About

Hello and welcome! My name is Heidi I am a Chinese-New Zealander. I grew up in Auckland, went to university in Sydney and am currently living in Abu Dhabi.

On this blog, I share free travel resources including detailed travel guides, luxury hotel recommendations and photography location guides.

Corporate to Creative

I graduated from one of the world’s top law schools, the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. I then worked as a corporate lawyer (specialising in mergers and acquisitions and capital markets) in some of the world’s most prestigious law firms, advising clients on international mergers and acquisitions. All of that is to say that I was an annoying high achiever in my 20s…

The truth is, although I worked hard for it and was good at the job, I had very little interest in it.

Since I was little, I’ve been passionate about dancing, photography and cinema. Yet I never seriously considered a job in the creative industry because I feared that being a dancer or a creative is not a job you can do forever - so I went to law school and the rest is history.

However, with the rise of social media, it has become possible to share your creativity in an infinite number of ways and throughout the different stages of life, so I wanted to follow my heart and be part of it. To do it, I moved to a less intense law firm to free up time to learn the relevant skills, research the content creation industry and make a business plan. Little by little, I transitioned to becoming a full time creator.

I now travel the world and routinely work with international luxury hotels (including Waldorf Astoria, Park Hyatt, Grand Hyatt, Kempinski, St. Regis, Intercontinental and Six Senses) to create photography and videography content for them. I am very grateful for this creative life. People think that they need to ‘choose’ between a 9-5 salary and pursuing one’s passion - that’s a fallacy. I actually earn more than I did when I was a lawyer! I would love to help others do the same - to quit their corporate life to pursue a life of freedom and creativity. My guide on how to become a creator is coming soon, so please stay tuned.

Purpose and vision

This blog is called ‘Chasing Snowdrops’ because I hope to share content that is dreamlike, tranquil and reminiscent of the the exquisite joys of life - like little drops of snow.
I hope that my corporate-to-creative journey and the creative resources I offer on this website inspires and empowers people to follow their heart, create and live life to the fullest.
I am a Chinese New Zealander and my husband is British-Australian. Being part of a multicultural family, having lived in a variety of different countries and being a frequent traveller, I have deep respect and fondness for the diverse cultures of our world. I hope that my work contributes to fostering connections and mutual understanding between people of different backgrounds, cultures and nationalities by emphasising our common humanity, not our differences.

FAQs

What gear do you use?

The below is a list of my treasured gear that I’ve used for years, all of which I highly recommend with all my heart.

Camera: Nikon D850

Lenses: NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G (the perfect everyday lens). NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E (zoom lens) and NIKKOR 20mm f/1.8G (wide-angle lens).

Camera tripod: Manfrotto Befree Advanced travel tripod

Long-exposure: Breakthrough Photography ND filters

iphone gimbal & tripod: DJI OM 4

Storage: Sony XQD

Computer: Apple iMac 27-inch

Software: Adobe - Lightroom and Photoshop

Who take your photos for you?

I take all my own photos and videos. I don’t have an ‘instagram husband’ hehe. I set up my camera on a tripod and use the self-timer function. This enables me to get the exact composition, exposure and aperture I want. If a place is too crowded, then I take photos there at sunrise when there’s hardly anyone around. For videos, I attach my gimbal on top of the tripod for still shots and use the tracking function for the camera to follow me.

Can I put your photos on my website or social media platform?

Yes, but please credit me where the photo appears, by linking to this website (www.chasingsnowdrops.com) or my instagram (@chasingsnowdrops).