Reflections

A collection of stories, thoughts and observations from my work and everyday life.
Some are about photography, some about people, and others are simply things I've experienced, questioned or found worth sharing.


"Can We Do This Chop Chop?"
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

"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.

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When the Company Logo Comes Off
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

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.

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The Coaching Rule I Keep Breaking
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

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?

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Strangers. Teachers.
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

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.

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I Look Like My Father
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

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.

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Thinking Out Loud With
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

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.

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Our Relationship with Time
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

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.

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Where It All Began
Shaan Ng Shaan Ng

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.

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