I Made it Earlier than the Sun in Yangshuo (阳朔) - Los Angeles Fine Art Photographer

Yangshuo (阳朔) in China has long been on my list to travel to.  There's an ancient saying in Chinese that the landscape in Guilin (桂林) tops the world, and that of Yangshuo (阳朔) is the best in Guilin (桂林) (i.e., "桂林山水甲天下，阳朔山水甲桂林" in Chinese).  Its rolling hills, especially hidden in a thin layer of mist, is mesmerizing to me.  You know I'm not an early riser.  But my behavior changes when traveling.  For one, I get up early to "beat the tourists" (see here as well).  And when traveling to a place like Yangshuo (阳朔), it's worth sacrificing every bit of comfort.  In this case, it means rolling out of bed and climbing up the mountain in darkness, with heavy gear, to catch the first breath of the sun.  And then wait to meet His Majesty.   

For a short window of time, we were rewarded with this spectacular sun rise.  Don't you love the play of light and the shades of colors?

BTW, according to the locals, we were the lucky ones - it had been raining in previous days and will rain again the next day.  So to see the sun, in these dreamy clouds, is photographer's-dream-come-true.  Of course, someone once said that the mighty power up there likes good people. :-)

P.S. It goes without saying that you can contact me if you'd like this beautiful piece of art to be decorating your living room, dining room, or bedroom. :-)

Sun Rise behind the Rolling Mountains in Yangshuo (阳朔) above Dreamy Clouds - ©Jean Huang Photography

A Woman is Always Beautiful (Just like Flowers) - Happy Mother's Day - Los Angeles Transformational Beauty Photographer

A friend once made a reference of a woman's life to that of a flower.  I'm pretty sure she's not the only one making the connection between the two.

People tend to associate later parts of lives to something not so positive.  I beg to disagree.

In my household, I barely throw away things, not even the flowers that have fallen off the stems and dried.  By the way, my hubby has stopped trying to argue with me.  How would you argue with an artiiiiiist? ;-)

Anyway, in my eyes, all organisms move through stages of lives, having distinct characteristics.  Take this orchid for example.  Some clients have seen it in my home.  I've kept it even when most people think its life has ended.  Its days of plump skin, perching on the branches have ended.  But those days have been replaced with rich colors, textures and an "attitude" that nothing much can affect it anymore.  To me, that is beautiful!  And I celebrate such a beautiful life by keeping it around and showing people, including clients, how I'm crazy about such a drastically different yet still splendid look at the end of life.

Today, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish all the moms a happy Mother's Day!  Have a great time celebrate what makes you!  And to those of us married women with no children, give ourselves a pat in the back.  You know what I mean if you think back the day that you take over your husband from your mother-in-law.  You've somehow stepped into her shoes, haven't you? Have a happy day, all my women sisters!

P.S. Sample fine art photography can be viewed here.  To purchase or to discuss how to make a fine art "out of you" ( :-) ), I can be reached here.

A Woman is Always Beautiful, just Like Flowers - ©Jean Huang Photography

Nature - Where Spring and Fall Co-exist - Los Angeles Fine Art Photographer

Even back in my corporate days, I never let my position define what I do or who I was.  Now that I'm in a creative realm, it's even more true. Yes, I "transform" women/beauty.  But, that's not going to stop me from appreciating the other beauties that we have around us.  So, when I go on a hike, I do not just hike.  I get "distracted" a lot, while my "assitante" anxiously plod ahead, trying to get to the end of the road before sunset.  However, wouldn't you agree that had I not "stopped and smelt the roses", we wouldn't have this image, where spring and fall magically co-exist?

Spring flower and fall grass co-exist - ©Jean Huang Photography