''Mai has been in front of my camera long before photography became something serious for me.

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We met back in high school in Auckland, when everything was simpler and I was just starting to figure out what I loved. She was one of the first people who said yes when I asked, “Can I take your photos?”, and somehow, she never stopped saying yes.

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At the beginning, we didn’t know much. We would walk around after school, chasing light, trying different angles, laughing at photos that didn’t quite work. But Mai was always patient, always trusting me, even when I was still learning.

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Over the years, as my photography grew, so did our shoots. What started as casual photos turned into something more intentional — portraits with meaning, with style, with a story. And Mai was there through all of it.

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Every phase of my journey, she was part of it. Testing ideas, helping me improve, becoming not just a subject, but a constant in my work.

Even now, when I photograph her, it feels familiar,  like coming back to where it all began.

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In many ways, Mai isn’t just someone I photographed.
She’s part of the reason I became the photographer I am today.'' - Vivienne Ng