Underwater Transformation About Face Underwater Transformation About Face

USA Today

about
September 22, 2015/by
USA Today I'm so thrilled to announce that Underwater Healer About Face project was on USA Today last weekend! Thank you @studiomiyaando for bringing me #usatoday @usatoday #cancersurvivorproject #underwaterhealer #underwaterphotography #cancersurvivor #cancer #healthy #health #heal A video posted by Underwater_Beauty_SanFrancisco (@erenashimoda) on Sep 21, 2015 at 8:10am PDT 8 Things People with Cancer Really Want to Say 1.   The new normal is scary. Really scary. So don’t disappear on me when treatment ends! I may need you more than ever. 2.   You can’t catch cancer from me. It’s not contagious. You can stop avoiding me now. 3.   Everything might not be okay. Please don’t tell me that you “know” it will be. 4.   If you can’t handle this, I don’t have time for you. So if you walk away, don’t try and come back when I’m healthy again. 5.   Everyone’s experience with cancer is different. So you really have to stop talking about your brother’s sister-in-law’s cousin who passed away from cancer. It doesn’t help. 6.   Chemo brain is real. And it’s hard to deal with. Please be patient with me. It’s not like I want to be forgetful. 7.   Cancer doesn’t define me. So can we please talk about something else? I’m still me. 8.   Life with cancer is an emotional rollercoaster. The kind that goes upside down and leaves you hanging with the blood rushing to your face for a while—so, yeah, I might be optimistic one day and a huge b**** the next. It...
Read Full Story

Boston Trip Report

about, art show, Travel, Underwater Healer About Face, uw portrait
July 28, 2015/by
Boston Trip Report This was my Boston office for few days!! I'm missing it! I met Chien-Chi, a breast cancer survivor at 7:30-8:30am We connected in the water instantly! I met Katie at 8:30-9:30. She had her own mermaid tail from Hawaii! She did a beautiful job in the water! I met Kim at 9:30-10:30. She was nervous at first but look at this! She looks so natural! ' Next day, I had a presentation at Apple Store on Boylston street. I was super nervous as always. I had a different speaking coach this time and I practiced a lot before I left for Boston! The event was successful! It was the most emotional and impactful presentation I've ever had! It was so nice to hear everyone talking about this project. My heart was full with happiness!     I made these cranes for Boston people to wish them good luck and feel better. Next day, I had a maternity photo shoot with Vicky and Charles. They came from NY to support for my project. They helped me so much when I had a ABOUT FACE project in NY in 2013 We had lunch at The Neighborhood Restaurant in Somerville. I came here twice and I really liked it! I was recommended to go to Spanish restaurant, Dali. I was introduced to delicious wince, La Cana. I stopped by at this normal looking Sushi place. AND they were amazing!! So fresh! I always walked by at this local bar with bunch of alcoholics at...
Read Full Story

Underwater Healer About Face in BOSTON 7/17/2015

about
June 11, 2015/by
Underwater Healer About Face in BOSTON 7/17/2015 Underwater Healer = an underwater portrait photography as a form of healing About Face = a complete change in attitude 180 degrees Help cancer survivors rediscover their beauty through underwater portrait photography. July 16, 2015 we are meeting 3 cancer survivors to do an underwater healing photography project, Underwater Healer About Face in Boston! Also giving a talk at Apple store on Friday the 17th. We want to thank you who signed up for underwater portrait session in 2014 and 2015 to support our project moving forward. A partial portrait session money is going to be used for the Boston trip. Flight, transportation, Airbnb, pool rental fee and all other expenses. The rest of the money is for the Bay Area survivors (approximately 3) in August, 2015. It's never too late to sign up for an underwater portrait session to support cancer survivor project! Please let me know if you have any questions. Since 2013, I've met 14 survivors. And now, I'm adding 3 more mermaids to my underwater healer map! Chien-Chi HuangSurvived from triple negative breast cancer (stage 2). She was diagnosed at the age of 40 in 2005. Katie Shute Survived from breast cancer (stage 2). She was diagnosed  at the age of 40 in 2013 Kim Santagata Survived from triple negative breast cancer (stage 2). She was diagnosed at the age of 26 in 2014 . I'm really excited to meet these beautiful ladies and see them transform into mermaids through underwater portrait photography! Please come hear the story and...
Read Full Story

40th birthday with sharks in Hawaii

about
April 25, 2015/by
40th birthday with sharks in Hawaii I've been busy lately! I was in Santa Monica for a presentation at Apple Store few weeks ago, I hosted a Sumo wrestling birthday BBQ party and I just came back from Hawaii! I was in Oahu for 5 hours last year to meet a cancer survivor, Amber and my friend, Kimi. We had such a great time doing underwater photo shoot but it was too short! I'm glad I'm back on the island for 5 days this time. On my birthday, we did a PELAGIC MARINE ANIMAL RESEARCH DIVE to see sandbar sharks! I was so excited! They came so close to us! We were super lucky to have 100ft visibility! so beautiful... They love to play with the bubbles from the boat! So cute! I felt like I was in a dream, swimming in the deep blue and seeing 20 sandbar sharks. I'm so happy with this shot! Juan and Ocean are so knowledgeable, confident and humble about sharks and the ocean conservation. Please check out their site to learn about them! http://www.oneoceandiving.com AND Ocean is a captain, scuba instructor, freediver, and everything ocean! Super woman!! It's so cool to see a female captain! We stayed at a condo with a beautiful ocean font view in Haleiwa. We snorkeled every morning!   We drove to Honolulu to see my friend, Kimi Werner at Ocean Expo! I see her every year for 4 years now. Since I missed her in January, I feel it's complete! Thank you, Kimi- It was so coincident to...
Read Full Story

40th birthday with Sumo Wrestling BBQ

about
April 8, 2015/by
My special 40th Birthday I'm 40 and I feel healthy inside and out!  I really wanted to do something for my 40th and I put a lot of energy into this! Something fun to remind myself that I'm still young at heart! So... Ja jaaaan! YES, SUMO! Japanese represent! Since I was a little girl, I wanted to be a mermaid and a wrestler! I always wanted to rent this SUMO suits so I made it happen!! It was kind of hard carrying this heavy and puffy body suit... We had too much fun!!! Specially after these drinks and food! Then we started SERIOUSLY wrestling-!  And I can't tell who in these pictures! Amy and Pamela's battle... My mom was into it! after her battle... Thank you, Travia! Thank you, Rose!! Thank you for helping me organizing this SUMO birthday party, Jeff! My friend Shanti brought his cute puppy-!!!   Thank you so much for taking pictures, Jeff, Rose, Amy and Doreen!!! So happy to have these fun memories!!! I want to do another SUMO next year or sooner! Any party...
Read Full Story

Apple store underwater healer event in Santa Monica

about, Underwater Healer About Face, uw portrait
April 6, 2015/by
Apple store underwater healer event in Santa Monica It was such an amazing experience being in Los Angeles to give a presentation on our campaign, Underwater Healer About Face, help cancer survivors rediscover their beauty through underwater portrait photoghraphy. I've done this last year at SF Apple store location but I still have a fear towards public speaking! practice practice... Ok, time is up! I'm going to do this! I was happy to meet new people, see old friends and co-workers! I showed some of the creative underwater shots. This is an underwater BJJ. The images were featured on Fightland, VICE and printed on the February and March Issue. I also want to thank Fightland for the contribution to support our future underwater healer project to help cancer survivors! Thank you! I shared a story of one of the 13 cancer survivors, Amber from Hawaii. She survived from Thyroid cancer when she was 20 years old. Chelsea is a pediatric cancer survivor. She was diagnosed brain cancer when she was 8 years old. She shared her story and an underwater experience to inspire the audience. The presentation was successful! For the Q&A session, I asked them what they thought of our campaign. Erin is a professional underwater photographer. She gave us positive comments and encouragements for the future project! It meant so much to us. Thank you so much for your support, Erin! Diane is a BJJ practitioner (purple belt) and a medical school student. By hearing from a future doctor, her opinion meant so much for all...
Read Full Story

Underwater Yoga Portrait Session from Maui

about, Travel, Underwater Healer About Face, uw portrait
March 2, 2015/by
Underwater Yoga Portrait Session from Maui I'm back on the mainland and still spreading the ALOHA spirit!! I'm finally uploading images of underwater yoga portraits from Maui retreat! We all had a great time underwater. I'm missing everybody... Our annual happy baby pose! Also Matrix!! I'm going back there in January, 2016 for the same underwater yoga portrait session in Maui. Underwater group portrait photography is included in the package, everyone!! You can reserve a spot by contacting Lisa Danylchuk http://howwecanheal.com/retreat-with-me/ You can also see other Maui photos from here https://underwaterhealer.com/about/2015-maui-yoga-retreat I hope to see you guys in...
Read Full Story

2015 Maui yoga retreat and underwater yoga portrait photography

about, Travel, uw portrait
January 30, 2015/by
2015 Maui Yoga retreat and underwater yoga portrait photography I'm back for Maui yoga retreat and underwater yoga portrait photography! I was SO happy to see my camera arriving safely, I want to give them LOVE everytime. As soon as I got to the airport, I got an email from VICE Fightland asking me if they can use one of the underwater BJJ images for February issue. And they needed the image that night so as soon as I arrived the retreat center, I sent it right away. Taking care of my business! I'm so excited to see them in the magazine! Please get one when you have a chance! Lumeria, a yoga retreat center was wonderful as always. I was there last year and happy to be there again 2 years in a row. First dinner with amazing people. We all got along so easy! This vegan chocolate mouse was so delicious. We were all speechless. Everyday, I usually go swimming at 6 am, eat small breakfast then 8 am for 90 min. yoga. I love it! After Brunch, we have free time for 6-7 hours before the restorative yoga session at 5pm. I'm usually chilling by the water, hanging out at the beach or listening to the music outside. Good practice to not stress out and do ABSOLUTELY nothing!! (I didn't know how to adjust my busy life to the aloha land in the beginning) As same as last year, we used their pool to do underwater yoga portrait photography session! Unfortunately, 3 of us...
Read Full Story

Okinawa and Tokyo trip photos, 2014

Travel
December 11, 2014/by
Okinawa and Tokyo trip photos, 2014 I was already in Tokyo in May for the Cancer Survivor Underwater Portrait Exhibition but I decided to go back again to get those images back to U.S. and to see my mother's Ikebana Japanese flower arrangement exhibition. This time though, I decided to go to one of my dream islands for scuba diving, Okinawa! My trip started fantastic with these wonderful and crazy people, my sister and her buddy, Tracy! I finally arrived in Narita and spent a night at my aunt's house. My mother was there already and she was getting ready for her Ikebana exhibition in Tokyo. Cats always have a good life.... Then I took off for Okinawa the next morning. Everything went perfect getting into Naha, Okinawa. By just looking at these emerald green/blue water, I thought, I'm home again (ocean)! My Okinawan friend booked a shared room for.....400YEN ($4) after I asked for a backpacker's rate... With a hand written sign saying $12 a night but I guess she got a local price for me! I was an adventurous tourist more than usual. I LOVE islanders though. They are so warm hearted. I asked a young (they were all young!) employee where I can get the local food and he took me to a vegan Taiwanese restaurant. $8 for all you can eat buffet!! They were so delicious! It was owned by a Taiwanese family, sister/brother team. They told me it takes only 1 hour to Taiwan from Okinawa. I looked around in...
Read Full Story

Maui Yoga Retreat 2015

about
December 10, 2014/by
Maui Yoga Retreat 2015 I want to invite you to Lisa Danylchuk's Maui Yoga Retreat in January, 20-24!! Underwater portrait photography session is included!! I went there early this year and it was amazing!!!! You get the discount price of $1695 if you pay $500 deposit by December 15th!!! CLICK HERE for more...
Read Full Story