We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandon Lai a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Brandon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Hello,

I’m Brandon Lai, a wedding photographer based in Dallas, Texas.

Life is full of surprises! I had never thought that I would be into photography one day in my life, and then I found my love for it through my wife. After I graduated in Business school, I bought my first camera thinking that I would just use it to take photos for my wife when we travel together. Then I started taking more portrait and couple/engagement pictures for my friends. Just like that, my passion for photography grew as I finally found one thing that I would love to do for the rest of my life. It feels amazing to capture authentic moments filled with emotions of the wedding day for my couples. I want to preserve the memories of their special day through photography to cherish for a lifetime. I think this was the time I knew I wanted to pursue wedding photographer path professionally. There’s something about seeing people falling in love or being happy together brings me joy as well.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Back in 2020, with some experiences and knowledges in wedding photography, I decided to create 8 Studio for my online branding with a group of my photographers/videographers friends. A funny story, lots of people asked me why “number 8”. To be honest, we choose number 8, because it generally considered lucky in Vietnamese culture. Also it can be associated with concepts like infinity and eternal love, which resemble the infinity symbol (∞). Anyways, year of 2020 was definitely a set back for me because of the pandemic. Although it threw many wedding plans into disarray, I took advantage of this time to reflect and build on my personal and business growth. I invested more time reading books, watch more films and going to workshops to surround myself with the right people to get more inspirations. Looking back at my progress and keep track of the goals I’ve accomplished, I definitely feel more focused and confident in my business.

When taking pictures, I strive to create a comfortable and enjoyable experience for my couples. My approach combines a photojournalistic style to capture candid moments naturally unfolding, along with beautifully composed portraits that reflect our brides/grooms’ personalities and the love they share. I believe in building a connection with each couple to understand their vision and preferences, ensuring that every photo reflects their style and captures the essence of their love story.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Capturing moments that bring joy to others can be incredibly fulfilling. I feel satisfied and rewarded when I know that my photography can contribute making couples happy and preserving their special moments.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

As a photographer, I always set goals to help guide my growth and development in the field such as:
– Creativity and Artistry: Explore and develop my unique style and vision as a photographer. I always look for inspirations through films or on social media platforms, then transform and create my own style.
– Impact and Storytelling: I want to use my photography to tell meaningful love stories for my couples on their special day.
– Client Relationships: Focus on building strong relationships with clients by delivering high-quality work and providing excellent customer service.
– Invest in ongoing education through workshops, courses, or mentorships is another way help me to stay updated with industry trends and techniques. I want to give a shout out to my mentor, Raymond Nhut Nguyen. As an amazing photographer, he has inspired me to grow personally and professionally. With the experiences and knowledges he has, I feel fortunate to have him guide me along this journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brandon-lai.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eightstudio.wedding/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Eightstudio2020
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/8-studio-dallas?osq=8+studio