We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lawrence Q Hu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lawrence Q below.

Lawrence Q, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Growing up in the early 2000s and 2010s, I was exposed (pun intended) to film photography. Usually in the form of disposable cameras sent to Walgreens for processing, my parents regularly put together albums of their and our family’s lives throughout the years. I never really got my hands on anything until the advent of the smartphone and, while lacking in functionality we’re accustomed to now, was exposed to photography for the first time. I started in 2011, shooting on the Motorola Atrix 4G, mostly capturing memories of friends and family.

It wasn’t until I went off to college in 2016 that I got my first serious camera: the Sony a6000 with a kit lens. I essentially had 0 experience using manual mode—and I usually do best “learning by doing,” especially in the field. From that day on, I carried my camera with me everywhere, becoming “that guy” turning every function into an impromptu photoshoot.

For me, it was the best way to learn. There doesn’t need to be a client or a studio session or even a planned time to do a photoshoot. “The best camera is the one you take with you.” Given the compact nature of the a6000, that was very easy to do. So, I suppose I informally began to sharpen my skills through trial and error.

If I could go back to speed up my learning, I would have just done a photoshoot at least once a week. Whether for friends, just walking around a neighborhood, or even a self-portrait session, I wish I had stayed more consistent with how often I was practicing.

Even to this day, my neglect of trying to master the post-processing side of photography is holding me back. Without a speedy, objective-focused workflow, I find myself shooting events and then letting the photos collect the metaphorical dust until the last minute.

In essence, practice a hell of a lot and try to learn every aspect of the craft. Photography is so much more than pressing a shutter button. Client management, how to pose someone, how to make people feel confident and safe in front of the camera, speeding up the editing process, and marketing yourself—I’d say these are all essential skills for a photographer “outside the camera.”

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

By day, I’m a marketing manager at a film production company. By golden hour, I’m a photographer.

I got into the industry chasing the “good enough” factor, which I didn’t believe I had (and sometimes still don’t) for a long time. In contrast to the traditional, commercialized photography that is most in demand, I specialize in candid moments, capturing the raw emotions and actions of people. Whether it’s a concert or wedding, behind the scenes on a film set, or on the street, I have two core beliefs: all individuals deserve great photos of themselves doing what they love and authenticity is my priority.

I’m most proud when people get their photos back and their faces light up—I think having a dedicated photographer to capture not only the people, but the atmosphere, lends itself to better memories overall. This mix of event and portrait photography is my bread and butter. I capture the cohesive production, but also each individual playing a part in it.

I have a day job, so photography isn’t there for me to pay the bills. This gives me the luxury of offering a niche service as well as being able to turn projects down if I don’t feel qualified for the job. I’ve declined many proposals as they terrify the hell out of me and I’m not terribly keen on ruining a once-in-a-lifetime event. In the same vein, I offer unlimited reshoots on projects if the client is truly unhappy with my work. Not only is this a reassuring safety net for factors outside our control (weather, traffic, crowdedness, etc.), but also allows me to pinpoint errors and remedy them on subsequent shoots.

TLDR: I specialize in candid moments, portrait photography, and insure all of my photoshoots to get the right photo, regardless of how many sessions it takes.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

This might be an unpopular opinion, and I know I’m in a privileged position given I’m not relying on photography for my main source of income, but strategically shooting for free has gotten my name out in Chicago faster than any attempts at organic and/or paid social marketing.

One really cool way of getting proper clients, possibly in a genre you haven’t shot before, is offering a specific photoshoot (couple, portrait, headshot, etc.) for free in Facebook groups. This way, if you are killing each of them, you’re learning on the job and getting people to post your photos and refer you down the road.

I regularly shoot for free. Charging people often puts a lot of pressure on me to recreate a very specific look, which I’m not too big a fan of. In addition, it’s a great way for me to be put in a unique situation, like concert venues, destination weddings, and on film sets—all of which are way more fun for me than corporate headshots or cookie-cutter graduation photos.

Get out there physically, be prepared to network with business cards and your portfolio, give back to the community, and practice regularly. You might be surprised what people return to you.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

“Gear won’t do the work for you” and “skill trumps gear.” I quickly got frustrated with the a6000’s performance as I took on more challenging shoots with less light and more motion. After selling my first camera and the two primes I had gotten, I bought the A7III and a 50mm lens for $2000. Boy, was that a wake-up call. Just because I had a new camera with a bigger sensor, more dials, better processing, etc., I still wasn’t shooting nearly as much as I should have been. My skill stayed stagnant even though the ceiling for quality was raised significantly.

So, now, I use what I have. Whether it’s a point-and-shoot, just my phone, or my A7IV, I’m less concerned about the firepower of my gear and am more focused on execution and final product. When asked about buying advice, I tend to recommend cameras with the lowest cost-of-entry balanced with longevity. Even though the a6000 is nearly 10 years old, I would still start out with a used copy and some cheaper lenses to practice on.

Working around limitations is a hallmark of a good photographer.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lqhphoto.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thelqh
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/thelqh

Image Credits
Lawrence Q Hu/LQH Photo