We were lucky to catch up with HATSUE recently and have shared our conversation below.

HATSUE, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s go back in time to when you were an intern or apprentice – what’s an interesting story you can share from that stage of your career?

I moved to New York in the summer of 2021 without an internship. My high school best friend went to Columbia University and we planned out the perfect semester living together in an Upper West Side apartment. My plan for the next few months was to network and shoot with whoever I could manage to connect with. After about a month of getting more coffee than I ever have in my life, I scrolled past a story on Instagram that &Walsh was looking for a photo intern. I jumped straight to my email. &Walsh is a major player in the graphic design studio world and working there had always been a faraway dream of mine. Fast forward about 2 weeks: I interviewed for the position and started my first day at &Walsh working with set designer and creative director Arielle Casale. We worked on images for the Jessica Walsh Has No Filter image series and a handful of case studies.

That summer felt like the beginning of everything. Watching Arielle work on set made me see photo in an entirely new light. It made me shoot more intentionally. It made me think of color. It made me think of props. It made me a more confident and eager creative.

The summer came to an end and I went back to my childhood home in Hamilton, Ohio where I transformed my bedroom into a mini photo studio—I basically got rid of my bed and bought some lights. I spent the next semester using what I learned from Arielle making sets from anything I could find in my house. That’s where I began to really envision a future in photography. I was in school studying graphic design and was always forcing myself to design, but gently allowing myself to “incorporate photography” with it. I wasn’t happy doing graphic design and my brain just didn’t think in type, graphics, lines, or shapes. Photo, light, sets, and composition, came so naturally to me. After my time with &Walsh, I was determined to put everything into pursuing photography so that I could do it for the rest of my life.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a Japanese American photographer from Cincinnati, Ohio who focuses on food, product, portraiture, stop motion, and editorial images. My work can be recognized for its saturated and sparkly nature. I really love making images that stop someone and demand attention. I want to stop a viewer in their aimless Instagram scrolling for even a few seconds. I want my audience to not only look at the photo, but to look into it and see all the props and colors, and sparkles. My images blend commercial and fine art photography into something fun and ethereal.

I got into photography because I grew up riding horses and going to horse shows. I would photograph all kinds of riding disciplines from show jumping to barrel racing. I was constantly moving in between indoor and outdoor arenas so I was forced to change my camera settings extremely quickly. I never took a class in photography. I learned quickly from trial and error. Becoming familiar with my camera this way made me more likely to experiment and fail.

I love to be part of the entire photo-making process. From concept development and prop sourcing to shooting and retouching, seeing the process all the way through is why I love working as a freelance photographer. Color, energy, variety, and vision are what set me apart for my clients. I provide services not only in photography, but also stop motion, retouching, and assisting.

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

I almost hate to say it, but I’ve gotten most of my clients through Instagram. It’s been a very beneficial tool for me to get my name and work out there and reach new clients in the Cincinnati area.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being happy. It sounds really simple but being able to support myself with my photo work and actually enjoy going to work makes me so happy. It gives me the flexibility to live my life in all other ways too: taking my dog out for walks when I want to, grabbing a mid-day coffee, or just relaxing for the rest of the day when I’ve gotten my work done at 4pm. I don’t measure my life’s success solely on my career success. I value every aspect of a happy and balanced life and being a freelance photographer has given me the privilege and freedom to do so. I graduated from college very recently so I’m still in a relaxing/recovery phase right now, so I realize my days won’t look like this forever. But I’m eternally grateful to my supportive parents for cheering me on and lifting me up. Working for yourself is not always an option for everyone and I am just so thankful that I was able to make the decision.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hatsue.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byhatsue/