Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jia K. Min. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jia K., appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

One of the most interesting shifts I’m noticing in the industry is that people aren’t chasing trends anymore. They’re chasing what’s real. I think there’s a growing curiosity about individuals who live authentically: what they like, how they think, and what their daily lives look like. These people don’t follow trends. Rather, they become the trend by knowing themselves deeply and staying true to their taste.

Personally, I’ve been drawn to this mindset. Rather than trying to keep up with what’s popular, I’ve been spending more time studying who I am, what I truly love, and how to build something that feels personal and lasting. I think that’s the most exciting direction we’re heading in, toward individuality, not imitation.

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’m Jia K. Min, a Korean female photographer based in New York. My work explores human relationships and emotional tension through visually compelling, cinematic narratives. I often use bold colors and dynamic compositions to create images that feel both stylized and intimate.

I first became interested in photography as a high school student, flipping through fashion magazines, especially Japanese street fashion publications. I was fascinated by the energy and storytelling in those photos, and it sparked my dream of becoming a fashion photographer. That desire was deeply connected to my early passion for the fashion industry in general, and it eventually led me to pursue photography seriously.

I earned my BFA in Photography from Sangmyung University in Korea, where I began working with fashion magazines and commercials as a photo assistant. Through those professional experiences, I gained valuable insight into the industry and built strong connections. But after a while, I felt the need to focus more on my own voice and visual language, which is what brought me to New York City to pursue a Master’s in Fashion Photography at the School of Visual Arts.

Now, my style reflects a unique blend of Korean sensitivity and American energy, which gives my work a distinct edge. Rather than following trends, I focus on building my own visual language. One that invites viewers not just to look, but to feel and engage. Each frame I create aims to spark curiosity and emotion through careful storytelling, color, and form.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

There was a time when everything hit at once. School, photo jobs, and preparation for my exhibition. I had multiple shoots stacked back to back, and both my physical energy and creative spirit started to wear thin. I was completely burnt out. I felt like I had nothing left to give, creatively or emotionally.

In the middle of that chaos, I allowed myself to take a step back for a couple of days. I stopped working entirely and spent whole days at home doing nothing but watching films. As I watched different characters overcome their own obstacles, I found myself laughing and crying with them. Through those moments, I was finally able to release emotions that had built up inside me; frustration, pressure, and self-doubt. That emotional connection gave me the push I needed to want to get back up. I started feeling a quiet motivation to pull myself out of that burnout.

Also, there’s something about witnessing a beautiful cinematic scene that helps me reconnect with why I chose this path in the first place. Sometimes a single frame, a composition, color or the lighting in a film sparks something in me that gives an idea, a mood, a feeling I want to explore through my own lens. Slowly, I find the energy again to create.

In that way, I found myself slowly coming out of the burnout. After letting it all out and finding little sparks of inspiration again, I was able to get back into my routine with more energy and a clearer mind. It’s something I go back to whenever I feel stuck , just stepping away for a moment and letting stories pull me back in.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that things had to be perfect before I could share them. For a long time, I wouldn’t show my work unless I felt it was 100% complete and flawless. I was afraid that anything less than perfect might reflect poorly on me, so I kept a lot of my creative process hidden.

But over time, especially through grad school and working on real-world projects, I began to realize that this mindset was actually holding me back. I was limiting my growth by waiting for ‘perfect’ instead of embracing progress.

I’ve come to believe that nothing is ever truly perfect. Now I try to stay open and share where I’m at, even if things aren’t fully polished.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jiakmin.work
• Instagram: @minkyeongjin