Meet Dorian Qi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorian Qi.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I am a Texas transplant who just moved to the city of Los Angeles this year. I graduated from the University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in MIS (Management Information Systems), mostly to make my parents happy and to have a backup plan. The reason for my move was to (wait for it…it’s pretty cliché) pursue my dreams and passion of becoming a full time photographer. This is the first time that I am able to fully focus on this art without being distracted from work and/or school. I am taking a huge risk in order to hopefully earn the great rewards that come from hard work, determination, and the will to “never give up”. So far LA has treated me with nothing but kindness and new opportunities. I am extremely excited to take on La La Land to continue making my friends and family at home proud!

Please tell us about your art.
I am a photographer who specializes in swim, fashion, editorial, and beauty. I find inspiration through many different outlets. One example would be the environment that I am in, the city of LA. There’s so much texture and colors available you can honestly shoot pretty much anywhere and create some killer content. I also appreciate the style that LA steers towards for when it comes to how the models look. Back in Texas, the norm was very glamorous makeup and the mentality of “the bigger the hair, the closer to God”. When I moved here, I quickly realized that simplicity and rawness is far more beautiful than all the other styles. My goal when capturing a subject is to make sure that their inner beauty shines through when someone is looking at my photographs.

Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
One lesson I learned was to never let other people influence you otherwise to pursue your dreams and passion. I believe that the ultimate payoff is to be able to wake up in the morning every single day doing something that you love and being happy. As far as advice for other artists, no matter how big or small the rewards are, take on as many opportunities as you can that are presented to you. Even if it felt like a waste of time, the knowledge and experience you’ve gained will help you improve for the next opportunity.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
You can see my work on my website at www.dorianqdphoto.com or my Instagram @DorianQD! A simple follow and a click for a like when I push out new content can go a long way nowadays when it comes to the social media world that we are so engulfed in.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dorianqdphoto.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorianqd/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DorianQD

Image Credit:
Models:
Alison Drake
Baskin Champion
Alyssa Klinzing
Kourtney Kellar
Angelina Krawczyk
Kellie Stewart
Carly Stone
Baskin Champion (again)

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.