From Two Suitcases and $600 to Transforming Women's Lives - Los Angeles Custom Portrait Photographer

There are moments when you look back and realize how many pivots, reinventions, and leaps of faith brought you here.

Being featured by VoyageLA was one of those moments.

In this interview, I shared my journey — from scientist and CPA to portrait photographer — and what it truly means to help women rediscover their radiance.

You'll discover:

• What it took to leave a stable corporate career and start again in my 40s

• How I built a photography business without formal art training — just heart, vision, and relentless curiosity

• Why I work exclusively with women over 40 (and now, those just stepping into adulthood through my new "Forever 22" experience)

• The transformation that happens when women rediscover sides of themselves they'd forgotten

• How one 83-year-old client reminded me exactly why I'm on the right path

I came to the US with two suitcases and $600. Today, I help women step into their power through transformational portraits that don't just flatter — they reveal and reflect who they truly are.

I hope my story serves as a reminder that it's never too late to begin again — and that beauty, confidence, and reinvention aren't bound by age.

👉 Read the full VoyageLA interview here

With love,
Jean
the “Radiant Women Transformer” photographer | Radiance Rediscovered After 40

P.S. - If this story resonates with you, I'd love to hear about your own journey of reinvention. What leap of faith are you considering?

Sign Up to Not Miss a Beat on Jeanism

* indicates required

Email Address *

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

Flying Again — A Portrait for Mother’s Day - Los Angeles Custom Portrait Photographer

A few days ago, I shared a photograph on social media (see it in Facebook, Instagram and linkedIn) - one taken 32 years ago with a woman I cared for deeply. It’s the last photograph I have with/of her before she passed away from COVID five years ago. When I learned she was gone, the first thought that hit me was: I don’t have a good photograph of her to remember her by.

That realization deepened my grief in a way I wasn’t prepared for. It reminded me how much we rely on photographs to hold on to the people we love - not just their faces, but their spirit, their presence, their energy.

That experience became a part of why I do what I do today, especially for women - and even more so for women over 40.

I've shared that story with clients countless times, often through tears, as a reminder: we all deserve to be seen, celebrated, and remembered with intention.

So today, for Mother's Day, I want to share something due to requests from the recent social media posts.

In the wake of that loss, I gifted my mother a portrait session two years ago, when the world was slowly re-emerging from COVID. She’s in her late 70s, and - I'll be honest - one of my most challenging clients. Not because of her age, but because of the cultural gap and how foreign this kind of portrait experience was for her.

She didn’t grow up being told she could be the subject, the center, the story. But with much effort on my end, she eventually came around to trust me. And together (with my sister’s help - you see the hands holding the “Vanity Fan”?), we made this image.

Truth be told, it helps to speak her language. When I look at her in this photograph, I see someone flying again - a nod to her days as a gymnast, when she would soar through the air with power and grace. That spirit? It’s still there. Still alive in her. Still flying.

This portrait isn’t just an image. It’s an emotional anchor. A reminder of her journey and stories that are uniquely hers.

I share it with you today as a celebration - not just of my mother, but of all mothers who have quietly carried so much, given so much, and who deserve to be seen in all their beauty and strength.

Happy Mother’s Day!

P.S. How I manage my mother’s expectation that she can still fly these days is a subject on its own. Personally, I would much prefer her flying sitting down, like the one portraited in this image. 😜

P.P.S. In case you haven’t seen the other portrait that I shared of her, click on this link and you’ll be there. In it, she was in the same dress that she wore to my wedding decades before.

Lady-in-70s-Flying-Again-Portrait-of-Ladies-Over-40-Copyright-Jean-Huang-Photography

Sign Up to Not Miss a Beat on Jeanism

* indicates required

Email Address *

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups */

"You Are Enough" - Los Angeles Transformational Beauty Photographer

Recently, I had the privilege of photographing a remarkable lady in her 60s who embodies the strength, wisdom, and beauty that comes from decades of life experience.

A Profound Message

After our portrait session, I asked her what advice she would give to her 20-year-old self. Her words brought tears to my eyes as I stood behind the camera:

"You are enough. Don't let anybody tell you that you are not.

You're beautiful. You're courageous. You're smart. And you are enough."

In a world that constantly tells women they need to be more, do more, and look like some commonly-accepted beauty, her message cuts through the noise with a truth that resonates across generations.

Beauty Beyond Youth

As a portrait photographer, I've witnessed firsthand how women often struggle to see their own beauty, particularly in a society that celebrates youth above all else. This client's portraits reveal a woman in her authentic self - every line, every gray hair, every expression telling the story of a life fully-lived.

Her confidence wasn't something she was born with. It was earned through years of challenges, triumphs, and the gradual shedding of others' expectations. The wisdom in her eyes speaks of someone who has finally understood that worthiness isn't something to be proven - it's inherent.

International Women's Day: Celebrating All Women

On this International Women's Day, I want to celebrate that every woman is enough, exactly as she is - regardless of age, appearance, background, or circumstance.

Too often, women spend decades doubting their value, questioning their appearance, and diminishing their accomplishments. My client's journey to self-acceptance reminds us that it shouldn't have to take until our sixties to embrace our inherent worth.

The Power of Portraits

There's something transformative about seeing yourself through someone else's lens - literally and figuratively. During our session, I watched as she saw herself in my camera display and recognized her own beauty, in many ways she hadn't before. She got to meet the complete, complex, beautiful human being that others encounter, not the flaws we tend to fixate on.

A Challenge for You

As we celebrate International Women's Day, I invite you to reflect on what you would tell your younger self. What truths have you learned that would have saved you years of doubt or insecurity?

And perhaps more importantly, how can we ensure that the young women in our lives don't have to wait decades to learn that they are enough - that this message reaches them while they're still forming their sense of self?

Share Your Thoughts

I'd love to hear what resonated with you about this client's story. Are you interested in learning more about her experience during our portrait session? What she's most grateful for now? How this photoshoot compared to others she's done?

Let me know in the comments below, and be sure to check out the accompanying video reel on my Instagram page to hear her powerful words directly.

Happy International Women's Day to all women - know that, today and always, you are enough.

To learn more about of our special campaign for ladies over 40, please click here.

Sign Up to Not Miss a Beat on Jeanism

* indicates required

Email Address *

/* real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups */