seacliff bridgesea cliff bridge-01 sea cliff bridge-02 sea cliff bridge-03 sea cliff bridge-04 sea cliff bridge-05

Sydney has so many nice beaches but whenever there’s a chance, we’d drive along the coast for a day trip either to the North or South. For the last couple of years, we’ve driven along the Sea Cliff Bridge increasingly number of times to the south coast where we found our favourite fish and chips shop and the favourite spot on the rock to watch the day go by after a dip in the water. Here’s my mention of the Sea Cliff Bridge around 3 years ago:

Sea Cliff Bridge

View from Sea Cliff Bridge, photo taken in Jan 2013.

To give you a better idea of what the bridge looks like, here’s the view from the above:

sea cliff bridge

Photo found on Internet, from Pinterest.

The driving experience on those cliff hugging roads is always amazing. No wonder it is the most featured location on car ads. If you drive pass this bridge one day, stop for a few minutes and take a walk on the bridge. It’s a treat to walk along the pedestrian path and enjoy the uninterrupted ocean views.

——————————————————————————————————————————–

Photos: Candidtown Photography

Wish top, Witchery shots, Marc Jacobs leather bag, Superga sneaker
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Millions of people across the country will make a resolution as part of the New Year celebrations this year. A resolution is a promise to yourself that you will achieve something you’ve meant to get around to. Some people have a whole list of things they want to experience in 2016. Others will start the year with promises of fitness plans, gym subscriptions, and diet programs to improve their health.

If you’ve got an idea what you would like to do to make your life better in 2016, why not share it with social media? The more people that know about it, the more motivated you may be to achieve what you want. Of course, coming up with an idea in the first place is part of the challenge. You need to pick things that are achievable in a reasonable amount of time. It’s easier to do if you’re passionate and committed. I’ve got a few ideas to help you on your way:

Use Swaps To Stop

Bad habits are something we all try to lose, especially at this time of year. But sometimes, stopping is just too hard. Instead, why not try swapping? Swap your cigarettes for e-cigarettes to reduce the risk of cancer. Swap the takeaway for the convenience of a reheated home-cooked meal from batch cooking.

10 Foods That Help You Lose Weight

Swap sugary treats to fruits

Instead of a chocolate bar, eat a banana. Sweet fruits can often provide the same satisfaction. Use small quantities of very dark chocolate to help you overcome the choccy craving.

Instead of using the car, why not cycle, walk or take the bus? Doing this for just one day out of each week can save you money in fuel. You’ll also need to walk further, burning calories and increasing your fitness levels. Swapping just one thing can be a great New Year resolution.

Relax More

Yoga in germany (1 of 1)

Strike a yoga pose in Germany

Relaxing and reducing your stress levels can be even more beneficial to your health than cutting back on things like alcohol. There are plenty of different ways you can relax. Yoga is a good way to improve your focus and reduce your stress. Swimming also calms the body and mind. Perhaps you like to curl up with a good book.

Meditation is hard to do when you are stressed but is proven to be one of the best ways to stop stress in its tracks. You can probably find classes in your local community to help you learn meditations that work. Artwork and playing a musical instrument can also provide relaxation. Playing an instrument uses almost every part of your brain, making it a winner at overriding those negative thoughts.

I love this time of year because it promises a fresh start in January. The commitment to start afresh needs to be there, though. It can be so easy to fall back into old habits. Share your resolutions to help you see them through in 2016.

No regret (1 of 1)

Do you ever regret? “Should coulda woulda” used to be my close friend. You see, I tend to spend a considerable amount of time worrying about the future or regretting over the past. The rest of time, I’d be daydreaming.

Luckily I’ve recognised my problem and decided to do something about it. The solution is simple: say good bye to “Shoulda coulda woulda.” No more regret. Nowadays once a decision is made, I’d just go ahead and do it. No regret afterwards. It doesn’t help any way, so why waste our precious time regretting?

If the matter is really important, I’d ask myself this question before the final decision is made: Will you regret it in the future if you make this decision now? If the answer is no – go ahead and do it. If the answer is yes or maybe – think again and come up with something until the answer is no. It works wonders for me.

So that’s a wrap! My last motivational post of this year is about having no regret.




—————————————————————————–

At the beginning of this year, I made up my mind to stay motivated for the entire course of the year because it’s seriously in need. Below is a list of personal posts over the year from the blog series: self-motivation. Still can’t believe a whole year just flew by like that!

January:

100 days of motivation.

Get up and do it.

Daily practice of listening and speaking.

February:

Keep going.

5 Reasons Why It’s Better to Be An Optimist.

Don’t ever get comfortable when you have the ability to achieve more.

Your character is your destiny.

March:

Have Patience.

Travel Often.

Make good habits.

How to set goals and achieve them over a period of time.

April:

Focus.

Stick to my morning routine.

Maintain a good body posture.

Order! I must have order.

May:

Dare to say NO and ask for help.

Be less emotional.

Read out loud everyday.

How to be a good listener.

Be grateful.

June:

Read more.

Plan weekly meals.

Love life.

Be observant.

One step at a time.

July:

Adoptable to change.

Think.

Speak slowly.

Stay on track.

August:

Breathe.

Eat slowly.

Hope is a good thing.

Don’t worry.

Don’t play small.

September:

I can do happy.

Love what you do, for a long time.

Ignore I don’t feel like it!

9 Reasons why I want to learn how to cook.

October:

Do small things in a great way.

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted.




in the woods (8 of 8) in the woods (6 of 8) in the woods (7 of 8) in the woods (5 of 8) in the woods (3 of 8) in the woods (4 of 8) in the woods (2 of 8) in the woods (1 of 8)

Lately I decided to use the opportunity of our light testing/ location scouting trips to have some of my outfit shots done at the same time. Why didn’t I think of this any earlier? No idea.

I’ve got this long dress for a while but never had a chance to wear it. So when we needed to test our new heavy duty light strobe and scout a location for the next client portrait session, I decided to wear it the first time and have some test shots in it.

One of the reasons I’ve never worn this dress to any occasion before is that I couldn’t find any suitable shoes to go with it. But it looks great without shoes in the wood!

Needless to say, chances of going to a party without shoes are slim in reality. So what do you think? What kind of shoes would go well with is dress at ankle length? Do you have any favorite shoe maker that you’d recommend?

———————————————————————————————————–

Photos: Candidtown Photography




abandoned pub-005 abandoned pub-004 abandoned pub-005 abandoned pub-002 abandoned pub-001

That old pub has been abandoned for 30 years, since 1985. Rumors say it’s being sold and people are speculating what it’ll put to be.

Until it’s turned into a ugly construction site, it remains one of my favorite spots of portrait sessions for some of our clients. But we managed to take a few photos of me around it using a mixture of light sources for the first time a couple of days ago.

As usual, it wasn’t planned. I’d just spent the whole day catching up with my girlfriends – having an extra long lunch near Sydney Opera House; afternoon tea with the most delicious cakes at the Rocks; wandering and shopping around Sydney Pitt Street Shopping Mall. My plan was to chill at home in the evening, read a book or something. Instead, we picked up our gears and went out to shoot for fun after 7pm.

You see, I’m a queen of spontaneity, J has a name in the family of being “Mr Last Minute”. This kind of “last minute shoot” happens all the time. Luckily, I wasn’t not in pyjamas as usual so we were out of the door within 3 minutes. There were literally a few minutes of daylight left for the day but we had those speed lights and light stand with us. So lighting wasn’t a concern. My concern was, we attracted quite a few onlookers shooting with the lighting equipment. Some people stared, some people stopped and watched, some people came over to give me a hug.

As someone who’s always working behind the camera, I was feeling quite uncomfortable. The awkwardness might have been written all over my face, but I love the texture of those old walls as well those lush ivy leaves growing on the wall.

——————————————————————————————————————–

Photos: Candidtown Photography




When you are fit and healthy, there isn’t much that can scare you. But, one worry that does weigh on the minds of all fitness fans is suffering from a severe injury.

It’s not the pain that is the issue – it’s the effects of the injury that are of vital concern. After all, being able to exercise is part of what gives us all a buzz out of life. So, if you’re worried about getting injured, or have recently had that misfortune, read on. I’ve pulled together some of the best advice from personal experience, friends, and the web for your perusal.

 

aki winter vacation

It’s OK to feel sad

First of all, if you are out of action for an extended period, don’t be afraid to feel sad about it. Getting an injury is never pleasant for anyone, and it’s a reminder that we are all mortal. Don’t keep things cooped up inside you, as it will eat away at you and affect your inner strength. And, you will need that if you want to get as fit as you can later on down the line.

Be in the now

It can be tough to deal with things when you have an accident. This is especially true for young athletes. They might have promising sports careers ahead of them, only to realise that their dreams have been shot down. There will be a period of wishing for an alternative scenario, of course. But, if you want to get back to being as good as you possibly can, you have to look forward, not back. Take stock of your situation as it is, and work with what you have.

Find the best treatment

The best treatment for injuries isn’t necessarily the one that costs the most. It’s the treatment that gives you the confidence to be the best you can, in as quick a way as possible. So, ask around for recommendations from family members, friends and associates. So, investigate all of your options and be positive that you will get through this nightmare scenario.

Set goals

OK, so you are out of action – and you can’t hope to be where you were before the accident for a long time. It can seem like an enormous prospect. However, if you break up your recovery into little chunks, then you will soon be on your way. Talk to your physio or medical practitioner about these baby steps. It’s important to have lots of small goals that will inspire you on your way to recovery.

Be patient

As I mentioned above, you could be out of action for a long time. And, your progress will feel slow at times. The key to success is to be patient – not just with yourself, but also with your family and recovery team. They will all understand how important it is to get back to your previous self, and will do everything they can in their power to help. Take your time, free your mind, and all your worries will be put to rest.

Good luck with the recovery – let me know how you get on!

 

Old leather bags-004

Old leather bags-002

Old leather bags-003

Old leather bags-001

One of my favorite dresses of late is this black and white little number. It’s a white tank top and a black lace skirt combo cleverly made in one, nothing fancy but extremely versatile.

Simply add a black or hot pink leather bag to get a more serious or playful look. It is such a stylish time saver. What more can I ask for?

—————————————————————-

Photos: Candidtown Photography

Louis Vuitton shoes, Prada black leather bag, Marc Jacobs hot pink crossbody leather bag. 925 Silver jewelry from Europe.

All the images were taken by Jay Smolak Boudoir Photography Sydney.




Dolce & Gabbana Leather Bag

Once upon a time, I had this “business idea” to design handbags and get them manufactured. There’s something extraordinarily special about handbags in my opinion and I understand them.

The design part to me wasn’t a real problem as there were a few ideas in my mind and I could sketch a little. But to find the right manufacturer? No way.

Initially I set out to look for someone in Italy and Spain. It took 5 weeks to get a response from Spain to my inquiry. Patience is never my strong suit. An Italian company got back to me a littler quicker but they mainly tried to push their existing designs which are heavily “inspired” by big brand names (or shall I say copied?) to me. After a few back and force emails addressing the desire to have my own design manufactured, the communication stopped from the other end.

Then I decided to give Chinese manufacturers a chance though doubted it very much that it would work out in the first place. Long story short, large orders like 500+ pieces are normally required from the Chinese manufacturers. If you want to go with smaller manufacturers… oh well. The quality of samples was ok but they modified a few things from the original design without consent just to make it easier for them. Quality of the final products was disastrous. Those handbags all looked like handbags but don’t touch them. The handles would fall off and linings split shortly after. The leather must have been the cheapest they could find too. It was nothing like that sample leather.

Finally I realized, without  a huge budget and a life time dedication, there’s no chance to make it a viable business with my “Have fun and see how it goes” mindset. At that point of time, I wasn’t willing to devote all that effort to pursue it. So that was that.

Couldn’t be happier with the decision to stop right there, right then. That means I can enjoy handbags without all that stress! Nothing beats high quality designer leather handbags. There are a stack of designer leather bags that I’ve been using for years. Funny enough, they are either in tan or brown color, like this Miu Miu 2 way leather bag with long shoulder strap and this Dolce & Gabbana leather bag.

dolce and gabbana leather bag

I guess these neutral colors blend in with everything so easily. Quality leather bags age so well and they do last forever!

The term of “Old leather bags” doesn’t sound very glamorous or particularly inviting. But I love my old leather bags.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Photos: CandidTown Photography

2 layers cut out cotton dress, Dolce & Gabbana Leather bag, heels and silver jewelry from Europe.




smell the roses-02

smell the roses-01

smell the roses-03

smell the roses-05

smell the roses-04

Have you read those popular articles about “highly successful people wear the same thing everyday”?  I don’t know about you… But after seeing those articles being shared over and over again, it’s kind of confirmed that the reason I’m not highly successful is because I’ve wasted too much time on shopping and deciding what to wear. Ok just kidding.

I’m not slightly feeling guilty about putting a little thoughts into what to wear. As a matter of fact, I think I’ve been quite sloppy about personal styling in the last few years. My wardrobe is full of “once and done” dresses, or plain tops with blue jeans. I’ve been way too lazy to coordinating 2+ pieces/layers with different accessories and shoes.

Sure, some people are not interested in play dressing up or down at all. But it could be so much fun to mix and match different pieces and try different styles. To me, the time spent on deciding what to wear is not wasted. It inspires me and makes me happy. So I’m going to keep a style diary here to document those moments.

By the way those white roses were ridiculously gorgeous. Just looking at them made me happy.

Do whatever makes you happy, no matter how insignificant it is to others.

————————————————————————————————————

Photos: Candidtown Photography
Linen top with cotton mash back,  skinny jeans with front zippers & grey suede leather boots,  Louis Vuitton Musette GM bag, Silver jewelries bought from trip to Europe.




all black outfit-2

all black outfit-3

all black outfit-4

all black outfit-5

all black outfit-6

all black outfit-7

all black outfit-8

Being someone who tends to think black colored clothes are always related to some sort of uniform, lately I decided to have some fun with black outfits and embrace this timeless color.

This black Christian Dior bag has been sleeping in its dust bag for a long time so I took it out for a walk in the park the other day. The coated canvas has a slight sheen which goes well with my black, semi shinny, skinny jeans. I felt like bursting out of those jeans (that’s why I don’t wear them often) but managed to walk and sit quite comfortably in them as they are stretchy.

Glad I didn’t part with this vintage golden belt when someone offers to buy it from me a few years ago. It looked the part and matched with large golden D ring on the bag perfectly.

To my surprise, there were a large group of black swans when I walked past a lake. This part of color coordination was totally unintentional of course:).

————————————————————————————————————————–

Photos: Candidtown Photography

Black lace top, black skinny jeans, black suede ankle boots, Christian Dior coated canvas handbag &  vintage belt.

We all want to live healthily; there’s no point living if you aren’t living right really. But, there are loads of bad habits which will stop us from being healthy. I’ve picked out three of the worst habits that needed to be cut out right now.

 

Consuming Too Much Alcohol

It will come as no surprise that consuming too much alcohol is on this list. It’s one of the worst habits out there and can lead to many health problems. Alcohol can damage your liver, especially if you drink it on a regular basis. Also, it can raise your blood pressure and lead to an increased risk of heart disease. If you drink alcohol all the time, you run the risk of becoming addicted. This isn’t good for your health. You don’t want to end up addicted to alcohol; it can ruin your life. To put it simply, drinking lots of alcohol will not mean you’re living a healthy life. To keep your lifestyle healthy, either cut it out completely or cut down a bit. Look at the labels on bottles of alcohol, they usually tell you the recommended amount to drink. Take a look at that number, and then drink less than it. Lucky for me, I have the other side of drinking problem – consuming anything more than 2 glasses would make me drunk already!

cigarettes-83571_640

Smoking Cigarettes

I think that my next point follows on nicely from consuming too much alcohol. Yes, smoking cigarettes is a very bad habit to have. There is nothing good that comes from smoking, absolutely nothing. Some people claim it’s relaxing, but there are so many other things you can do to relax. Read a book, go for a run! What makes smoking so bad is that it has a constant and direct effect on your lungs. You can get many lung diseases from smoking, including lung cancer. At the other end of the spectrum, even something simple like asthma can be an issue for your health. If you get asthma from smoking, it will be a problem. Asthma will make it harder for you to work out for long periods of time. You’ll be out of breath quickly when exercising for a short time. Smoking will make you unfit and is an unhealthy habit to have. Quit the habit before you get addicted! Lucky for me again, I wasn’t hip enough to smoke at school and never really pick up the habit of smoking. But I’m so guilty about the next bad habit!

french-fries-779292_640

Eating Too Much Fast Food

Fast food is all around us; there’s no escaping it. We get lured in by the promise of a quick meal for very little money. When we’re sat at home on a Friday evening, it makes sense to order some fast food. You don’t want to cook, but you do want to eat. Plus, a pizza tastes so good, right? Well, while some people may love fast food, you can’t deny it’s bad for you. It’s called fast food because they put no effort into making sure it’s healthy. You’ll find burgers and pizza high in calories and full of fat and salt. Too much of those three things will make us very unhealthy. Well, I have a confession to make, I eat 3-5 times take away/fast food a week. “Cut down on the takeaways if you want to live a healthy life.” Easy said then done. But if we want to live a healthy life, is there any other choice?

Now back to you.

What are the bad habits that you think we need to cut out in order to liver a healthy life?




As you can probably tell from my blog, I’m a massive travel fan. It’s one of the things I look forward to the most in my life. I firmly believe that travel can help us change and grow as human beings. I would not be the person I am today without the experiences I’ve had from my travels. And I am very thankful for that fact.

There are so many different reasons that people might have for going traveling. Predominantly it might just be because you want to go on holiday. But, for a lot of us, travel is used as a tool for expanding our minds and nurturing our souls. I’m going to share with you some of the reasons why I fell in love with travel in the first place.

Every Day is an Adventure

The thing that most people love about travel is that every day is an adventure. You are always seeing and experiencing something new. In fact, a lot of the time you never know what tomorrow is going to bring. And that’s what I like so much about travel. I loved the idea of new adventures and experiences. I love the fact that I get to enjoy something new each day, and I get to experience things I might never have been able to.

Vermont

Photo taken during our trip to USA

Photo by Candidtown Photography

It Takes My Breath Away

Then there is the fact that travel can be awe-inspiring and breath-taking. I have visited a lot of cities and countries in my life. And I have found that there will always be something that takes my breath away. For instance, getting up close and personal with something like the Brooklyn Bridge is truly unique.

Helps Me Learn New Languages

I love the idea of learning new languages. Being bilingual is very sensual and can open doors in life that might otherwise be closed. Take it from me, travel can help you to learn and develop your skills at new languages. When you travel to other countries, you can use the opportunity to practice and perfect the language you’re learning. This helps with learning it much quicker, and picking up local dialects.

I See a Different Side to the World

As human beings, we need to open ourselves up to new experiences and cultures. It’s vital to see different sides to the world and to observe how other cultures operate. Traveling to somewhere like South Africa has a completely different dynamic to, say, the American Midwest. And it’s important to get alternative experiences and points of view. I feel these make us more rounded and intelligent individuals.

There are so many reasons I love to travel, and it remains an important part of my life. I try to get away at least once a year if I possibly can. Traveling is a hugely influential part of who I am as a person, and I would recommend it to anybody. You can see from the points on this list why I fell in love with travel in the first place.

sunset at long jetty

My desire to visit Long Jetty was first developed when I was searching for a location to photograph sunset.

There are so many amazing photos floating around featuring stunning sunset scenes around the longest jetty in Long Jetty, the boat shed and so on. Being a dreamer, I started to romanticize the area and dream about visiting this beautiful part of New South Wales instinctively.

Long Jetty is only 90 minutes’ drive away from Sydney so it is quite easy to get to. Our first attempt to go was about 2 years ago, but for some reason we ended up being somewhere else in Central Coast. We got distracted by another jetty on the way and stayed there for the sunset. The sunlight was amazing that day and I took some really beautiful photos from that trip.

sunset central coast-001

central coast-001

It was only a few weeks ago, we headed to Long Jetty and took some photos there for the first time. It was mid afternoon when we first arrived Long Jetty so we went to The Entrance for Lunch and a little wander before the sunset.

There are 3 jetties in Long Jetty, almost one after another. That’s pretty much it. And that boat shed I fantasized so much for a long time? It was nothing like the picture:)  Nevertheless, I don’t regret a bit about our trip to the longest jetty in New South Wales.

Long Jetty sunset

Getty ready for sunset

It was a little smelly when you first step on the jetty, but as you progress it gets better and better.  The sense of serenity, the warm evening glow could suddenly lift all the burden and move away all the worry you may have. I couldn’t help but beam while walking along the jetty, getting further and further away from the bank. It was truly something special: Long Jetty sunset.

Those are some photos from the trip:

Long Jetty sunset

Long Jetty sunset

Long Jetty sunset

Someone was trying to block my view

Long Jetty sunset

Long Jetty sunset

After the trip, I found out that Long Jetty’s longest jetty has just turned 100 years old this year. What a happy coincident!

Happy Birthday jetty. I would just come back to you any day and sit at the deep end to watch the day go by.

Guess a dreamer is a forever a dreamer.

by the wharf denim skirt-4

Have you bought anything and never ever used it afterwards? I have this “bought and forgot” syndrome. The idea of getting something new and the possibility to use/wear it excites me but as soon as it’s been bought, I’ll loose interest.

“It’ll be good to buy this big screen 3D TV so that I can watch 3D movies at home.” As a matter of fact, those 3D glasses come with the TV have never seen the light out of their box. If you ask me where they are now,  I have no clue.

“Imaging all the dishes cooked with freshly pressed garlic after I buy this fancy garlic presser.” Well, the tag on the garlic presser is still firmly attached to it. And I’m still cooking with garlic mince in the jars from the supermarket.

“I’ll play piano in the living room in lovely afternoon sunlight. How sweet is that.” That piano is now sitting in the corner collecting dust.

Let’s not mention those clothes, shoes and handbags accumulated but not worn enough.

This denim skirt belongs to that pile of clothes. It was bought because it’s quite unique. It’s got this washed look with frills at the front and lace along the hemline. The thing is, in spring or summer, I just wear dresses or jumpsuit… anything one-and-done. I’m way to lazy to style skirts with tops.

So one day I decided to give it away among with many other pieces. Then mum said, “it’s a nice skirt, why don’t you wear it?”

I normally don’t listen to my mum but that time I stopped. Why don’t I give it a chance? It could be fun styling all the clothes and accessories I have!

As soon as I saw this little white top, I know it’s perfect to pair it up with that denim skirt. The shirt is made of cotton and silk with lovely embroidered flowers and leaves in different shades of blue. White and gladiator look is on trend this Spring, so it’s a good opportunity to finally break in my white leather sandals (this is as gladiator as I could go) bought a long time ago.

It was crazily windy by the wharf, but some fresh air and a nice walk were much needed in the late afternoon.

by the wharf denim skirt-1

by the wharf denim skirt-2

by the wharf denim skirt-3

by the wharf denim skirt-5

Location: Sydney

White silk & cotton embroidered top, blue denim skirt, white leather shoes and Louis Vuitton shoulder bag. Silver necklace and rings from Europe.




black swans-1

black swans-3

black swans-2

golden minutes

Photographers love golden hours when the sunlight is softer and warmer just before the sunset. But when it’s a rainy or cloudy, you just won’t see the sun at all.

That day was heavily overcast with some rain drops in the morning but we decided to go out for a drive in the late afternoon any way. Just as we driving past this path way, the sun magically made a brief appearance. So we quickly jumped out of the car to take a few photos while the whole pathway was shinning in the warm sun glow.

We had about 5 minutes soft sunlight and I was stiff like a stick. But among the photos we took, I managed to pick a few that are not so awkward to remember that beautiful moment on a Sunday afternoon.

Location: Sydney