Emily & Nik
An East Asian Cinema-Inspired Pre-Wedding Session in Taipei
Emily and Nik met in Australia and have been traveling around the world together ever since.
Because Emily only returns to Taiwan every once in a while to visit family, they wanted to create photographs here that could become part of their memory together. Not just photographs showing that they visited Taipei, but something that felt connected to Taiwan and to the life they could have had here in another timeline.
For their Taipei pre-wedding session, we chose Dihua Street and the surrounding Dadaocheng neighborhood for the look, the mood, and the people.
The inspiration came from 1980s East Asian cinema and old pre-wedding photography. We wanted something romantic, slightly strange, a little imperfect, and full of details that could only come from the streets of Taipei.
A Story From Another Timeline
The idea behind this session was simple.
Wherever Emily and Nik go, they seem to find love and peace with each other. This shoot became a glimpse into another timeline. Who would they be if they had met in Taipei decades earlier? Where would they spend their afternoons? Which streets would they wander through? What would their ordinary life together look like?
I did not want to recreate one specific movie or copy a series of recognizable scenes. I wanted to borrow the emotional feeling of older East Asian cinema. The quiet pauses. The neon light reflecting against glass. A couple standing inside a crowded city but somehow existing in their own little world. That gave us a direction, but not a strict shot list.
Why We Chose Dihua Street
Dihua Street has many of the elements I look for when creating a cinema-inspired Taipei couple session.
There are weathered walls, rusted storefronts, old signs, small food vendors, traditional shops, fluorescent lighting, quiet alleys, parked scooters, and unexpected pockets of sunlight. You can turn one corner and find warm afternoon light. A few steps later, you may be standing beneath cold neon inside a market. The neighborhood never feels too clean or too controlled, and that is exactly why it works.
For this type of photography, I am not looking only for the prettiest background. I am looking for details that make the photograph feel lived in. A doorway that belongs to someone. A rusty metal wall. A medicine shop sign. A refrigerator glowing inside a small neighborhood store. Those things may seem ordinary when you pass them every day, but together they create a version of Taiwan that feels honest.
Wandering Without Knowing Exactly What Comes Next
I guided Emily and Nik throughout the session, but we did not follow a fixed route. We wandered.
We stopped when we saw the right light, an interesting corner, a street shop, or even when we smelled something good. At one point, it may also have been fish. That is part of photographing around traditional markets in Taipei.
I like allowing the location to give us ideas because every couple responds to the street differently. Their way of walking, talking, laughing, and looking at each other should influence where the session goes next.
Sometimes I direct a movement or ask them to hold a moment a little longer. Other times, I step back and let them explore. The goal is for the session to feel less like a production and more like three friends wandering around the city together. I am still watching the light, the composition, and everything happening behind them. But I do not want the couple to feel like they need to perform every second.
That is often when their most genuine side begins to appear.
Directing a Cinema-Inspired Session Without Making It Feel Staged
A cinema-inspired session usually needs more direction than a completely casual couple shoot. The wardrobe, color, movement, and environment all need to work together. But direction does not have to mean forcing a couple into poses that feel unnatural.
For Emily and Nik, I gave them small actions. Walk toward each other. Pause beside the storefront. Look through the glass. Move closer. Stay there for one more second while I change my angle.
I am building the frame, but I still want their real connection inside it. Some images feel quiet and composed. Others feel playful or slightly chaotic. That combination is important because a complete story should not have only one emotion.
Taking a Break and Letting the Session Become a Date
Near the end of the session, we stopped to eat. Food scenes are always interesting because the couple finally has something completely normal to do. They can sit down, talk, look at the menu, and forget about the camera for a moment.
The metal table, handwritten signs, fluorescent light, and small bowls created exactly the kind of everyday Taiwanese setting we wanted. This is also where the idea of the session feeling like three friends wandering around the city becomes most real. We are not rushing from one photo location to another. We are spending time together and allowing part of the experience to become the photographs.
How to Prepare for a Cinema-Inspired Taipei Session
You do not need to arrive with a complete concept already figured out.
Usually, I begin by learning about your relationship, what you are drawn to, and how you want the photographs to feel. From there, we can talk through clothing, locations, time of day, and how styled or relaxed the session should be.
For a Dihua Street session, it helps to wear something you can move in because we will walk and explore. Comfortable shoes are especially useful, even if you bring another pair for selected photographs.
It is also important to leave some room for surprise.
The strongest photograph may come from a location we did not plan to use. The light may suddenly change. A shop may catch our attention. We may find a quiet doorway, a strange reflection, or a food stall that feels perfect.
That uncertainty is not a problem. It is part of the process.
A Taipei Pre-Wedding Session That Feels Personal
Even when I photograph the same neighborhood again, I do not want to repeat the same session. Dihua Street looked different with Emily and Nik than it did with another couple because their story, wardrobe, energy, and visual direction were different.
This session became a small imagined life in Taipei. A couple walking beneath old buildings, standing beside food stalls, kissing under neon light, and finding each other again and again in different corners of the city.
There was direction, but there was also space to wander. That balance is what I want from this kind of photography. Something cinematic, but still honest. Something planned, but still open enough for real moments to happen.
Hi, I’m Francis, a Taiwanese photographer based in Taipei.
Born and raised in Taiwan, I spent several years building my photography career in Los Angeles before finding my way home to Taipei. Inspired by cinema, I’m drawn to the quiet, honest moments in between. I’ll guide you when needed, but mostly I want you to feel comfortable and enjoy being yourselves.
Let’s Turn Your Taiwan Story Into a Film
Tell me a little about the two of you, when you’ll be in Taiwan, and the atmosphere you’re drawn to. I’ll reply within 1 to 2 business days with availability and the next steps for planning your experience.
