We recently connected with Michaela Tong and have shared our conversation below.

Michaela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

So far the most meaningful project i have worked on to date took place at the end of September of this year that was months in the making. In April, i was invited to Vancouver Fashion Week SS24 and had the honour to shoot a campaign for the Smouldy collection that was showcased on the runway. Later in August, Stef (smouldy designer) messaged me saying she was going to be in my city for another show/runway and if i wanted to collaborate on a shoot for a brand new collection. i worked alongside Emily Machan (my creative partner and other half of our creative agency “Mei”) as well to bring a vision to life. i built a master call sheet that consisted of dates, times, places, and the spaces that this divine team of eight had executed beautifully. This was the one of Mei’s biggest projects to date and i’m incredibly proud of this “Smouldy X Mei” campaign and hopefully by the time this interview releases i will have shared the photos :)

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.

hi hi i’m michaela/kaels !!

i am a model by trade, creative director, and production assistant. my world of chaos lies in (sustainable) fashion, beauty, and film !! i luv being on or around anything and everything creative; brand and campaign photoshoots, music videos, editorial shoots, short films, runways, and fashion events. i’ve been in this world of chaos for a little over six years now and it’s been a wild ride, the last two years i have focused on me and my craft and it has been nothing but divine. i fell into this world by accident and as of now my life is a mix of everything from being flown out for campaigns to doing bridal commercial shoots and i’ve never been more in luv with it. i am half of an incredibly luvly creative/production agency by the name of Mei which is an ode to our Chinese heritage and shared Chinese middle, my amazingly talented other half is Emily (@emmeiling). if you would like to see my work over the years and my portfolio of sorts my instagram is @kaelsphotos : )

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

My only real advice is find what you like to make/share and run with it. Being proud of the work you make is important as i feel like it becomes less about how it’s received and more about how you feel making it and the process of it all. i say this because my relationship with instagram is very different than most in the sense that i have never really followed trends or social media norms per se. i luv sharing my work and use instagram simply as a tool to genuinely support those i find inspiration from as well as keep up with my friends lives from time to time. Simply: move genuinely, make what you enjoy, and give luv when you can !!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being seen, and i don’t mean this in the clout or in an achievement way exactly, i mean it in that when you make something meaningful and having someone be able to connect or relate and have a conversation about how that affected them. Not everything i make is deeply meaningful and thats okay. Sometimes i make things that are simply pretty to look at. But its in the moments of making these images and the process is truly what makes me feel the most in my element. The chaos of running around, the chaos of experimenting and creating something you like is what does it for me. i seek to be calm in luv with this life i live and i think a massive contributor to this is being consistently grateful for every opportunity passed my way, taken or not. i know that change is the only constant and the only way to keep growing as a being and as a creative is to work on putting myself in circles where i can learn from those i think are doing more and i look up to.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @kaelsphotos
• Other: if you would like to ever connect in some way, shape, or form feel free to dm me on instagram or my email is [email protected] !! I am a canadian based creative (i bounce between alberta and british columbia) but i am always open to working with more creatives anywhere in the world !!

  pce & luv,

  kaels <3

Image Credits

(cover image – red background white vest – Olya Hendrickson)

Emily Machan
Jai Ruiz
Harry Sohal
Karina Helena
Raveen Perera
Lia Hansen
Viktoria Jazmin
Jarrell Alvarez
Dhakshayin Boopalan.