Location: Chinatown, Vancouver | Photographer: Ray Hon Image | Model: Emmie
Some photographs become more meaningful with time, simply because of what happens afterwards.
For this photoshoot, I brought a model wearing a cheongsam into Vancouver Chinatown, capturing portraits along the streets and inside a little shop filled with objects from another era. Old analogue telephones, radios and paper lanterns filled the space, each carrying its own sense of nostalgia.
What we didn't know was that the shop would soon close its doors. We were fortunate to have photographed there just about a week before it closed.
Looking back, that small detail makes the photographs feel even more special. We weren't simply documenting a fashion look; we were capturing a moment in a place that would soon become part of the past.
Where Old Stories Live
There was something wonderful about the shop's atmosphere. The old telephones, analogue radios and paper lanterns felt like fragments of another time, surrounded by the everyday life of Chinatown.
Against this backdrop, the cheongsam felt entirely at home. Its own history and distinctive silhouette complemented the objects around it, creating a visual connection between clothing, culture and memory.
As someone born and raised in Hong Kong, I have always been drawn to old neighbourhoods and the stories hidden in their details. Perhaps that's why I enjoy photographing cheongsams in places like these. They allow me to bring together my love of photography, vintage aesthetics and traditional Chinese dress in a way that feels personal.
A Moment Worth Remembering
I often think about how quickly familiar places can change. Shops close, signs disappear, and the objects that once filled our everyday lives gradually become memories.
This experience reminded me that photography is not only about creating beautiful images. Sometimes, it is about preserving a moment before it disappears.
Through Ping Ting, I hope to celebrate the beauty of the handmade cheongsam while exploring its place in contemporary life. Whether on the streets of Vancouver or in a vintage shop filled with objects from another era, the cheongsam continues to connect the present with the past.
I'm grateful we had the chance to photograph in that little shop before it closed. We couldn't have known how meaningful the timing would become.
Sometimes, you only realise you've captured a piece of history after the moment has passed.