Underwater Transformation About Face Underwater Transformation About Face

Underwater Healer is BACK at the San Francisco Apple Store 10/8/15

Underwater Healer About Face
September 30, 2015/by
I’m excited to announce that next week, October 8th at 6 PM, I’ll be hosting another event at the San Francisco Apple Store on Stockton.  Please come (and bring friends!) to hear all about my Underwater Healer Project, see photos from my many cancer survivor photo shoots and find out how you can get involved and be a supporter.  I’m so excited to be back at the San Francisco Apple Store.  I can’t wait to see you there and answer any questions you might have. It’s been a busy three weeks filled with not one, not two, but three underwater shoots!  I’ve been incredibly lucky to work with some fantastic, beautiful individuals - both survivors and supporters of my Underwater Healer project.  I have so much to catch you up on, but for now lets rewind to September 12th. My first San Jose shoot two weekends ago allowed be to work with two beautiful cancer survivors - Eden and Alysha.  I knew the shoot was going to be magical when both of the ladies showed up wearing mermaid pants.  Eden, a two time Wilm’s Tumor survivor and currently battling congestive heart failure felt very insecure about her many surgery scars.  I’m happy to report that after her shoot with she said felt full and beautiful, which is exactly the result I aim for with all my clients. Also sharing the pool with Eden was Alysha, a Papillary Thyroid cancer who underwent a complete thyroidecomy.  Her treatments have left her fatigued and issues...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Genentech USMA conference in Arizona, Phoenix

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May 6, 2014/by
Genentech USMA conference I was invited to Genentech USMA conference in Arizona, Phoenix from April 21-25 to present my underwater healer project. They flew me out and gave me a gorgeous hotel!! For the opening night to welcome us, the band, Pink Martini played! I wish I had talked to them! Sante Johnson came with me to give a beautiful speech in front of more than 500 doctors. She was one of the survivors from my underwater healer about face campaign, 2013. She survived from breast cancer. In the end of 2013, she was diagnosed and she is sick again. She agreed to share her experience going through her treatment. (Thank you, Sante!) Monday night, We finally got to meet the organizers and Sante rehearsed her speech. Tuesday was the BIG day for us. Sante's husband sent flowers to wish us the best of luck!! So sweet! Thank youuu-!! Then we checked out my images if they arrived safely from SF! Whewww they did! Sante's speech time! The place was packed!! I was so nervous for her! I was holding an iPad to take video. Her speech was beautiful. She talked about her artistic life and experience going through her treatment. She also talked about my underwater healer project how therapeutic it was to experience the transformation. When she finished her speech, everybody stood up. I started crying! After the speech, we all went upstairs to see my images. I stood right next to them and Q and A sessions with everyone who appreciated my work. They were...
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Happy New Year!!! Underwater healer project will be growing in 2014!

about, Underwater Healer About Face, uw maternity, uw portrait
January 1, 2014/by
Happy New Year, Everyone!! あけまして　おめでとうございます！ 2013 was an amazing, inspirational and evolving year for me. I felt like I was riding on a roller coaster emotionally and physically everyday. It was definitely fun and dizzy :) Looking back into all the underwater portrait photos in 2013, I had 23 portrait photo shoots including survivors, engagement, family and maternity! I was busy towards the end of the year especially working with 10 survivors in 3 states in 3 months besides my full time job! I managed my time to not lose myself and I think I made it through successful result! ２０１３年はとても刺激的で進化した一年でした。毎日、ローラーコースターに乗っているような楽しく、目まいのする、激しい毎日でした。一年を振り返ってみると、今年は２３の水中撮影を終える事ができました。サバイバーの人達、妊婦さん、婚約、ファミリー撮影、昼のお仕事の合間を探しながらスムーズにこなす事ができました。特に年末は１０人のサバイバーを３つのロケーションで３ヶ月で撮ったので風邪を引きましたが　自分を失わず、キャンペーンを成功する事ができたと思います。 My project, Underwater Healer About Face, helping heal cancer survivors through underwater portrait photography, was featured on CBS, The Huffington Post, The Huff Women, BuzzFeed, Weather Channel, IMDb, AsianWeek etc.  It was an exciting moment and I've never felt that kind of chill and goosebumps all over my body inside out. I loved that feeling. (definitely not good for your heart :) キャンペーンは色々なメディアに取り上げられ、多くの人達に見てもらえる事ができました。ドキドキして、鳥肌のがたち、心臓に悪い毎日を過ごしました。 I'm currently working on a book of cancer survivor underwater images with their stories. It'll be in English and Japanese. I'm hoping to extend my project all over the world and reach out to people as much as I can. This is my first book that I'm designing and I hope many people can read it and get inspire. 今はサバイバーのイメージコレクションの写真集をデザインしています。彼らのストーリーもそえてレイアウトしました。初めて自己出版する写真集。日本語にも訳してあるので多くの人達にみていただければ良いなと思います。 Thank you so much. I would not have been able to do this campaign without your support! I hope you all have a fantastic new year! 本当に皆様のご協力のおかげでここまでやって行く事ができました。ありがとうございます。２０１４年も良いお年をお迎え下さい。 Sincerely, Erena　下田恵玲奈 photo by Jeremy...
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The Huffington Post, Girls Talk HQ and Refinery 29

about, Underwater Healer About Face, uw portrait
December 6, 2013/by
Thank you so much, The Huffington Post, Girls Talk HQ and Refinery 29! This week has been awesome and I feel fortunate to get my work pressed by 3 different websites. The Huffington Post Mailet Lopez, a CEO of IHadCancer wrote a blog on The Huffington Post yesterday. I was very much happy to see my work on the website! Girls Talk HQ I contacted Girl Talk HQ by sending email about my work. Asha Dahya got back to me saying that she wants to feature my work on her site! She got all the information from 2 of my web sites and all the other pressed...
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Underwater maternity portrait photography for your eternal memory

about, uw maternity
November 30, 2013/by
Underwater maternity portrait photography for your eternal memory Over the weekend, I reorganized my other portfolio site, erenashimoda.com. I would love to meet new clients going forward. This would be the perfect Underwater maternity portrait photography for your eternal memory! Of course, returning clients are more than welcome!  Underwater maternity photo session has been taking off this year. I've met so many beautiful mothers excited with their new borns. If you know anybody with a happy tummy, please pass my information. Here are some of the sessions from 2013. You can also check out last year's here. Let me know what you think of...
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IMDb, thank you so much!

about, Underwater Healer About Face, uw portrait
October 27, 2013/by
I was just searching my article on the website and I found this on IMDb's website! Thank you for the post, IMDb! Washington, Oct 15: A photographer, who is on a quest to help cancer survivors rebuild their self-esteem, recently conducted an amazing underwater photo shoot for six such survivors. Erena Shimoda told CBS News that after her father died in a car accident, she was physically and emotionally broke and she had to learn how to deal with herself. But by helping other people, she was able to overcome her painful experience, Shimoda said. Shimoda had started an Indiegogo campaign and collaborated with IHadCancer.com to raise 17,000 dollars so she could shoot 10 cancer survivors underwater. However, the money collected was just over 10,000 dollars. But Shimoda decided to go ahead with the project,...
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