 GR: Are your photos efforts to capture what you picture in your mind? YM: I write down ideas in a notebook, but I like shooting without fully knowing the outcome. I like the element of surprise in an environment that I control. GR: Do you feel photography has been left behind in the recent upswing of art and design? YM: Not so much. And I enjoy viewing other mediums of work.  GR: Does being Asian affect your aesthetics or process in any way? YM: Aesthetically, I think so. In a subtle way. GR: What do you think about the technical aspects of photography? Do people make too big of a deal about them? YM: I do, too. I didn't learn much about artificial lighting and such in school, and sometimes I feel inadequate as a photographer because I don't know how to light a vase perfectly. But then that's not the kind of photo I like to take. GR: Whose works inspire you and why? YM: I like the works of Mark Borthwick. They seem effortless and free, and he makes trash on a street look good. I also like Guy Bourdin's dark sense of humor, awkwardness, and use of bold colors. GR: What are your plans and goals for your work? YM: I would like to keep making photographs I'm proud of, and hopefully others will acknowledge them. GR: Got any tips for hack photographers? YM: Someone told me one thing is important in photography: to tell what you have inside you. All the rest is technical, and anyone can learn technique. |