Life & Work with Kore To

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kore To.

Hi Kore, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today? 
I first picked up a camera in college- I was studying economics at UC Irvine and wasn’t really happy with the path I was on. I decided to take a photography course and immediately fell in love. I was always a very visually minded person since I was young, and I would be able to paint very vivid pictures in my mind with my eyes closed. Photography seemed like the perfect medium for me to use that skill. It was a no brainer for me. 

After that quarter in college, I decided to pursue a different major and switched into the film and media program. I was immersed in the world of cinema from all around the world and all cultures. It was there where my curiosity for the world blossomed, and I knew that I wanted to create for a living. It also sparked my interest in traveling the world. Since then, I’ve traveled all around Asia, Europe, and North America, and I recently started to travel to South America. I’m still counting countries today and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. 

After college, I worked a bunch of different jobs, such as being a personal assistant to a Disney producer, working at production companies, marketing agencies, and YouTube channels, and even driving Uber at some point. While working these jobs I’d always be shooting things on the side. Music videos, weddings, product photography, automotive; if you name it, I’ve probably done it. I wanted to try everything that was out there, and I did. 

All of these crazy experiences helped me truly understand what I like shooting and what I don’t. Since picking up a camera, I’ve been flown out to Vegas to shoot for the Venetian Hotel. I’ve flown on private jets with UFC fighters. I’ve sat in studio sessions with Hip Hop legends. I’ve traveled all around the country and around the world. The craziest story I have is that time I had to fly in a tiny Cessna Plane from the 1950’s. We flew from Florida to Texas to shoot a video for a client. I was terrified the entire way. 

But regardless, I’m just so grateful for the things I’ve gotten to experience because of that decision I made in college. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not. It’s definitely been a rollercoaster ride filled with a lot of anxieties and uncertainties. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to give up and just find a stable tech job like a lot of my friends did. But my inner voice just kept telling me to keep going, to keep climbing the mountain in search of greener pastures and better views. Every accomplishment I’ve ever had in my career involved a barrage of frustrations and things not working out in my favor. But each accomplishment I’ve had was 5x better than the last, and the last 5x better than the previous. So on and so forth. 

Life doesn’t move in a straight line. Life moves in depth, defying zig zags. But if you stay focused, work hard, and know what you want, those zig-zags tend to move in an upward trajectory. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a commercial photographer and filmmaker based in Pasadena. These days I specialize in shooting interiors and architecture for hotels, architectural firms, interior designers and builders. All of the experiences that I talked about previously have led to me this. Shooting interiors and architecture falls right into the tempo that I’m looking for in my work. It combines all of the elements that I love about photography: great art/design, natural sunlight, textures, and being able to work with like-minded people that live to create. 

Photography to me isn’t as much of an action as it is a study. It’s the study of light and interaction. Photographers are constantly observing the way light interacts with our world. Whether you’re looking at the last bit of sunlight hitting the Grand Canyon or if you’re trying to get really nice highlight roll-offs on your subject in a studio with artificial lighting, we are constantly chasing the best light. In photography, we’re not really here to capture a subject; we are here to capture light. Nothing exists without it. 

I also own a production company with my best friend Villa Parke. We named the company after the neighborhood we live at in Pasadena. Through our company we focus on working with hotels and other big players in the hospitality industry to tell unique stories about their spaces and experiences. We also do passion projects, usually short documentaries about people that have interesting stories to tell. 

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
For me it’s to always have other interests and hobbies outside of your craft that you enjoy doing. I found this to be the thing that really propelled me forward in my career. If you’re constantly obsessing over your photography, or film, or interior design or whatever it may be, it’s so easy to get burnt out. Having other things that you’re passionate about doing is the best cure. 

This is why whenever I’m not working on my craft, you’ll either find me surfing with my friends, or in the mountains hiking/snowboarding, or training Muay Thai at my local gym. These other outlets, which I’m also very passionate about, keep me centered and gets my mind off work. 

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your craft is to step away, whether it’s for a brief moment or for much longer. It’s essential in order for us to keep pushing forward. Life is about balance, and we all need to nurture the yin and the yang in our lives. One doesn’t work without the other. 

Contact Info:

• Website: koreto.me
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/koritto/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/koritto/
• Other: villaparke.com

Image Credits
Joseph Duarte