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

Quyn, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I am so thankful for my parents and family who’ve encouraged me to pursue life as an artist. Although most of the details of my career are lost in translation, they’ve always prioritized my happiness and well-being. Growing up as refugees in America, we started with a difficult life but together they did their best to raise me and my sister with opportunities to live out our dreams.

Their unwavering belief in me is the type of foundation I’m so lucky for. Before my father passed away, he kept every magazine, newspaper, and clipping of work I had published and loved to show them off to his coworkers with such pride. My mom loves to accompany me on work tasks whenever she comes to visit. Small things like going to the B&H photo store in Manhattan delight her.

Quyn, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an artist who uses a range of mediums to express feelings and examine our interconnected experiences as human beings in a rapidly changing world.

I am primarily commissioned to photograph people at significant moments in their lives. I really enjoy celebrating those milestones alongside them. I’m an emotional sponge and embrace life’s highest highs and lowest lows with a knowing of how fleeting these special, and often intense, feelings are. Perhaps that is why I’m so obsessed with capturing emotions and turning them into art.

When I’m not photographing someone else’s life, I am squirrelled away in my art studio exploring new ideas for creating art. One day that might look like an emotionally charged abstract painting, then maybe sculpting a story with various materials, or perhaps writing or a self portrait.

As far as how I got into all of this, I first picked up a camera in grade school and have followed my heart the whole way, staying true to my own values while allowing the work to shape my growth. As photographers, we’re literally creating the way people see themselves and others. By honoring myself, I represent space for others to do the same. I’m considered “self-taught” in that I do not have much formal education. Rather, I refined myself by assisting directors and artists, spending countless hours at the library, and adapting as the world turns. This has allowed me to develop my own visual language and aesthetics. That’s something I’m very proud of.

These days I am harnessing that same energy to learn new mediums and processes. I can feel myself and my work maturing and it’s a strange and wonderful feeling. I look forward to seeing what develops.

I am more oriented toward personal fulfillment than external success, but I have had a number of projects published in magazines and newspapers including the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Condé Nast Traveler, InStyle, TeenVogue, New York Weddings, and Rangefinder, and have worked with some of the most brilliantly creative folks around the world. This certainly adds to the glamour and joy of being an artist! I hope to keep creating for the rest of my life and sharing the work as much as I can.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I tend to attract people with open hearts and can nurture a spark of connection with anyone who exudes kindness, confidence, and playfulness. I believe showing my own flaws & desires can lead to genuine long term relationships where people can relate authentically to my work. As a photographer, I am a pretty big part in how people celebrate or remember themselves, and typically that energy is reciprocated and they want to be part of my success story too. At the end of the day, nothing beats great work and customer service. So I’m always focused on delivering an amazing and thoughtful experience above all else. 

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Knowing that I am using my creative gifts to put beauty out into the world, that I have made a positive impact on someone’s self-image, and that all of my efforts are paying off. It’s a dream come true.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.quynduong.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/qquyndduongg, @quyn.duong.studio
• Other: studio.quynduong.com

Image Credits

Portrait by Chi-Chi Ari