Underwater Transformation About Face Underwater Transformation About Face

Sponsor an Underwater Shoot for a Cancer Survivor!

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November 4, 2015/by
Since I started my project Underwater Healer About Face I’ve been blessed to work with 23 cancer and trauma survivors.  For over two years I’ve been amazed by watching their transformations - fears being overcome, emotional scars being healed and a renewed beginning for their lives moving forward.  It’s a magical time spent with these fighters and survivors and I cherish every bit of it. I would love to keep working on this project because underwater portrait is very effective for cancer survivors. They feel freedom and it gives them courage to challenge themselves to try new things. There is a waiting list of survivors who would like to experience the underwater portrait session just like everybody here and I need your help!

 Every single underwater portrait session for cancer and trauma survivors is FREE! In order to continue to work with survivors on the waiting list I rely on all you wonderful supporters.  There are three ways you can make a difference in a survivors life with Underwater Healer: 1.)  Donate!  I’m not 501(c)(3). 2.)  Schedule a shoot for yourself! Do you have a fear of water? Stress due to work?  Or are you a fan of my work and want your own underwater portrait shoot?  I would love to work with you as well and give you an experience of a lifetime.  Please reach out to me and I’m happy to set up a location (within the San Francisco Bay Area).  You can get more questions answered about what...
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Ready for Your Close Up?

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October 28, 2015/by
If you’re thinking of booking an underwater portrait shoot, either for yourself or a loved one, you probably have many questions.  I’m here to answer them all!  With the holidays and end of the year rapidly approaching, an underwater portrait session not only makes a great gift, but is also perfect for those who make New Year’s resolutions.  Start the year 2016 by embarking on your own transformation and finding your renewed self.  And remember, your underwater portrait session allows me to continue my project photographing cancer survivors at no charge, so your own session will pay itself forward! Now, to answer the most asked questions I receive.  Also, I encourage you to check out these testimonials and my perfect 5 star record on Yelp! A: Where is the pool located? Q: If you prefer using your own pool locally, I can travel to you as long as you are within the San Francisco Bay Area (my base). If you do not have a pool to use, no problem! There is an outdoor heated pool in San Jose or indoor heated pool in Pacifica, so please pick a location that is convenient for you. The pool’s schedule changes each season so when booking a session please send over your scheduling needs so we can arrange a time when they are open. Q: What should I wear? A: Please wear something you feel comfortable and happy in. If you are wearing a dress, it should be tighter on top with a longer, flow-y bottom. If...
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Debuting a New Underwater Healer Featurette!

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October 14, 2015/by
Debuting a New Underwater Healer Featurette! Erena shares her beginnings in the Apple Store, San Francisco. This is her 2nd time at SF location. You can view last year's event from here. (I have the same hair style!!!) San Francisco Apple Store crowd Alysha shares her experience in San Francisco Nancy shares her story in San Francisco In the audience, there was another survivor - Steve & his daughter Ava. He was involved in 2013 About Face campaign. One of the supporters, Travia talks about her experience with underwater transformation with her husband. Fans! Palo Alto Apple Store Crowd Thank you for flipping through the Underwater Healer About Face book! Eden shares her transformation in Palo Alto photo © Jeff Roden Underwater Transformation It’s been a whirlwind of a week and I am so thankful for every moment and for each of you who shared it with me.  I’m excited to first debut a brand new featurette on Underwater Healer!  It’s been an amazing two years and I can’t believe how much money we raised with the initial fundraiser, where I’ve been able to travel and the amazing cancer survivors I’ve met who have shared their story with me.  Please watch and share! Also last week, as you may know by now, I had not one but two live Underwater Healer events in the Bay Area. So many of you came out to see me and cancer survivors Alycia and Nancy at the San Francisco Apple Store.  I was so lucky to have them both there and to share their stories in...
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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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Palm Springs Trip Report

about, Travel, Underwater Healer About Face, uw portrait
September 29, 2015/by
Palm Springs Trip Report September 18-20, 2015 Underwater Healer About Face in Palm Springs! This is my first time traveling to Palm Springs! I was super excited to find out about this new place! A little about PS trip: A 3 time cancer survivor and my good friend Nancy is one of the supporters for this project. When I approached her for this year's photos shoot, she was happy to do it! But she wanted to pay her own session and take me to her best friend, Don's house in Palm Springs because he has a beautiful pool! And I can reach out to other survivors. Thank you so much for this opportunity, Nancy!   I can't believe she designed this house!! http://www.homteamdesign.com/modern1--palm-springs-ca.html 今月は忙しい日々が続きました！これからパルムスプリングスで３人のサバイバーと水中撮影をしにいってきます。今回のアバウトフェイスの旅は少し違って、 ３人の中の一人は私の親友なんです。３回のがんから克服したとてもパワフルなファイターです。今年の水中撮影プロジェクトの誘ったとき、自分の分は払いた いと言ってきました。しかもパルムスプリングに住んでいる彼女のベストフレンドの家のオリンピックサイズプールでやりたいとの事。私の飛行機代も払ってく れました。彼女は私にもっと他のサバイバーに会えるようにと願ってお金をきふしてくれたんです。この家は彼女がベストフレンドの為にデザインしたそうです。本当映画にでてくるような家でした Beautiful friends, delicious dinner, tasty drinks and full of love! It's my dream land to wake up and swim everyday... Photo shoots with beautiful survivors went really well! Photos are coming soon! DATES!! I bought dates from Palm Springs for my co-workers! They are so...
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Underwater Healer – The Beginnings

about
September 23, 2015/by
Underwater Healer - The Beginnings For over two years I’ve had the pleasure of working with many amazing cancer survivors as part of my Underwater Healer - About Face campaign. Starting initially with 13 survivors, I raised funds on IndieGoGo to cover the cost of the portrait sessions for the survivors and to this day, all photography sessions are covered at no expense to them. The rest of the campaign money was donated to IHadCancer.com, an online community where survivors, family members and supporters share their stories and connect together. It’s been a profound joy to help cancer survivors celebrate regaining their health and life through underwater portrait shoots. What many may not know, is why I began Underwater Healer. It’s because I too had undergone healing. Years ago, I survived a traumatic car accident, in which I was severely injured and lost my father. The pain was immeasurable. As part of my own healing process, I volunteered with the American Cancer Society’s Look Good, Feel Better Program. This program teaches beauty techniques to cancer patients to help them manage the appearance-related side effects of cancer treatment. Through this program, cancer patients improve their self esteem and gain support, confidence and courage through the beauty sessions and the LGFB community. Watching them marvel at their transformations touched me deeply. I wanted to lend my own talents to helping cancer patients and survivors see themselves as beautiful. I always have had an affinity for the underwater world and from this I had become a...
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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...
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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

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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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