Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hyun Jo Choi. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Hyun Jo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
After I’m gone, my wish is to be remembered as someone that helped people from my community. I have a lot of pride in the people that come from my area (the DC Metropolitan area, or “DMV”). While photography and videography in the sports world is a very specific area of work, I want to use my platform to help expose the very talented athletes from the DMV to the rest of the country, even the world. Not just because they’re good at their sport but because they’re good people too. I think the world needs to continually see good people existing, being themselves.
Hyun Jo, 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?
I’ve always loved sports. Specifically, I grew up playing basketball, obsessively every day from the time I discovered it. I was never good enough to play at a high level but I knew I wanted to be around the sport even as time went on.
When it came to the camera, I actually didn’t like cameras that much, earlier on in life. From high school through college I always believed in seeing things with your eyes, enjoying the moment without being distracted with the process of taking a photo. I also didn’t agree with people taking photos of something for the sole purpose of showing off to others. In my mind, you ought to enjoy a sunset without posting it to social media.
But that changed after I scrounged up some money to go on a study abroad trip to Germany. My mom gave me a small point and shoot camera to capture my time over there. Something in me clicked, and I realized there’s no way I personally would remember everything that happens in my life, even if it’s a happy or significant moment.
My family absolutely loved my photos from that time in Germany. We are an immigrant family who have had to sacrifice taking vacations in order to save money, so they were living the trip through my photos, and I found myself reliving the good moments through viewing what I’d captured. After that, I started bringing a camera around whenever I’d travel. I’d borrow my dad’s old Nikon that he used as a journalist every trip. I had found a new obsession in trying to improve at taking and editing photos, not dissimilar to my obsession with basketball.
During the pandemic times, in 2021, I decided to combine my two obsessions together. There’s a summer league called the Goodman League in Southeast DC, that I’d heard of in 2011 when the NBA lockout brought big names from all over to DC to play. I’d watch so many YouTube videos from those games, but I never got to go attend a game. Fast forward 10 years, I’ve got my own car now, I just told myself to go and bring my camera to a game.
The environment at the Goodman League was great. The smell of food, gogo music blaring through the speakers, the spirited commentary from the commissioner, Miles Rawls, the back and forth trash talking, the super skilled and rugged plays from the hoopers. Streetball leagues are where a pure form of basketball is played. It reminded me what I loved about basketball. Players from the games really liked my photos, and I ended up going to more Goodman League games, but it also expanded to all kinds of basketball events happening all over the DMV.
The cool thing I realized about social media is how you can share your passions with other people that have similar passions. It’s gotten to a point where I’ve been able to meet a lot of good people through social media, and do some really exciting work with them.
I’d known the DMV was chock full of elite athletes, but the camera showed me much more than I’d ever known about the people from here. Everyone has their own story, they are more than their ability to put a ball through a hoop. People are trying to survive and succeed using the sport, people develop lasting bonds over their love for basketball. People use basketball to give back to the community, to teach the next generation how to mature and become upstanding citizens. The stories are endless, and being someone behind the camera has allowed me a front row seat to some important moments in the lives of the great people that live near me.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part of this journey has been the people. While having nice camera equipment, and improving on my work has been a great validation to me, the thing that’s kept me going in this space are the people I’ve met along the way. Whether it’s other photographers, videographers, coaches, parents, trainers, players, there are some really good people that I’ve had the privilege of befriending. Just hearing about their lives, hearing encouragement and advice from them, hearing about people’s goals and dreams, it’s such positive energy that I find myself drawn to.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Competition. Comparison. It’s how we make ourselves better and reach a certain standard, it’s how we know where to even set the standard. It’s inherently a part of sports, I mean the goal is to win, right? In school, in jobs, I was taught how many people are gunning for my spot, if I don’t get good enough grades, if I don’t work hard, someone will take my spot. It’s motivation I’ve always used, but in the photography and videography space, it’s kind of toxic.
Because this is an art form of sorts, it is naturally subjective. Aside from techniques that are tried and true, there’s no real right or wrong way to make a photo, especially now that things are more digital. Even with formal photography techniques, you can tell a story or make an appealing image without abiding by a single rule. Trying to compete or compare with another media person based on their work can destroy who you are when it comes to your own work. It can make your style change to the point where it’s not your style anymore, it’s an attempt to do what someone else is doing. There’s a healthy way to admire other people’s creativity and be inspired to try new things out for yourself. Sure, when it comes to earning gigs, there’s ways to stand out vs someone else, but I’m speaking from a purely photo/video content standpoint. Once I learned to just worry about my work, I felt very free.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://HyunJoPhoto.com
- Instagram: @_jophoto
Image Credits
Hyunjo Choi