How to Keep Photography Fresh in a City You Know by Heart
When you know a city by heart, it’s easy to stop seeing it. Every time I return to Hong Kong, I use three simple habits to keep my photography fresh: setting a goal for the trip, mining my old photos for new project ideas, and borrowing inspiration from other photographers.
The Paintings and Photographs That Shaped My Photography
On a recent LensWork episode, Brooks Jensen talked about images that changed his life. I'm not sure any single image changed mine — but two came close: Edward Hopper's Nighthawks and Fan Ho's street photography of Hong Kong. It took years of looking back at my own photos before I recognized how deeply both had shaped the way I compose a scene.
Do Locations Make Photographers? Or Do Photographers Make Locations Their Own?
When an Australian photographer was priced out of Japan and moved back home, his new work looked nothing like his old. It raised a question worth sitting with: are we shaped by the places we shoot, or do we shape them — even Ansel Adams left Yosemite once in a while.
Why Local Photographers Often Create Better Urban Landscape Photos
When it comes to urban landscape photography, experience matters—but local knowledge often matters more. Local photographers have time on their side: time to return, to wait for the right light, and to truly understand a city. That familiarity often leads to stronger, more meaningful images than a quick visit ever could.
Should Photographers Chase a “Career‑Defining” Image?
Photographers often dream of creating one career‑defining image. But can we actually predict which photo will resonate with the world? This excerpt explores why chasing one perfect shot may limit your creativity—and what to focus on instead.
Finding Inspiration Through a Photography Project: How Gotham Stones Was Born
After hitting a creative wall in my photography, one unexpected moment of sunlight at Brooklyn Bridge reignited my passion. That spark led to Gotham Stones—a personal project capturing Manhattan's stone architecture in soft, golden light.