When Lindsay Siu received the call to shoot actress Olivia Liang for The New York Times, there was no question the answer was a Yes! for several reasons. For Lindsay, an Asian-American photographer, it was an honor to photograph the cover story, which was written by a Chinese-Canadian journalist, about a Chinese-American female leading actress in the predominantly female cast of the new Kung Fu series.

The series showrunner, Christina M. Kim said she saw in Liang, someone who ​“was super relatable but who was also mentally and physically capable to take down the bad guys every week.”
This statement resonated well with Lindsay, who had just under an hour to photograph Olivia Lang in the Gaston Area of Vancouver. Lindsay found her to be just that, genuinely relatable, and an Asian female role model that Lindsay’s own daughter could look up too.

During the shoot, Lindsay and Olivia connected on the subject of what it means to be Asian-American today. When they were growing up, there was a lack of Asian representation in pop culture, especially with a female lead, so the new Kung Fu series is important as it creates a space for all Asians to see themselves represented.

Catch Kung Fu on the CW, and see more of Lindsay’s work at www.lindsaysiu.com.