Kitty Cat Diary 2009

Kitty Cat Diary | 貓咪日記

The Kitty Cat Diary is a photo diary of my adorkable wife, and it's what happens when a photographer marries a woman who doesn't mind having a camera pointed at her during everyday life. Elena (A.K.A. Kitty Cat, because my nicknames for her all revolve around the theme of a cat.) is my favorite subject to photograph--there's just something very theraputic about grabbing a camera and capturing the person you love the most in the world, while combining that with creativity and aesthetic sensibility. This interaction has brought us a lot of joy over the years and captured a lot of precious memories. If you want to get to know Elena better, her bio is the best place to start.

Since these are spur-of-the-moment snapshots, it's best to enjoy them simply as casual fun instead of serious photography (you can find more serious photography in other areas of my site). A wide range of camera were used to shoot these photos--from professional cameras to casual compacts and smartphones. You can find out what photography gear I shoot with in the FAQ section.

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Weather turned colder, so no more lounging around in slinky clothes for Kitty Cat. It stays warm in Fuzhou until pretty late into the autumn, but around November and December is when it finally starts to get cold.

Kitty Cat wearing a skirt I designed for her a few years ago--an East meets West style.

This robe is currently Kitty Cat's favorite. She usually wears slinky little nothings at home during summer, so whenever someone rings the doorbell, she'll throw this robe on to answer the door. It goes really well with long, black hair--that classic Asian beauty look.

Gravity and Kitty Cat teaming up to get the seduce on. I like. Hard not to get distracted when she lies down next to me looking like that.

This dress makes the kitty Cat look more slender. Fascinating how that works--just a tiny difference in cut or style or fabric can seem to add or subtract 5~10 lbs.

Kitty Cat is a major klutz. She may look elegant perched on the stairs like that, but in daily life, she often slips and tumbles down the stairs instead (loud tumbling noise followed by a yelp and a crash, then me shaking my head and getting up from the computer to check up on her). We didn't used to have carpet on the stairs--it was just this beautiful white painted wood. Then we realized for people as clumsy as we are, we'd soon crack a tailbone, elbow, or worse yet, skull, if we didn't put carpet on it. Ever since we added the carpet, I seem to be doing fine, but she still slips and tumbles regularly.

That spot on the sofa is one of my favorite spots at home. When the two of are curled up together on the couch watching a movie, with the lights off and junk food in front of us--it's the most wonderful simple pleasure in life.

Kitty Cat has several of these Chinese-styled halter tops (they are traditionally worn as undergarment, but no one wears them that way in modern times, except as something for fun), and they just hang in the closet collecting dust. So one day I said to her, "Since you wear mostly slinky little things at home during the summer anyway, why don't you wear those halter tops at home too?" Ask, and you shall get.

Kitty Cat getting her domestic chores on in the kitchen. I don't think I've ever seen anyone that happy while washing dishes.

This "worried Kitty" look often appears on her face when she gets calls from her employees or partners with problems she's gotta solve. Heavy weighs the crown.

Kitty Cat in my studio. She wore that same top eight years ago on our fourth date, and it's a good thing that it still fits her.

Kitty Cat in my studio. She always drops in my studio to say good-bye before she goes out, and if she's looking particularly tasty, I'd detain her for a few minutes to take some photos before she heads out.

Kitty Cat back in our home in China, in my studio. She pretty much never sits down at my drum kit so this is a rare occassion.

Kitty Cat, after the naturalization ceremony, had become a United States citizen.

Kitty Cat at Sandy Wool Lake in?Ed Levin County Park in Milpitas, CA. Elena and I went up there for a stroll with our cameras one evening. Although I did bring a flash in case I needed to use fill flash, I didn't use it as I didn't see the need. The golden setting sun as back-lighting is one of my favorite lighting situations, and I took plenty of advantage of it.

Kitty Cat at our temporary place in Milpitas, California, where we're staying while preparing for her naturalization exam (which she passed--yay!).