So, get this – some weeks ago I flew to New Orleans to meet up with an online friend of mine. Honestly, it’s not as bad as it sounds. No axe murders or mysterious disappearances involved. Here is the story.
I’ve known Weng for 4 years, we “met” on the 365project.org when we both started documenting our lives diligently with a photo each day back in 2010. Weng was posting pictures of delicious coffee drinks, amazing dinner dishes and their beautiful cats, and I really enjoyed following him. We had both picked up photography as a hobby, and we were learning and growing at the same rate. After commenting on each other’s photos for 365 days in a row, you get a pretty good idea of a person and the life they lead.
The Three Musketeers finally meet: me, my friend Weng and his wonderful wife Betty in New Orleans! (photo credit goes to my great friend Michelle)
However, it wasn’t until we both stopped participating actively in the 365 project and became Facebook friends, that our collaboration grew. Weng and I started exchanging photos from our photo shoots, asking each other for constructive criticism and tips on how to improve our work. He and his wife Betty lived in London, I was in the United States, yet we connected online and we were learning from each other. Weng began taking pictures of models, and around the same time I was doing more and more photo shoots of people, so his tips and advice on posing came really handy. I’ve always thought of him as my mentor and friend, because he knows a lot more about the technical side of photography than I do.
I’ve always been a fan of Weng’s earlier conceptual work. (Photo: Weng)
So, when Weng messaged me one day to tall me he was coming to a photography workshop in the United States and asked me if I’d like to meet, I knew the answer was “yes.” I did not make it to the workshop, but I met up with them in New Orleans and we spend 4 days together exploring the city, drinking coffee and eating mouth-watering food, having great conversation, and taking pictures.
It’s been wonderful to watch Weng’s work excel with time. He’s amazing, considering the fact that he has a serious day-time job and he does photography only as a hobby. (Photo: Weng)
Weng was traveling with his wife Betty and their adorable baby Mason, and as soon as we met at the hotel lobby, we immediately liked each other in real life. The idea was for us not only to meet in person, but to shoot together. Weng was to take boudoir photos of me, so I could experience what my clients feel, and I in turn was to take their family photos because he wasn’t one to be in front of the camera often. It was out of our comfort zones for both of us, which made it interesting, but we had already established trust and we had quite a few inside jokes that broke the ice if it were ever there.
The day my friend Michelle and I arrived in New Orleans and met Betty, Weng and Mason, we found ourselves walking around New Orleans and exploring. The four of us had so much to talk about, it was like meeting up with old friends you haven’t seen in a while.
We spend two days together sightseeing and eating some great food, and on day 3 it was time to take pictures. After breakfast at Cafe Amelie we decided to do Weng, Betty and Mason’s family photo shoot on Royal Street, which was still quiet and peaceful, flooded with morning sun.
I loved baby Mason right away, but he was slightly suspicious of me at the beginning of our photo shoot.
Mason kept giving me the look…
Aren’t the three of them too cute?
Happiness and Love!
I was truly impressed with Weng and Betty’s parenting skills and their shared responsibility for baby Mason.
Everywhere we went Mason was the focus of attention, and people looked at him with loving smiles. He’s just adorable and the best behaved little baby there is!
Later on during the photo shoot we managed to get him smile 🙂
The Tan Clan.
It was a real pleasure to meet Weng, Betty and Mason in person and I am so glad we got to spend some wonderful days together in New Orleans. The Internet makes it easy to connect with people nowadays, and it is great when some of these connections transgress the virtual expanse and turn into real life friendships.
I am missing me some slobbery baby Mason kisses. Hoping to be able to visit Betty and Weng in London soon! 🙂
I love taking family photos on location, learn more here. 🙂
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