Instagram story viewer> @cahleenh> Posts

Cahleen | Taipei family & birth photographer 台北家庭生產攝影師

@cahleenh

2.4K

followers

852

following

Taipei-based documentary family & birth photographer
families • birth • newborns
sessions in Taiwan and across Asia
More info. ⤵️

POSTS STORIES REELS

Last week, I had the opportunity to go down to Guangfu for two days. (For those who don’t know, Guangfu is a small town on the central east coast of Taiwan that was recently devastated by flooding and then tons of mud that came with it.) My goal was to document the stories of the people participating in the recovery efforts, and hopefully, give a more intimate look into the lives of some of the people who live there. In situations like this, I usually don’t know exactly what the story will be until it begins to reveal itself in the photos. The story is still revealing itself to me as I go through and edit the photos, and it’s not finished. I hope to keep returning to Guangfu and document their long road to recovery, as well as another project I have in mind that’s centered on that area.

I share more details on my FB post. IG won’t let me write as much as I want to (and I’m sure many people are thankful for that 😆). For now, let me just thank @itscosse for accompanying me to so many places and everyone in Guangfu for being so generous with their story. It’s an honor for me to share it.

Also, please not the water line just below the photograph on the wall in the last photo. Crazy!

(More photos to come.)

#光復 #花蓮 #紀實攝影 #災後重建 #台灣加油 #guangfu #hualien by @cahleenh

A little stroll around the park and some time at home from a recent session. Well, kind of recent. I think we're coming into the time warp time of year (or my whole life is a time warp at 43). 😄

This is one of my Year in the Life families. It's been fun to watch this little one grow!

#taipeiphotographer #documentaryfamilyphotography #taipeifamilyphotoshoot #家庭攝影師 #台北攝影師 by @cahleenh

I've been getting more requests for sessions that involve night markets and other interesting sources of light. I am all for this! Neon lights everywhere are so Taiwan; they are not your typical photo session in a field at sunset. I say lean into chaos and color! 😃

Also, what's your favorite night market food? My kids would probably say 地瓜球. Honestly, I don't think anything beats the Hot-Star 雞排 at Shilin night market. My cousin visited me in Taiwan 16 years ago and recently came again. All she wanted to do was taste that "big flat fried chicken" she remembered so well from 16 years ago. 😂

#taipeiphotographer #taipeitravel #taipeifamilyphotographer #taipeinightmarket #台北攝影師 by @cahleenh

I've been visiting family in the States for the past 2 weeks, so things have been quiet for me on IG. But I'm excited to get back because of some new types of sessions I'm doing. I already do birth photography and documentary newborn sessions, but so much of the story that happens between birth and being settled in with a newborn at home was being left out. I now offer fresh 48 (24-48 hours after birth in the hospital; typically when family and siblings come to visit) and homecoming (coming home with your baby for the first time) sessions. The photos in this set include a lot of firsts for this family. First car ride together, first time walking over the threshold of their home as a family of 3, very first feeding at home on the bed. These are memories that become more meaningful over time, and I was honored to be able to capture them. I love the story of coming home.

#taipeinewbornphotographer #taipeifamilyphotographer #taipeiphotographer #台北寶寶寫真 #台北新生兒寫真 by @cahleenh

Sink baths, appreciating a tiny ear, and screaming. These are my kind of newborn photos! 😄

#taipeiphotographer #taipeinewbornphotographer #嬰兒攝影 #台北寶寶寫真 #台北新生兒寫真 by @cahleenh

I've recently embarked on a long-term project documenting the story of @trmpcglobal (I recommend you visit their FB page, which is more active). Taiwan Root is a medical NGO that's been around for a looong time. Their story fascinates me because they don't go out of their way to solicit donations or get a lot of press. They just do their thing, bringing medical care to remote places in both Taiwan and abroad. How do they keep doing this consistently--like clockwork--for so long? This is part of the story I want to understand more over time. From what I saw on the mission I accompanied them on to Miaoli, the volunteers are the beating heart that keeps the blood pumping in this meticulously crafted system.

When I first began documenting, I didn't know if the story I wanted to tell would be about the NGO or the people they served. I see now that the story is about the volunteers. More images to come.

#taipeiphotographer #taiwandocumentaryphotography #trmpc #taiwanroot #taiwanrootmedicalpeacecorps by @cahleenh

Some bedtime routine moments, all worthy of documenting. Also, I remember reading that same long fold out book to my kids!

#taipeiphotographer #taipeifamilyphotographer #documentaryfamilyphotography #家庭攝影師 #台北攝影師 by @cahleenh

That time with a new baby when you're their whole world and they're basically attached to you 24/7. This is a phase that I distinctly remember being exhausted by (and sometimes bored/resentful/impatient) at the time yet it's also a phase I miss fiercely and look back on with the biggest heart pangs. I know saying this to people in the thick of it isn't helpful at all; knowing you'll miss this time doesn't make you any less tired NOW. I guess my advice is to let the knowledge of how precious and fleeting this time is sit right alongside all the feelings. What a complicated, funny thing life is, but we have space for all the contradictions.

One thing I know, I wish I had pictures of me with my babies during this time.

#嬰兒攝影 #台北寶寶寫真 #台北新生兒寫真 #taipeinewbornphotographer #taipeifamilyphotographer by @cahleenh

A few images from a home birth I recently documented in Taipei. It was magical. I always feel so lucky to be present at a birth and can't believe that this gets to be my job. ❤️

#水中生產 #多元生產 #溫柔生產 #生產攝影 #生產紀錄 by @cahleenh

I'll be honest, I have to force myself to post on Instagram (I'm trying to be better!), and when I do, I way overthink it. 😄 I just spent way too much time looking at some recent past sessions and trying to pick out a theme to group images under. Then, as I could feel my very delicate and short-lived motivation to do social media waning, I thought, why am I doing this? Only love; that's all it needs to be about. Does the photo show love? Then it's good enough; it's what I'm choosing to put into the world right now.

#taipeifamilyphotographer #taipeiphotographer #全家福 #親子寫真 #家庭寫真 by @cahleenh

Some more photos from a recent water birth at Dianthus. I'll never get tired of documenting birth stories. There's nothing in the word like it!

#生產攝影 #生產紀錄 #taipeibirthphotographer #水中生產 #多元生產 by @cahleenh

Kids in parks. Let me tell you, 100% candid photography at a playground keeps me on my toes. 😄

#taipeiphotographer #taiwanphotographer #documentaryfamilyphotography #家庭攝影師 #台北攝影師 by @cahleenh