Meet Madelaine “Maddie” Mideri Wong, originally from Jakarta, Indonesia.  In 2011, while visiting her sister whom at the time was attending Bible School at Windsor, Colorado, Maddie made the decision to attend Bible School at Windsor as well.  During her visit in Colorado she enjoyed the beautiful landscapes and the more relaxed environment, “I liked the vibe…it was nice and chill.  Jakarta is the New York of Indonesia, it’s very fast pace, you have to be on the go and I wanted to have a break from that.”

So in 2012, she returned to Colorado and while attending Bible School she realized she was more interested in the Arts and decided to attend the Art Institute (AI) of Colorado and pursue a degree in Photography.  She shared part of the reason why she made AI her school of choice, “I liked it because not only they teach you how to take pictures but they teach you how to do the business side as well and I think that’s really important…you have to know how to run a business and market yourself.”

Initially her interest lied in portrait and wedding photography but after participating in a fashion photo shoot collaboration assignment during her studio photography class she realized her true passion lied in fashion photography.  “ It was one of the best classes I ever had, it was really fun…I loved working with the stylists and working with the models.  I loved working with different people outside my field.”  She recalled looking at her sister’s Vogue magazines while in High School and admiring the fashion photographs and wondering who took the photograph, “I was like wow, who took this picture, who is behind the camera” she shared. 

Maddie has now shifted gears and is now wholeheartedly pursuing her love of fashion photography.  Her plan is to move to New York, this major decision was made after visiting New York during a recent school trip.  She hopes to be able to work as a photography assistant or intern for a well known fashion photographer.  “My goal it to move to New York right after I graduate, we went to some studios but one studio that really resonated with me was Sarah Silver Studio, she basically started from zero and is now a huge fashion photographer. I want to be that and I know I can get there someday.”  Eventually her ultimate dream is to be a fashion photographer for Vogue Magazine and she is certainly determined to make that dream come true.

Alida is a photojournalist, photographer and world-traveler.  In 2015, she made Colorado her home after serving 20 years in the Air Force to pursue her love of photography on a full-time basis.  She specializes in Architecture, Real Estate, Lifestyle and Travel photography.  She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Business as well as an AAS in Photography.  Traveling is one of her biggest passions, she has visited 28 countries and continues to mark off locations from her bucket list.  During her free time, she enjoys traveling, photographing and exploring new places, and meeting new people along the way.  She calls herself a "food and adventure junkie" and loves to capture fun and special moments with her camera.  You may find Alida at a local coffee shop enjoying a cup of coffee, enjoying live music at a local bar along with friends with a glass of wine in hand and a plate full of goodies, hiking one of Colorado's many trails or giving back to the community as a volunteer for a special cause.