Q: Who are some photographers who inspired you early on?
A: Like many photographers in the genre, I hung on to the decisive moment of a Cartier-Bresson and the playfulness of someone like an Elliott Erwitt. Of course, my taste for photographers continues to change as I do. Today my list of inspirations is quite different than those of the past.
Q: Can you share a bit about who you decide to photograph vs. who you don’t photograph?
A: I was listening to an interview by Joel Meyerowitz recently. He had made a comment relating his early years in shooting on the street to target practice. What he said was that at some point it became really easy to put a subject in the middle of the frame and snap a good picture. What I took from that is that often a good subject is not enough, there needs to be something else. So when I see a subject that gets me to raise my camera, I try and ask myself “What else.” So to answer your question, there is often more to who I decide to photograph than just the subject him/herself.
Q: You are quite involved in the street photography scene in Los Angeles. Can you share how you got involved, and how it has helped your photography?
A: I had heard about you (Eric Kim) through the internet and found out that you were teaching a workshop in Los Angeles. At that point I had been photographing in the street for a while, but I really didn’t have any relationships or knowledge of active photographers in the area. If nothing else, I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet new people with similar interests.
Today, as result of that one weekend, I have a solid group of friends that I meet up with and communicate with on a daily basis, locally and abroad. It has been amazing to watch the emergence of the group from those early days. While I still see photography as an individual endeavor, I’m not sure I would have the growth I have had as a photographer without the community.

Q: Where are your favorite places in Los Angeles to shoot, and why?
A: Of course, downtown Los Angeles has always been a go to place for me. It has many elements that make for great shooting. You’ve got a diverse mix of cultures, districts, skyscrapers, historical buildings, characters all packed into a very manageable radius. Did I forget to mention the light? We have a lot of that here in Los Angeles. That being said, I believe there is more to be seen and photographed in Los Angeles, and I look forward to venturing outward to capture it!
Q: Recently you participated in “You are here II: Shoot a Cop.” Can you share with us what the exhibition was about and the experience?
A: The exhibition was a month long meditation on the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The premise of the project was based on the stigma of police brutality and corruption throughout the city’s history. 32 photographers were chosen (without previous knowledge of the subject matter) to go photograph the month long assignment and were asked to chose three photographs to show on the last day.
It was an interesting project for me on many levels. There were the initial challenges of getting in close to subjects of authority and finding situations representative of the project. But in the end, the project wasn’t about just taking photographs of cops, but about a subject, the LAPD. I think many of us (photographers) realized that the subject matter was a sensitive one, and we could not be biased in our approach. While there is a certain negative stigma attached to the LAPD, it was very hard (for me) to validate those stereotypes. In fact, I would say that my experience was just the opposite.
Q: Your work is predominantly in black and white, but you have been experimenting a bit in color recently. How do you approach each medium differently?
A: For me it comes down to subject matter. Of course, my aesthetic for photographing everyday life still leans heavily toward black and white. Certain subjects or occasions, however, call for something different. Last summer, for example, I took a point and shoot camera filled with some Kodak portra and did a fun little series on people, places, and things we encounter on the road, titled “Viewpoints.” In hindsight, I was probably going for something like a Steven Shore aesthetic, interesting photographs of banal everyday travel scenes.
Q: What are some tips or advice you would give street photographers starting off?
A: Get off the couch and the computer and get out and shoot. Read some photo books, study photographers that excite you…then shoot some more! Like the old saying, “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst!”