Meet Mitchel Wu of Mitchel Wu Toy Photography in Valencia and Santa Clarita

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mitchel Wu.

Mitchel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I currently live in Valencia with my wife and daughter. I am the owner of Mitchel Wu Toy Photography and am a full-time toy photographer. I create images for various toy companies, including Mattel. I have a degree in illustration and have always been focused on creativity throughout my career. I worked at the Walt Disney Company for 6 years, and later had had creative collaborations with Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, Lucasfilm and Cirque Du Soleil.

We all played with toys as kids, but most of us eventually grew out of them and moved on to other things. Rediscovering toys as an adult has been pretty amazing. Once I took my first toy photo I was hooked and never looked back.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I fell in love with toy photography, and because I came to it with a strong foundation it came pretty naturally to me. But creating cool images and making a career out of it are two very different things. The challenge most photographers face is knowing your worth and not selling yourself short. Photography is one of the most competitive fields to work in, but to succeed you have to know your worth and commit to it. This is easier to do if you have a unique style and can offer something to clients that your competitors can’t.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Mitchel Wu Toy Photography – what should we know?
I photograph toys for toy companies, primarily for use on their social media platforms. I’m known first and foremost for the story telling I put into my images. My images make an impact on viewers and are memorable. I’m also known for creating motion and emotion in my images where there really isn’t any. As a business, I’m proud that I’ve gone from not even knowing about toy photography to making it a full-time career in under two years. It’s the dream job I didn’t even know existed 2015. One of the things that sets me apart is my ability to work with a huge variety of toys, which I believe makes me more attractive to companies. Most toy photographers tend to stick with one or two types of toys, Star Wars or Marvel super heroes for example. But because I come from a place of story-telling, I’m thrilled to be able to shoot it all.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Creativity, technique and professionalism. All three are critical to doing this on a professional level.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mitchelwutoyphotography.com
• Email: mitchel@mitchelwutoyphotography.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mitchelwuphotography/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mitchelwuphotography/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MitchelWuPhoto
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCogFN6xpr_VrE97CPUvQIPA

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.