oregon

Oregon Respite /  by Masumi Taguchi

It was nice to be back.

Last month I got the privilege to return to Oregon. It had been 2.5 years, and many parts of me missed it. For those who know, I came out here to New York from Portland Oregon, the closest place where I felt like was home. It felt that it was time to go, to finally venture off to new lands, as I have always wanted to, as I have always feared to do.

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People always told me, “West coast, best coast.” I don’t like to believe people’s strong opinions until experiencing it myself, so I told myself that I’ll try living out in the east coast. Little did I know that I had two full years of immense growth ahead of me that were gained through many struggles, tears and laughter. During my time in New York, I often missed the relaxed, accepting and gentle vibe of the PNW. There are few places throughout my travels that I have felt that I want to return to. Portland is one of the very few places that I have and will continue to desire visiting again.

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Interestingly, while being back in Portland I noticed how much I have changed - how much I have grown. The gentleness of Portland, the loving, genuine vibes were still there - the same kind I reminisced about often on the east coast. One observation I made was that, although it was lovely being back, I missed the hustle energy, the diversity, the drive of New York. I realized I have west coast vibes with an east coast drive. It was wonderful being back to and seeing old friends. This trip to me was a symbol of the growth made internally - I am a far stronger individual now. I know myself more than ever and hope to continue discovering more.

In this blog I share with you some of my memories of my trip - hope you enjoy.

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PNW, I will return to you again someday. Hopefully next time, I’ll have a bit more time to spend with you.

Model: Huijun Tan.

Portra 800, 120mm.

Cheers,
Asuka Visions

Double Exposure: Huijun /  by Masumi Taguchi

Portland is the closest feeling I have of “home”.

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Many of you know how much I love double exposure creations. This is a throwback of one I made of my dear friend Huijun, someone I met back while living in Portland, Oregon.


She loves hiking - surrounding herself in nature and challenging herself to experience and see the world. The greenery inspires her, so it felt simply fitting to have a double exposure creation of her with the very source of her peace.

Asuka

Moe Yamamoto: Rain Dance /  by Masumi Taguchi

Portland has been seeing a lot of rain these days. It's nothing to complain about, given that all of this rain is what makes this beautiful land it's lush green color. About two weeks ago I got to shoot with this ballet dancer Moe Yamamoto, and as forecasted, we had rain visit us. It helped us create such beautiful images. I hope the images speak to you.

We took some time to add a few accessories from fashion stylist Rei Rei Nguyen.

More dance and travel images coming to you soon.

The Chimichanga /  by Masumi Taguchi

At the food trucks in Portland Oregon, you can really feel the heart and soul of the cooks put into their dishes. When I purchased this chimichanga, I ordered it specifically because I missed an enchilada and my naive self thought that it looked similar, so why not ask for it? Everything was phenomenal, but the standout of this dish was the different textures that it had. The tortilla was perfectly crispy on the outside, and then soft on the inside. I can go on and on about how delicious and worthwhile this chimichanga was, but let's leave that for Yelp. 

Side note: The lady who took my order was so cute. Giving her my credit card as payment, she saw my name and then went on to call me "Ms. Taguchi" for the rest of the transaction (I hadn't changed my name yet to Kat." So cute.

Thanks Poblano Pepper

M Kat

Foggy Morning /  by Masumi Taguchi

Beautiful foggy morning in Portland, Oregon. 

When taking the photo of the stop lights and red car, I was laying flat on the ground on a little island in the street. After taking a few shots, I heard a voice yell, "Are you alright?!" I looked over and there is a lady in her suburban looking straight at me. I responded "yeah thank you!"
Immediately after the signal for her to turn left began and as she was turning she finished our conversation with, "Oh I thought you got hit by a car!" Then she was off and away.

That lady gave me hope for humanity that day.

M Kat