Mililu Photography

❮ ❯ These photos were taken during the Lantern Festival at the Manukau Sports Bowl, all the way back in February. My favorite is probably the photo of the mask lanterns hanging from the tree—they look so ominous. I also love the photos I took of some of the performances. You can almost feel the energy of each one just by looking at them. I think I described my experience best in my journal, so here’s an excerpt: "... I went to a lantern festival, and I made sure to bring my camera, ready to take some great photos. Surprisingly, I wasn’t anxious about going—I was actually excited. It felt like a perfect opportunity to capture some awesome shots. When we arrived, I immediately started photographing all the beautiful decorations and lanterns, and I even recorded some of the performances. There were a lot more people than I’m usually comfortable with, but I don’t think I had a sin...

❮ ❯ These photos were taken during a walk around the neighborhood, and I think they turned out beautifully. My favorite is probably the one of the palm trees against the sun—it reminds me of California. I also really like the photo of the trailer with scrap tied to it. I enhanced the colors to make it more vibrant, and I think it came out well. There's something oddly beautiful about that heap of trash. We all know that going outside is good for us. But, If you had told that to the old me, I probably would’ve scoffed. I wasn’t exactly the outdoorsy type. Being outside used to make me anxious and uncomfortable, so I avoided it whenever possible. If I could stay inside, I would. Obviously, that wasn’t healthy, but I was content rotting in my room. After all, I had a window for fresh air, a fridge for food, family to talk to, and endless entertainment on my computer and phone. I had everything I needed, and I was comfortable....

❮ ❯ These are just some random photos I took while trying out my new camera for the first time. I wanted to get a feel for using a digital camera, and I think some of the photos turned out quite well. Unfortunately, at the time, I was hesitant to take the camera outside my house for fear of drawing odd looks. That’s why most of these photos were taken in and around my home. My personal favorite is probably the photo of Lily sitting next to the knocked-over flower pot. She’s such a disaster artist — sitting sweetly next to the scene of her own crime as if she had nothing to do with it. My second favorite is probably the one of Lily lying at the edge of the bed, gazing off into the distance. I swear, she’s so photogenic — it’s like she knows I’m taking a photo of her.