count. But nothing quite prepared me for spending a Saturday evening at the Botanic Gardens, telling my story to strangers sitting under trees. Some of the best rooms are the ones you didn't know existed.
The Photograph I Almost Deleted
A candid portrait that almost didn't make the final selection became a reminder that genuine expression often matters more than perfect composition. A reflection on authenticity, portrait photography and what makes an image memorable.
I Look Like My Father
During a viewing session, a client paused at one of his portraits and said something I wasn't expecting. It gave me goosebumps. After years of photographing people, this was the first time I watched someone find something in an image that had nothing to do with how they looked.
Thinking Out Loud With
People see the photographs. Sometimes they see the studio. What they don't see are the conversations. The ones about pricing, direction, values, and everything in between. A reflection on what it means to have someone willing to sit with the hard questions alongside you.
Our Relationship with Time
Two coaching clients. Both at the edge of retirement. One felt she was running out of time. The other had more of it than he knew what to do with. Same word, completely different weight and underneath both, the same reckoning.
A Strange Realisation
Meeting Singapore portrait photographer Russell Wong led to an unexpected realisation: confidence doesn't come from being accepted by others, but from recognising you've already become the photographer you set out to be.
We, Such Fragile Beings
A trip to Jeju. An exhibition title that followed me around the island. And a camera that kept finding its way to things that felt temporary… bare trees, a lone persimmon, waves breaking against rock. Sometimes the photographs know something before you do.
Keeping Scores
I've stood in front of conference rooms and portrait clients alike, and walked away picking apart everything I could have done better. The people in those rooms were having a completely different experience. This is about the gap between how we judge ourselves and how we're actually received.
Where It All Began
Eighteen years in brand marketing. A title. A salary. A career that made sense to everyone except me. This is about the afternoon I finally stopped asking how much longer I could hold on, and started asking a different question.