2025 arrived with a profound weight to some of the women I work with - losses that changed their holidays forever. Being in the presence of such grief is humbling. It reminds me that the work I do matters in ways I don’t always see.
Yet, amid the heaviness, I continued to witness the "Radiance" that defines my mission. Through my Radiance Rediscovered Over 40 campaign, I collaborated with incredible women who, in front of my lens, revealed their beauty - not just to the world, but to themselves. That moment of disbelief never gets old. The sharp intake of breath. The whispered, “Is that really me?” It is, quite honestly, addicting to witness.
Beauty and "Badassery" Have No Expiration Date
Last year, I had the privilege of photographing women well into their 80s - including one of the most fearlessly authentic souls I know. After viewing her portraits, she looked me straight in the eye and said, “You need to be known by more people, kiddo.”
As if the universe were taking notes from a seasoned pro, the doors swung open. I was featured in a magazine interview that allowed women to "meet" me before we ever spoke. And at the turn of the year, another feature invitation came knocking.
The Magic of Showing Up: Japan
This year also gifted me a long-awaited journey to Japan with my partner-in-crime/Assistante. Our time there was a masterclass in why showing up authentically matters.
We didn't just "sightsee". We connected.
A gentleman photographed us while we were photographing scenery, simply because we looked “cute” to him.
We gifted a photograph to a newlywed couple in a Kyoto garden, which led to an invitation to Madrid, Spain.
We visited a temple only to find ourselves in deep discussions about art with people that we ran into.
When we thought we were just visiting a Zen garden, we ended up chatting up a storm with the temple's abbot.
We met a young woman from Bali, Indonedia - barely in her twenties - speaking with a philosophical depth I didn’t discover in myself until much later in life. We’re now planning a trip for Nyepi, the Day of Silence, in Bali.
The connections grew into a beautiful, tangled web:
The most remarkable story began at a ryokan.
A woman helping us with dinner refused to let language be a barrier, pulling out her translator to ensure we understood every dish. We now have a sister in Japan, whose father, still working in his seventies, is a legend in the Japanese culinary world and whose husband is a trained French cuisine chef. We’ve since dined at both restaurants and have already "threatened" to go straight to her house for meals next time we visit.
Then, the "small world" effect took over: We encountered a woman who studied in the U.S. in her twenties and, four decades later, still delights in speaking English fluently. Guess where she worked to save for her study in the US years ago? At my new sister’s father’s restaurant. And her own father - a 90-year-old painter? His work is hanging on the walls of the very ryokan where we stayed.
These connections weren't orchestrated, spanning generations and decades. They emerged because we stayed curious, genuine, and open to the beauty in people beyond the obvious interactions.
Beyond the Obvious: The Duck and the Light
Sailing Through Autumn's Radiance, Karuizawa, Japan - Copyright Jean Huang Photography
While in Japan, I met a duck by a pond, framed by autumn leaves at their most radiant. Around me, visitors chased the "spectacle," their phones/cameras raised to the fiery maples.
I watched the duck instead. I watched the way the light danced across the water, transforming something simple into something luminous. This is how I see the women I photograph. I look beyond the obvious "foliage" of a person’s life - the age, the roles, the expectations - searching instead for the specific light that reveals their unique radiance. Sometimes, the most profound beauty isn't in the "scenery," but in finding the glow that was already there, waiting to be noticed.
That’s what drew those people to us in Japan. That’s what my clients sense when they step into a session. That’s what makes all the difference - in portraits, in connections, in how we move through the world.
Authenticity creates the space for revelation.
Looking Toward 2026
As I move into 2026, I am feeling called to create more of these spaces - not just online, but in real rooms, through real conversations, and within the unexpected magic that happens when people truly show up as themselves.
🧡
Jean
🌟The Radiant Women Transformer 🌟
Jean Huang Photography
+1 (626) 314-7004 (text/call)
jean@JeanHuangPhotography.com
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Featured on Voyage LA: https://tinyurl.com/JeanVoyageLA
