I could not sing of higher praises for the woman behind these photos. There is an easy-going spirit that radiates from her and a calming gentleness much alike that of the moon's power to mollify the harsh seas. Ultimately a force of awe-inspiring stories through both her real life and the life she creates in images...to say that I am an admirer would be infinitely understated.

Mellie Tjoeng, whom I've been able to work with three times during her stay here in Hawaii, has changed me. It sounds premature to say such a grand statement seeing as I just met her this month, but the way I think about photography, life, creation, and camaraderie have all been tweaked on a soulful scale. It is breathing in new life and it is a subtle shifting of internal gears and it is a change that can only be looked upon when you've sat behind a desk, flipped through pages of the work she's created, and think...Why did she want to work with me?

Truly humbled and overjoyed that I've been able to meet and work with the photographer, Mellie Tjoeng...but even more ecstatic that I am able to call her both a colleague and an eternal friend. I am in love with her work, her words, her stories, and what she gives to people. These qualities in an artist don't seem to come around too often, but I am so thankful that she has come into my life.

To learn more about her work, please visit:
www.meltjoeng.com
www.awaywiththebirds.com