This week’s ‘A Date With Ains’ guest is the very down to earth, Belinda Bath of Belinda Bath Images.
Belinda is a true creative with a background in freelance photographic styling and a passion for design and travel.
Belinda does a fantastic job of mixing her creative passions and photography business with motherhood while living in the dynamic city of Hong Kong.
Xanthe and I spent the afternoon with Belinda and learned Belinda’s thoughts on ‘mum guilt,’ how she stays connected to herself and her passions while raising teenagers and a whole lot more!
Take a read of Belinda’s unique experiences in the interview below.
Ainslie x
I’m from Australia and I grew up in Central West Country NSW.
10 years
I have 2 kids. A 15 year old son and 17 year old daughter.
8 years
I have been a freelance worker for most of my working life, I much prefer it that way. Before coming to Hong Kong I worked as a freelance photographic stylist in the advertising industry in Melbourne for 15 years.
I have always worked in a creative environment and with very creative people. My styling work enabled me to work with very talented photographers everyday.
Coming to Hong Kong as the trailing spouse gave me a chance to find something new and exciting to do. I picked up a camera and started taking photos of Hong Kong. It wasn’t until a friend asked me to put some of my images together for her as a canvas that my business was born.
I had to teach myself lots of new skills and develop my style, while staying true to my original concept that evolved over the years.
I’m not sure being a mother has benefitted or influenced my business.
My art has always been very separate to who I am as a mother.
It’s just a matter of juggling both.
I am lucky to have a passion that I enjoy, for me it’s my happy place.
I love going out on my own and wandering the streets with my camera.
I love to travel to places on my own or with a friend purely to photograph. It’s very important to have time just for you.
Yes, balance is very important but at times very difficult to achieve.
As the mother, I find it very hard to disconnect yourself from that role.
My kids will always come first but I also very firmly believe that you are teaching your children very strong work ethics by maintaining some sort of career after kids. I’m just lucky that I can work from home.
Yes, many!
My work ethic and my desire not to let people down is what keeps me going.
These days so much more of time is spent on the computer at a desk.
I will wake up and start replying to emails around 7.30am after the kids have left for school. Then it’s into designing and custom work that needs to be done. I will also have meetings with clients or photo shoots on location.
Lots of people come to my home to view my work as well. Not to mention the paperwork & accounts!
If I have a day where I don’t have much work, I’ll hit the streets with my camera or catch up with a friend.
NO, ‘mum gulit’ is in our DNA!
I look back at my kids now as they are older and I’m sure my fears of ‘mum gulit’ were unfounded, just as I think of my parents and feel nothing but pride at how hard they worked.
As long as your kids know they are loved, important and you are present in their life then they will be ok.
I don’t think there is one defining moment for me, my life is a constant journey and one that is always evolving.
I’m always working on new designs and updating old ones so that always keeps me busy.
I am also about to launch a new website that will be very exciting. It will feature an online shop for purchasing already printed works.
Belinda’s love of the creative began upon leaving school in Australia where she embarked on formal study of Fashion Design and Illustration. This ultimately led to a 15+ year career as a freelance photographic stylist working across commercial, advertising and editorial, covering a wide array of print, television and digital mediums. Working with many talented Australian photographers on print and television over the years only fuelled her love of design and photography.
Having moved to Hong Kong in 2007 with her family, Belinda has taken advantage of this circumstance to travel widely, but also explore Hong Kong and dig behind the facade.
Inspired by her love of travel, photography and design, her hope is to share the simple and sometimes hidden beauty, rich colour and diverse culture in the world around us.
See more of Belinda’s beautiful work on her website and follow her aesthetically pleasing instagram account.
You can read more ‘A Date With Ains’ interviews here! x
