Melody & Austin
A Cinematic Date Night in Ximending | Taipei Couple Photoshoot
Austin and Melody met in Australia, but Taiwan has always been a meaningful part of their relationship. When we started planning their couple photoshoot in Taipei, they told me they wanted something that felt like one of their dates here rather than a traditional photoshoot.
Ximending felt perfect for that.
For decades, Ximending has been one of Taipei's most vibrant commercial districts, filled with movie theaters, street food, arcades, shops, neon signs, and people wandering around late into the night. It's busy and a little chaotic, but tucked between all of that are old buildings, narrow alleys, fluorescent lights, and quiet corners that still feel like scenes from an older Taipei.
Instead of planning every photo ahead of time, the idea was simple: spend an evening wandering through Ximending and see what we found.
Starting somewhere quiet
We actually started their Ximending photoshoot away from the busiest streets, at one of the old public phone booths.
I like starting sessions somewhere a little quieter whenever possible. Being photographed can feel strange for the first ten or twenty minutes, especially if you've never had a couple session before. Starting away from the crowds gives you some time to forget about the camera before we head into busier parts of the city.
The phone booth ended up being a lot of fun.
There wasn't really one specific pose we were trying to make. Austin and Melody could squeeze inside, play with the phones, kiss through the glass, and experiment with the space. Once they started playing around with it, the photos naturally became more interesting.
That's usually what I'm looking for during a session. I'll give you direction when you need it, but I also want to leave enough room for something unexpected to happen.
Wandering through Ximending at night
From there, we wandered.
One of my favorite things about photographing Taipei at night is how quickly the atmosphere can change. Walk one block away from a bright commercial street and suddenly you're underneath an old apartment building with scooters, exposed pipes, metal window grilles, and one fluorescent light illuminating the sidewalk.
Those are often the places I'm most interested in.
Austin and Melody ran through a quiet street, stopped in little alleys, and we followed whatever light or background caught our attention. Some locations lasted ten minutes. Others were literally one or two photographs before we kept walking.
I wanted this part of their session to have that slightly gritty, urban feeling you see in older Asian films rather than making every photograph perfectly clean.
And then we found the wigs.
Sometimes the weird locations make the best photos
We walked past a salon with an entire window full of mannequin heads wearing different wigs, and there was absolutely no way we were not taking a photo there. It is strange, colorful, and probably not somewhere most people would think of as a romantic Taipei photoshoot location, which is exactly why I loved it. With Austin and Melody in matching sunglasses and dark outfits, the whole scene ended up feeling almost like a movie poster.
That kind of unexpected location is a big part of how I approach my Taiwan Like a Film sessions. I do not have a fixed route where I bring every couple to the same five spots and recreate the same photographs. A lot of the time, I am exploring with you, noticing interesting storefronts, unusual light, or a corner that seems ordinary at first but suddenly works once the two of you step into it.
Wan Nian Building and a piece of old Ximending
Eventually, we made our way to one of Ximending’s most recognizable landmarks, Wan Nian Building. This place is especially nostalgic for me because I grew up coming here with my family to look at toys and shoes, grab food downstairs, and, most importantly to me as a kid, spend time at Tom’s World arcade.
Even after all these years, parts of Wan Nian still feel surprisingly familiar. The old commercial building, food court, arcades, shops, and glowing signs have a character that is getting harder to find as Taipei continues to change. By this point in the session, we were also very ready for a break from the August heat, so we went inside and grabbed lemon aiyu jelly from the food court.
Instead of photographing them there, we carried it over to a staircase I noticed nearby. I liked the old tiles, graffiti, red railings, and fluorescent lighting much more for the mood of the shoot. It was not something I had planned beforehand, but that is often how these sessions work. We find a place that feels right, sit down for a bit, and let the photos grow from whatever we are already doing. And honestly, sharing aiyu on an old staircase felt much closer to an actual date anyway.
A NT$300 Plot Twist
While we were wandering around and figuring out what to do next, Austin decided that he and Melody should try some scratch off lottery tickets. It was completely unplanned, but definitely felt like one of those small things you should try while spending a night out in Taiwan.
They stood together at the lottery shop scratching their tickets and somehow ended up winning NT$300, around US$10. Not exactly retirement money haha, but enough for a beer.
These are the kinds of moments I really like having in a gallery because the photographs are not simply Austin and Melody standing in front of another Taipei landmark. Something is actually happening. Years from now, they can look back at these photos and remember the random night in Ximending when they bought lottery tickets during their couple session and somehow walked away winners.
Taiwan Beer, 7-Eleven, and a Little Flash
After walking around Ximending for a while, we needed air conditioning, so naturally we ended up at 7-Eleven. We grabbed a couple cans of Taiwan Beer, cooled down for a bit, and then brought them back outside with us.
This was also a good opportunity to change the visual direction of the session. Most of the photographs earlier in the evening relied on dim street lights, storefronts, and the darker atmosphere of the alleys, so I brought out the flash and let Austin and Melody play around with the beers, their sunglasses, and each other.
The photos immediately started to feel different: brighter, messier, more playful, and almost editorial. I really like that contrast. Cinematic photography does not always need to mean dark, serious, or romantic. Sometimes the right way to tell the story is with direct flash, Taiwan Beer, sunglasses, and two people being a little ridiculous together.
Racing Through the Streets of Taipei
At some point, I had Austin and Melody race each other down one of the quieter streets we found around Ximending. It’s always one of my favorite things to do with couples because once you start running, it’s pretty hard to worry about what you’re doing in front of the camera. You’re just trying to beat each other and usually laughing the whole way.
I also love how Taipei becomes part of the photo without needing to be an obvious landmark. The scooters, old buildings, street lights, signs, and people passing through in the background make it feel like a little scene from a movie rather than a posed couple photo.
Is Ximending a Good Location for a Taipei Couple Photoshoot?
If you are looking for polished architecture and completely empty streets, Ximending probably would not be my first recommendation. But if you want your photos to actually feel like Taipei, especially Taipei at night, I think it is one of the most interesting places to explore.
Within a relatively small area, you have neon signs, old commercial buildings, movie theaters, convenience stores, street food, arcades, crowded intersections, and quieter side streets tucked between everything. More importantly, there are things to actually do. That makes Ximending especially good for couples who do not want to spend two hours simply moving from one pose to another.
We can eat something, play arcade games, grab a drink, browse stores, wander through alleys, or just follow whatever catches our attention that night. The main pedestrian area can get very crowded, especially on weekends, but we do not have to stay there. Some of my favorite photographs from Austin and Melody’s session came from the quieter streets just outside the busiest parts of Ximending.
Planning a Couple Photoshoot in Ximending?
If you are visiting Taiwan, coming home for a trip, celebrating an engagement, or simply want photographs of the two of you somewhere that feels a little more personal, I would love to build a session around your version of Taipei.
You do not need to arrive knowing how to pose or with a complete list of locations. Tell me a little about the two of you, what you enjoy doing together, and what you hope to remember about Taiwan. From there, we can choose a starting point, explore, and see where the night takes us.
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.
