PhotographerShant Minassian (SHANT.PHOTOS)
Q: What is your name, and where are you from?
Shant: My name is Shant Minassian and I'm from Los Angeles.
Q: What sparked your interest in photography?
Shant: I have always been interested in pictures and how everyone can get something different out of them. I was always drawn more to the pictures in magazines/books instead of the words.
Q: What inspired you to pursue photography as a hobby or career?
Shant: I pursued photography to scratch the creative itch in my brain. It's cool to try different approaches and photograph different things. There's SO much you can do.
Q: What was one of the biggest challenges you faced?
Shant: Biggest challenge l've faced is not getting lost in the "instagram wormhole of likes and shares" instead of creating for myself and my own enjoyment.
Q: What is your favroite thing to photograph, and why?
Shant: Favorite thing to photograph so far is cars on track (due to the action that it brings) and the occasional street/nature style of photos.
Lawrence Jung (ARCHREINMUND)
PhotographerQ: Who are you?
Lawrence: On Instagram, I'm known as Archreinmund, a Los Angeles-based photographer capturing a variety of subject matter like automotive, landscapes, street and events.
Q: What inspires you in photography?
Lawrence: Capturing a moment in time and preserving it. I'm always trying to keep an eye for those "in-between" moments, a facial emotion, an action or even a mistake.There are so many unexpected moments around us that are waiting to be captured.
Q: Is there a "rule" or "trend" you try to break from?
Lawrence: Before I really wanted an editorial look to my photography, but as I continue to shoot and see how other photographers work, I learned that photos don't have to be clinically sharp or clean. There is beauty in the imperfections, the slight blur, a squiggle, the wrong composition. There is no rule to truly follow in photography as long as you are able to have a strong voice and can express it through this medium.
Q: Where do you draw inspiration from?
Lawrence: I try to be inspired from anywhere. Could be a photograph from a magazine, a painting in a museum, the taste of matcha from a new cafe or even being in a new place. The world is such an interesting and dynamic place that wherever I go, I try to approach it with curiosity and see how I can capture that feeling or moment into a photograph. As that saying goes, a photo is worth a thousand words.
Q: Is there anything else you like to share?
Lawrence: As with many photographers, I'm a little bit of a gear head. Keeping up with the latest camera technologies and gear but once in a while I always have to remind myself that a great photo can come from anywhere. If it doesn't inspire me and others then I'm not taking a photo for me but for the camera. For me a photographer is trying to share their view of the world through their eyes and cameras help with that but they aren't the creatives behind the photo itself. I always try to see how I can capture my vision with the limitations that I have which could lead to a unique photo in itself.
