We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Siyi Tang a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Siyi, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn in a new endeavor is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.

The night I sold my first piece was crazy. It was an exhibition organized by my professor Craig Stevens for our Experimental Printmaking course. I hung my work on the wall for the first time by myself and waited anxiously for the opening reception to begin. This is a friendly community that is passionate about supporting young artists, and there were so many people there, many of whom said “congratulations” to me. As I watched people stop in front of my work, I hoped they would like it, but I was still a little unsure. After about an hour or so, my piece, Autumn Eve, a lumen print-based hand-printed photograph, was purchased by a kind person. I jumped up and down with excitement when I saw a red dot on the label of my work, hugged my friends around me, and went to hug my dear professor as well. It was the first time I had ever sold my work, and I felt the validation and support from the outside world, and was happy that my work could become a part of someone’s collection and bring them a moment of joy. After graduation, I continued to use social media to build my brand. My first client was drawn to my social account. After seeing a series of portraits I posted, she said she loved my work. However, she didn’t ask me to do portrait, she asked if I could do a photo shoot for her airbnb and if I had a portfolio of relevant work. To be honest, I hadn’t been formally involved in real estate photography before, but I had photographed a lot of the various buildings in Savannah while shooting my own personal work. She was very happy with what she saw and I got my first job.

Siyi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello, I’m Siyi Tang, I’ve loved taking photos since I was very young because of my mother’s encouragement. When I grow up, I go to college and learn the related skills. After getting my MFA in Photography from SCAD, I decided to start my own business in this city where I have been living for three years, Savannah. I offer a very wide variety of photography services and hope to use my camera to make memories and create a better life for as many people as possible. I love to discover the beauty of all human beings and things, and I am very happy that I can participate in documenting it. I would like to give all people my greatest passion and kindness. I have my own style in creation, but I am also open to suggestions from my clients. And I’m always willing to give them more, for example I like to give extra shoots with film cameras or Polaroid to record the moments in a more traditional and precious way.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve seen a lot of posts on social media about trolling or praising their photographers. I realized that actually the career of a photographer is important to ordinary people because it’s the best way for them to preserve good memories for themselves. If a photographer performs poorly, it’s just a small blow to his own career, but it can be a huge regret for their clients. So, I want to always try my best for my clients and help them make the best memories.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think there’s a part of people that doesn’t realize what creatives do behind the scenes. Shooting a set of photos doesn’t just mean an hour at the shoot, it also means planning before the shoot, post-production for hours, and countless hours of learning and practicing my craft for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.siyitangphoto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/t.siyi/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siyi-tang-6377351b1/

Image Credits
Siyi Tang