Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethan Chang.
Hi Ethan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Ever since I was younger, my parents would always sign me up for after school classes. Whether it was drawing, music, I’ve done most of it. However I wasn’t much of a drawer, nor a pianist like my parents had envisioned. However, I believe that one doesn’t have to be a painter or a musician to be considered an artist. A few years later, I discovered my passion for photography through the world of electronic dance music. In eighth grade, I spent the majority of my free time producing music, trying to be the next RL Grime or Illenium. At the time, I was working on new music and needed cover art. I reached out to a friend to help me with potential cover art photos and he agreed to help. I instantly fell in love with the photography process, how each press of the shutter could produce such a high-quality image. A couple of months later, my parents bought me my first camera, and I haven’t looked back since.
I originally started out taking portraits of my classmates in my neighborhood, asking them for “impromptu” photo shoots. I would experiment with everything, from portraits to capturing plants. It wasn’t until in 2018 that I decided to tag along with a few local photographers to a photography meetup in Mount Tamalpais. There, I discovered my love for travel and landscape photography. Instead of going out and partying with kids my age, I would spend the weekends adventuring to new places and do what I love to do: taking photos. It was through these spontaneous experiences where I met some of my closest friends and mentors, who I travel with to this day. The pandemic changed everything. After being cooped up at home completing schoolwork, I’ve had an itching urge to travel and just to get up and explore. Slowly but surely, as soon as the borders began opening up, I flipped the passenger seats of my SUV down, filled the back with a makeshift bed and began my road trip around the west coast. Starting with Yosemite, I explored the backcountry of the Eastern Sierras and made my way north to the great cascades of Washington. As I traveled thousands of miles away from home, I promised myself to do whatever it takes to get the shot. I woke up every day during sunrise and risked my life multiple times just for a single shot. From dangling my feet thousands of feet over the city skyline to balancing across the jagged ridges of the Swiss Alps, I learned that you must overcome the risk to truly experience beauty. Over the course of the last two years, I have been fortunate enough to be able to expand my travels to countless different countries, capturing what nature has to offer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Growing up in a predominately Asian community, there were high career expectations of pursuing high-paying jobs like engineering, medicine, or law. As a result, many of my peers were stuck pursuing career opportunities that would satisfy their parents. It was a highly toxic environment with students competing over who could get into the better university or the better internship. Instead of supporting each other, I felt that attending the school felt more like a cage with students fighting each other to climb a non-existent hierarchy. I knew that I did not want a cookie-cutter, nine to five career; I wanted to live a life where success was defined by excitement and happiness, not by how much money I can make.
Thus, I was instantly looked down upon by others and was ostracized by my peers for living a unique lifestyle pursuing my love for art. Despite this, I neither distanced myself from nor became close to my classmates, as I believe that everything happens for a reason. Throughout it all, I maintained an unwavering dedication to chasing the passion and life I desired.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
For the last three years, I’ve been working as an outdoor photographer and cinematographer. I spend the majority of my time shooting commercial pieces for companies based out of LA and around the world. My work consists of capturing portraits, landscapes, and conceptual work.
However, aside from my media work, I am a 19-year-old student at the University of Southern California – here in LA. In between classes, I spend my time pitching and creating media for clients around Los Angeles.
While living two different lives at once, this has taught me to become spontaneous and adventurous. When any opportunity arises, I never hesitate to say yes to a last-minute trip and my passion for adventure has taught me the value of exploring everything with the hunger to adapt and learn at every opportunity I get.
What matters most to you? Why?
To me, I believe that having the eagerness to learn, becoming humble and staying curious matters to me the most. These are the traits that helped me build my skill sets that got me where I am today.
Aside from traits, my friends and family matter to me the most. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to get to where I am today. Their support has motivated me to push myself harder within my craft and take my work to the next level.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://selmshots.mypixieset.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selmshots/
Image Credits
Press Shot: Ceejay Talam
