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

Hi Mike, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I could have named my website Michael Chan Photography but it says nothing about my story. As a former music producer I would always have a stage name. So “Chan Wick” is what I came up with. Yes it is a play on the popular movie series John Wick. Having a stage name tells a lot about me and my lineage. I approach all my creative endeavors with vigor and intense curiosity. Producing artist over the years helped me to bring out the performance out of my clients. Those same muscles are now used to bring out performances out of clients that never modeled for photos before. Working with pro models is a wonderful collaborative experience, but the work I do with every day people to make them look and feel like seasoned pros is what I pride myself with. Everyone deserves to look and feel like a star.

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.

It all started during the pandemic in 2020. During a period of unemployment I rekindled my passion for creating music. Music production is my first love but I never cared for the cold machinations of the industry that get between a creator and their art. I decided to pick up another craft. As a a multi-hat creative I always wanted to shoot videos and stills for the artists I produced. The same year I met a make up artist I started to build a relationship with. It wasn’t long before we started doing business together and got some attention. We started doing head shots, portraits, events, and the momentum started to catch like wildfire. What I am proud of most is the atmosphere I create for the people I work with. I want my clients to enjoy the process whether they are nervous first timers or experienced model. I would like to think of myself as not just the hired help but a visual artist who attempts to bring the best of my subjects. Having people tear up and get emotional over the photos is a reminder of why I do it.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

To start a business during the uncertainty of a global pandemic is what showed tremendous resilience. I strove to abide by mask regulations amidst the fear of something that wasn’t fully understood. When the world shut down I took advantage of the opportunity to delve headfirst into a new artistic medium but I wasn’t as knowledgable about the business aspects. Luckily the make-up artist I was associated with at the time could model and was able to assist my learning the administrative aspects of the business. Shooting events with a long lens to be able to have distance was also key. But events were few and far between during the first year of the shut down. The silver lining of that time is that I was able to learn at my own pace and as my skills grew and the worst of the pandemic was behind us I started to see the fruits of my labor.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The most consistent source of new clientele has definitely been word of mouth. My clients seem to not only be impressed with the results of my shoots but I think they really enjoy the process. I have a personal goal to make sure that my next shoot was always going to be better in some way than the last one. The challenge is what drives me to bring my A game on every shoot. People can see and feel the passion I have for my craft. The enthusiasm I bring is infectious and leaves the clients more emotionally engaged. They leave the shoot not only ready to share their photos but the story of that photographer who asked questions, cared about the answers and did everything in his power to make the experience special.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ChanWickPhotography.com
• Instagram: Chan_wick__
• Facebook: Mike Chan
• Linkedin: Heang (Michael) Chan

Image Credits

Heang (Michael) Chan
Chan Wick Photography