zhangling❤photography

It's apparently the hottest week in Toronto, and I have around 1,000+ photos to edit... Sounds like a good time to do another photoshoot, no? The pinup inspired style is one I've kept on my "To-Shoot" list for a long while now.  It had become one of those things where the longer I put it off, the higher the expectations I have, which of course, makes me more afraid of not meeting those rising expectations, and then putting it off even longer.  So here goes my attempt to to break the vicious cycle. Nothing says "pinup" to me more than red lips, classic polka dots, and Americana colours: red, white, and blue. I shot these on self-timer which marks the 3rd (I think?) time I've tried self-portraits.  The same struggles remained, specifically, not knowing what I look until until I review the photo.  I did feel more comfortable this time around, but that may be because I shot these from the comfort and privacy of my own backyard, al...

I'd like to introduce the latest boy in my life -- a handsome devil named Rocky. "Who me?" Because there clearly aren't enough cat pictures on the internet already. "I'm on the internet??" "I guess I am now..." I adopted Rocky the Mega Pet Adoption event in Toronto.  What started off as a quick look to check out some cute pets turned into a life-changing decision. He's usually a pretty big goofball but he has his adorable moments as well. The majority of Rocky's photos are on my phone because it's easier to take photos with one hand as I need the other hand to play with him, as evidenced in these photos below. naturally derpy face random moment of cuteness time for a cat nap :3 so cuddly There's so much to pet ownership that I knew of but couldn't truly understand until I went through it myself.  A friend jokingly said, "you went from 'should I buy these shoes' to 'do I...

This post is dedicated to my mom. Happy parents @ Tulip Festival in Ottawa May is a celebratory month in my family.  It's Mother's day, my mom's birthday, as well as my parents' anniversary.  On top of that, we seem to celebrate the arrival of summery weather and pretty flowers.  So we always make sure to do something special. But this year felt a little different.  Maybe it's that I spent Mother's day away from my mom, in a different city, over 400km away.  Maybe that's why social media seemed extra annoying, with everyone else posting their photos of their own Mother's day celebrations.  I know I shouldn't complain; it could definitely be worse.  But shockingly, just knowing "it could be worse" didn't make me feel any better. A couple days later, I rush home to Toronto, barely managing to spend the last two hours of my mom's birthday with her, in a tiny 24-hr noodle restaurant, of all places. "I don't have my...

Four months into 2015 seems like a good time for a pulse check on my new year's resolutions. ...On second thought, let's just focus on the stuff I managed to keep doing. An extra benefit of exploring Ottawa is getting to visit the nearby places on the Quebec side.  I only took advantage of the proximity to Montreal once last year, and made a point of visiting more often this year.  I'm kind of lumping 3 trips to Quebec into one post due to photo-deficiency.  I don't know what it is exactly, maybe the depressing amount snow still falling late April, maybe feeling creatively constipated, but I haven't produced as many photos I'm satisfied with.  Even the ones in this post are more obligatory rather than ones I'm really happy with, with the exception of these two dog ones, of course. such a pretty girl! I ran into these cuties on a trail in Gatineau Park, which is fairly close to downtown Ottawa, but is technically in Quebec.  I've always want...