We recently connected with Cindy Trinh and have shared our conversation below.

Cindy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

It has not been easy earning a full-time living from my creative work. When I first started pursuing photography full-time, I had to work a number of other jobs to make ends meet while I was building my photography portfolio and clientele. I got my start in photography capturing protests in New York City. I spent years building my network and making close connections with my community. My photography work is rooted in activism and social justice, it has always been important to me to do work that is meaningful and impactful. But doing social justice work notoriously doesn’t pay well. I struggled a lot and had many days where I was really depressed and wanted to give up. The only thing that kept me going was my love for the work that I do and feedback from my friends and community who always encouraged me to keep moving forward and supported me through tough times.

Cindy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Before I became a full-time freelance photographer, I was a lawyer. I went to law school under pressure from my strict Asian family, my mom is a refugee from Vietnam and she wanted me to pursue a “practical” career such as a doctor or pharmacist. But it was also the pressure from society and the doubt that I could make it as a creative professional. I did not enjoy law and when I graduated from law school, I was in massive student loan debt and couldn’t find a job. I was broke, depressed, and felt completely unworthy. During this time, the Occupy Wall Street movement was born and I resonated with the message, I felt like I had done everything I was told to achieve the “American Dream” but the system was rigged against people like me. This began my journey with activism in New York City. Shortly after, I started doing photography to channel my creative energy into something meaningful. I created my project “Activist NYC” documenting protests and activism in the streets of New York. My account gained a following and I was getting published and featured by popular media. Organizations contacted me to do photography for them, which is when I realized that this was the work I was meant to do. I quit law and pursued my passion for photography full time. The thing that sets me apart is my passion for activism and community building. I’m most proud of the connections I’ve made doing this work and creating a strong network of talented people. I really wouldn’t be where I’m at today without the support of people who believe in me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The main goal/mission driving my creative journey is to be a part of history. My photography aims to capture these important moments in our history, to share stories of struggle and resilience of the communities that I photograph, so that we can look back on this time and remember what we fought for. I hope that my photography will be viewed 50 years from now, much like we look at photos from the civil rights movement, and reflect on the work that people did to achieve progress and change. This is why photography and art is so important. I also want my work to have meaningful impact on people. I want it to inspire conversations and dialogue, to bridge communities together, and to get people thinking about these important issues. I want to do all this while also sustaining my life in a capitalist society, which is so difficult when I have to constantly worry about money to survive. My ultimate personal goal is to do what I love and feel properly compensated for my labor.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The best source of new clients has been word of mouth. I pride myself on the community building work that I have done over the years. Through this, I’ve created an amazing network of friends and colleagues that truly believe in the work that I do. This network has often come through for me in many different ways, including referring me for jobs and other clients. My internet presence has also been a source of clients, many people who commission me to photograph found me on social media. Building my Instagram is important, but I don’t want to let it overtake every aspect of my work. I try to maintain a good balance with my time on social media because I know how damaging it can be for mental health. But being a freelancer in charge of my own business, I have to put in a certain amount of work marketing my services and business. Social media is a great tool for photographers to market themselves, it helped me get my start in photography after all. I just have to remind myself that social media is a tool, just like my camera is a tool, and it doesn’t define who I am and the quality of my work.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @activistnyc @cindytrinh.photo
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/activistnyc

Image Credits
Cindy Trinh