Feed Your Soul

TATIANA SARAH - IRIS CHIA - VANCOUVER PHOTOGRAPHER.jpg

I flew to Vancouver with the goal to meet new creatives and this collaboration is exactly what I came here for. Okay and as much as I enjoy the snow, I completely refuse to freeze my butt off in below zero weather. Just for a little while, you know. On exactly November 1 2017, I told myself I would not be in Calgary because who has time for winter…shouldn’t we be hibernating or something?! If I had it my way, it would always be warm. I would be on the beach and get all the vitamin D I need. Although we’re still in Canada and winter affects us all in some way, shape or form, the west coast isn’t the brightest city as the grey skies and rain often bless us. News flash: better bundle up now. Perhaps winter is coming sooner rather then later. The thought of snow makes me want to hide out. Anyone else?

On a positive note, I made another trip to the bookstore and got some amazing new reads. One of the staff-pick that caught my attention is a fairly new release called “I Really Didn’t Think This Through” by author Beth Evans. The name is a little too fitting for the way I have been feeling lately. Plus, I could not justify letting go of a book that has my name written all over it. *Note to self: I need to be clearer on the situations I wish to attract.

Meet the team: Miel and Iris, two beautiful souls I had the pleasure to work with on this fun editorial. The theme for this shoot was fresh. With Iris’ creative touch, we played with the flowers and greenery which were the perfect props for our dreamy, natural almost ethereal mood. We focused on the finger coiled curls which gave my hair more definition and texture I sometimes lack from all the years of heat damage. I’ve noticed quite some improvement since the summer which is exciting but my hair still is uneven due to my poor decision of getting a haircut on flat-ironed hair. Now my go-to hairdo is a sleek bun just so it looks somewhat decent. The hair struggle is so real. Did you know "Miel” is french for honey? Isn’t that the sweetest! Make-up wise: bright eyes and contoured cheekbones. Miel’s vision and her direction helped highlighting some of my best features. Another fact is that Iris also takes first-born photographs at one of Vancouver’s busiest hospital. While getting ready, she told us on average 15 babies are born daily at her hospital alone! Isn’t it a dream job to capture such a beautiful moment with the new families?

Don’t forget to follow and get to know these two talented ladies on their creative journey!

Make-up by Miel Enage (left) Facebook | Instagram

Photography by Iris Chia (right) Website | Facebook | Instagram

After receiving the edits back, this particular set is my most favourite because the photos remind me of Frida Kahlo. If you’re not familiar with the her work, I encourage you to check out some of her paintings. Considered one of the Mexico's greatest, Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican artist who painted many portraits, self-portraits and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country's popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, post-colonialism, gender, class and race in Mexican society. My all-time favourite quote by Kahlo goes as follow:

I used to think I was the strangest person in the world.

But then I thought there are so many people in the world,

There must be someone just like me who feels

Bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do.

I would imagine her, and imagine that she

Must be out there thinking of me too.

Well, I hope that you are out there and

Read this and know that yes, it’s true

I’m here and I’m just as strange as you.

Want to view more editorial looks? Check these out!

Did You Know?

By literally exposing interior organs, and depicting her own body in a bleeding and broken state, Kahlo opened up our insides to help explain human behaviours on the outside. She gathered together motifs that would repeat throughout her career, including ribbons, hair, and personal animals, and in turn created a new and articulate means to discuss the most complex aspects of female identity. As not only a 'great artist' but also a figure worthy of our devotion, Kahlo's iconic face provides everlasting trauma support and she has influence that cannot be underestimated.

Read more on Frida Kahlo here.