35 years of memories and 4 particular ones stand out from the rest: 1991 – The fall of the Soviet Union and the establishment of 15 independent republics. At just 6 years old, I was definitely clueless as to what was going on politically, but looking back on it now, realizing what a monumental time it was and having lived through it. 2001 – On September 11 (only 2 days after my 16th Birthday) four airplanes were hijacked and fatal attacks were carried out, killing 2,977 and i

Welcome to Libby, Montana – a town of over 2600 people. This town will be forever known as the “town changed by asbestos”. History is often tragic, but the best we can do is learn from the past and try to move on into a happier, maltier, hoppier future. Introducing Cabinet Mountain Brewing Company, which established itself in Libby over two years ago. They rightfully pride themselves in being Libby’s only brewery and the only Montana brewery to be owned exclusively by women.

UPDATED IN FEBRUARY 2021 If I told you that a town of 66,000+ residents contains 9 breweries, would that surprise you? It used to surprise me, but since the Craft Brewing Craze has been going strong in this American town, I’ve been looking forward to coming back to my summer vacations with a chance to visit a new brewing spot. So let’s do that Math, that’s one brewery for every 7,333 Missoulians, who I know are always eager to indulge in a brew at a local Baseball game, at a

Imagine yourself driving through Northwestern Montana on US Highway 2, admiring the windy road surrounded by majestic mountains. Every once in a while you glance to the right, where you faintly observe a river, which also meanders through these remote parts of the world. At another turn, you see a large, undisclosed parking lot with countless parked cars next to a few public toilets without much else in sight. And you keep on driving not paying it any mind. Or, the thought of

Driving past Miracle of America Museum, you’d think of it as a junkyard of rusted out farming equipment, random helicopters, robots, trucks and the like – probably abandoned or left to die in the middle of a field. That’s what we used to think of this place while driving to Glacier National Park. Then someone mentioned to us that this museum happens to possess a very impressive collection of old Americana artifacts, war paraphernalia, cultural relics, antiques, cars and thous

Ever since I was little, I dreamed of having a horse. But growing up in a one-bedroom apartment, that horse would have had its head sticking out the balcony and woken up the neighbors as it walked down five flights of stairs on its daily walks. Not impossible, but not ideal 😛 30 years later, my passion for horses remains, but I’m more practical with my dreams and limitations. While owning a horse may be a spendy adventure, riding one every once in a while is a lot more affor

When we bought our piece of Montana property back in 2012, it was off-grid, didn’t have running water, a septic system, or anywhere to live. It was as primitive as it gets, but we got it at a very swinging deal, so no complaints whatsoever. In fact, this stunning piece of property has forced us to do our research, educate ourselves, learn and practice construction, practice patience, and probably become better versions of ourselves. I still remember that first summer, when Ga

Don’t they say that “Necessity is the mother of invention? (said Plato actually, who probably never thought of living in a Shed himself, or maybe…) Contemplating life is hardly an activity we have time for when my husband and I spend our summer vacations in Montana. What we choose to spend our time on is a lot more labor-intensive and provides us with multiple projects to work on. I can proudly say that over the years, I’ve picked up a trick or two in sewing, painting, buildi

“Everyone is a God damn photographer!” Or so it feels these days, doesn’t it. But owning a camera or a phone, doesn’t make you a good photog. I still see tilted horizons, crooked building lines and way too many out of focus shots on Facebook. And if you ask about the point/main idea of the photo in front of you, there usually isnt one either. But I get it, photography is personal and unless you make a living off it, there isn’t much motivation to constantly carry your gear or

As stated in this previous post, the one obligatory photograph that you HAVE to take each year is that of your awesome and ever changing family. If you are lucky to see yours once a year, great! If not, then you better treasure those moments like it’s the only thing that truly matters, because trust me with family spread across multiple continents, family time is precious! So, 2018, brought a new and colorful session courtesy of my broken tripod (a light stand works just as w

Make a gif Step 1 – Locate your old images (flip through them so you know what your desired gif will look like) Step 2 – Search Google for a free gif maker (why pay when you can get it free of charge) Step 3 – Upload your images, tweak the settings Step 4 – Save or export to your desired SNS location. It’s that easy and you get to enjoy your once forgotten glory of loading gigantic logs onto a truck. My husband feels so proud 🙂 Have you ever made a gif? Why don’t you share i

Year 2016 was a year full of photographic accomplishments. Even though I’ve been heavily involved with this hobby for about 6 years, it’s always exciting what new ideas, projects and opportunities come my way. Let’s see what top 10 images I’ve chosen from this year and how they have helped me grow as a photographer and an artist. In February of 2016, my husband and I were very elated to welcome his dad (my father in law) to Korea. It was his first trip away from North America

Follow me on Facebook to see the latest photographs from Montana and Idaho roadtrip. You’ll see incredible vistas, quirky animals, plants and more in my daily attempts to document these gorgeous places. I always appreciate comments about what you do and don’t like about my imagery, giving me room to grow and learn. See you on Facebook! #idaho #montana #photogrpahy #usa

My passion for photography started about 6 years ago, when I was back in South Korea for round two and was planning to travel to Malaysia for the first time that winter. Both of my parents have utilized photography as their creative expression and even a part time job for my mother, who has utilized me as her assistant during her weddings gigs or asked me to pose for her on more than one occasion. For myself, I was content with my Point and Shoot camera and like everyone else

Whenever I travel in the winter or summer time, its a wonderful way to evaluate my photography – what’s working, what doesn’t and how can I continue to learn and evolve. Traveling through Vietnam and Thailand last winter inspired me to enroll in New York Institute of Photography (NYIP), where I’ve been relearning and diving deeply into various photographic skills in their Complete Course in Professional Photography Course. Though I’m not a beginner at this passion, this cours

Autumn is here and that means its time for another exhibition from Daejeon’s Arts Collective. This will be our 6th show and this time it will be at the widely known Junggu Culture Center in Daeheungdong. Every show presents challenges of finding the right space that is available at the convenient time, within our price range, large enough, conveniently located for visitors and doesn’t require artists to “baby sit” it. Even though gallery sitting (which we have to do during th

This week I took a late afternoon walk with Melissa around the woods and rivers of Bonner, Montana. The weather conditions were cloudy at first which were perfect for our full length boudoir shots on the river. When the sun came out towards the evening it allowed for some perfect closeups with gorgeous sun light in her hair. We found some wild yellow flowers and voi la! She has an infectious smile, a kick ass personality and her first shoot with me was a breeze to shoot (I lo

This past Monday, my Korean friends along with my husband drove to Glacier National Park. It is one of the only National Parks that I’ve ever visited and every year it is still amazing and magnificent. This time around we hiked 1.5 miles to the Hidden lake overlook. It was a super hot day, but completely worth the trip. I encountered squirrels, numerous mountain goats and another small creature I wasn’t sure what it was called, hehe. Goats are always a thrill, because they ar