Today we’d like to introduce you to Judy Lin.
Hi Judy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a working professional with a major studio company as a systems engineer and a professional photographer on the weekends. I have been in the role of a Systems Engineer for over 20 years. I basically manage back-end systems that support technical and computing operations for media and entertainment. I consider myself as someone with much curiosity in many things and an avid learner.
In my time outside of systems engineering, I am a professional photographer. I am grateful and excited to live in Los Angeles and be able to collaborate with so many different talents ranging from music artists, actors, models, social media influencers, doctors, realtors, psychologists, entrepreneurs, instrument makers, expectant parents, you name it. I love meeting and connecting with people and I see it as an opportunity to learn more about the talents and personalities that I am surrounded by. Through my photography, I have helped people find ways to see themselves through my lens. I find beauty in everyone and I capture that in my work. Once a friend and client was going through a rough patch in her life and decided to do a photoshoot with me to lift her spirits. When I showed her the photos, she was shocked at what she saw.
After that day, she told me that the first time in a long time she woke up feeling better about her life and being able to let go of bad feelings. I believe that if we can help people see things a little differently, it can affect a lot of positive change. I approach photography differently than others. I focus more on the energy flow of the session than the technical aspects. I talk with the clients to help them feel comfortable. We have conversations about things they care about and we find ways to laugh and be goofy. I try to capture the essence of the person through these interactions. I don’t believe in posing people rigidly and just telling them to smile. Life is about more than that and photography is an art form of expression and storytelling.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
A little about some of my life obstacles. I adopted a beautiful german shepherd from the German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County in 2012. I gave him the name Blitz. In 2015, he became paralyzed in the back end of his body, unable to feel anything or go to the bathroom on his own. He was diagnosed with IVDD, Intervertebral Disc Disease. For 6 years I was his caregiver until he passed away in January 2021 at the age of 13. There was no place to go for advice on taking care of a paralyzed dog. It was very scary in the early stages. I learned to research to no end to find solutions. I taught myself how to push his bladder and how to help empty out his bowels manually. I put a lot of my life on hold and focused all of my love and attention on him. I continued to work my full-time job and take on photo assignments while being a full-time caregiver. The vet told me that he still could have a good quality of life and he is not in pain, it is just up to me to give that to him. So I did my best to be optimistic around him, and he lived a happy life despite the challenges.
He was known by everyone in the neighborhood and he made a lot of friends. I put him in a wheelchair and visited the park 2 times a day. I took him to a swim therapist 1 hour away every few weekends – he loved swimming and he was able to feel free while swimming. I even took him camping in Yosemite National Park. I wanted to let people know that limitations are only in our minds, and you really can achieve anything you really want if you are determined enough. Near the end of his life, it became difficult to get him into the wheelchair on my own as his front legs got weak and he weighed 80 lbs. I enlisted neighbors, friends from the park, friends from the rescue, a fireman, and even my acupuncturist friend came every weekend to give him acupuncture. I eventually engineered a way to move him by installing a pully system in my apartment with the help of a neighbor who is a prop maker by trade. Through this hardship, I have learned that communities come together to help each other. We just need to ask. Of course, there is good and bad but I am inspired by the good people I have encountered.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Regarding systems engineering, I work on machines to support the creative process of the media studio I work for. It is such a privilege to be surrounded by some of the leading industry creatives and being able to learn from watching them. It also helps inspire me in my storytelling in photography.
In photography, I like to get to know a person before I take photos to understand their own self-image and what they are looking to achieve in their photographs. We will trade ideas, develop storyboards together and meet either via zoom or in person if necessary. I am flexible and can work in whatever way is necessary. I also work with content creators who need daily photos to help tell their story. I will scout out locations, and we would have candid / lifestyle shoots at those various locations. I also help with brand photography. Once we feel good about everything, we are ready for the day of the shoot.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I work with a few trusted makeup artists and photo assistants. I have learned that building a trusted and stellar team is important to the success of your production. Professionalism is a must.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @judylinphoto
Image Credits
Judy Lin photo
