We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Howard Lao a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Howard , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?
It takes meaningful relationships in the community among peers, photography is more than pressing a button! How you treat others in front and behind the camera makes all the difference in the world.
When other photographers can’t an assignment due to time, or availability their friends & those that have made a meaningful relationship usually gets the first call at it.
I do not refer business to someone that I don’t know and vice versa.
Howard , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Howard Lao is a freelance photographer based in the Pacific Northwest.
Howard combines his unique background as an NCAA Division 1 athlete with his photography, capturing the essence of athletes and the moments that bring fans closer to the competition. He has covered a variety of events, including the 2016 and 2021 Olympic Trials; World Athletics Championships in Beijing, Portland, Eugene, London; the Boston, New York City, and Chicago Marathons; Pan Continental Curling Championships for the World Curling Federation; Major League Soccer; and NCAA March Madness.
His work has also appeared worldwide and in the Wall Street Journal, The Seattle Times, and The Oregonian. He has also done commercial work for Nike, Oiselle, Brooks, and Sketchers. Howard’s image made the shortlist to the World Athletics 2020 Photograph of the Year.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Being a photographer that can cover any sports, at any level!
I am passionate about taking on assignments that aren’t in my usual comfort zone of sports. By doing so I’ve been able to travel the world doing different sports year round.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
I started working in the insurance industry when I was 16, got my insurance license after college and worked there for a few years. But as stable as a 9-5 mondays to friday job was it was also not something I was very passionate about. After work I would then spend 2-3 hours photographing sports, slowly but surely those 2-3 hours started to pay off.
I remember after college spending what I had left in my bank account to take the risk and flight to London for the World Championships. I met some amazing friends, and grew as a photographer on many levels. It was a great decision to invest in myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.howlaophotography.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howlaophotography/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HowLao
Image Credits
Photocredit – Howard Lao / HowLaoPhotography