Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ty Chen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Ty, thanks for joining us today. Is your team able to work remotely? If so, how have you made it work? What, if any, have been the pitfalls? What have been the non-obvious benefits?
The great thing about my business is that I can do everything by myself if needed. I’ve been a fashion photographer, producer, and creative director for nearly 10 years now so if a client wants to ship me a product to shoot, I can do it whenever and wherever I want as long as I meet the deadline. Of course, the photos will always be taken in a way that matches my aesthetics and quality standards, so the clients are always happy.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I started as an actor/model when I was 17, which is what allowed me to be on so many sets at a young age. When the social media boom started, I picked up a camera to photograph myself in order to promote myself. That soon transitioned into me photographing other models, and shortly after that, I was producing fashion editorials and being published in fashion magazines.
I do actor and corporate headshots as well, but my main bread and butter is fashion photographer. That’s where my eye and aesthetics truly shine. I mostly photograph on film, but for commercial projects, I shoot digital and tethered via Capture One. I’ve done campaigns for large fashion companies such as SHEIN and Luvlette, as well as small local independent brands such as Quirk LA, Wolf & Owl, Alieva, and Public Space among others. Editorial clients include Vogue, ELLE, and Marie Claire.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
Non-creatives often don’t understand that our job requires us to work 24/7. It’s not as easy as clocking in from 9 to 5 and then going home, though that has its own set of challenges. For creatives, we’re constantly trying to market ourselves, sending e-mails, doing research, and creating when we are inspired and oftentimes even when we’re not. On top of all that, because we freelance, we don’t know when the next job is going to come. Business may be booming for 3 months and then we don’t book anything for a whole year. This means that sometimes, when unexpected bookings happen, we have to maneuver our personal schedules to accommodate the opportunity. Each and every one of us is also a small independent business, and as with all businesses, there are expenses and we don’t have the safety net of using a big company’s money to support us so it can be quite stressful.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I’m so grateful for how supportive my family has been. My first camera was an old Canon Rebel that my dad bought from Costco in 2006. We used it to take family photos and special occasions. When I discovered photography, I started with that camera. As I progressed with my career, my family offered to get me a new camera. They got the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV discounted from BestBuy and it changed the game for me. That’s the camera I still use today. Of course, I also worked as a server, still acted as a profession, and the pandemic stimulus checks helped a lot. That’s how I built my photography kit. The rest of the equipment I rent or go to studios that have equipment built in.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tychenphotography.com
- Instagram: tychenphotography
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/ty-chen-la
