Qin Lam/Janelle
Hye Light Education Senior Lecturer
New Fashion Photographer
Intermediate Academician of International Professional Photographers Association
His honored "2019.2020.2021" Annual Word of Mouth Survey Champion Lecturer
Dialogue Qin Lao/Janelle
hello Hello, Teacher Qin Lao, welcome to the Heiguang Interview and say hello to everyone.
Qin Lao: hello Hello everyone, hello, host and teacher. I am Teacher Qin Lao, and I am very happy and honored to come to the Heiguang Interview.
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
Today is our first interview with Teacher Qin Lao. I heard that you started to come into contact with the photography industry after you owned a camera. Can you tell us in detail the story of you and your first camera?
Qin Lao: My first camera was probably the first Sony micro-single in my life in 2015. When I recalled, it was this micro-single camera that made me really come into contact with taking pictures. I still remember that every time I rested, I would take the camera out and take pictures with my camera. I still remember that the most I went to was the Botanical Garden, one person, and a camera. At that time, taking pictures was actually the least worry-free, the most relaxed thing. By chance, during a chat with a friend, he said that since you like taking photos, why don’t you try professional photography? At that stage, I was very confused about the future. It was precisely because of this opportunity that I had the idea of bravely trying new fields, and finally made up my mind to further study, even if I really set foot on the path of professional photography. Until now, I am still very grateful to my noble friend who firmly guided me when I was confused. Thank you!
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
If we don’t have that friend, maybe we can’t see the current teacher Qin Lao. I would like to thank that friend for everyone here. Since that's the case, where does your love for photography come from?
Qin Lao: The earliest love for photography is more because I usually like to play around, like to explore different regions, feel different humanistic characteristics, and open up different horizons. In the photos I accidentally recorded on my camera, there are quite a lot of interesting and meaningful beautiful moments. I also believe that people who live seriously will bring life to the photos. Of course, my love for photography also gradually emerges and understands it in depth while playing and recording. For now, looking at the photos I took casually in the past, many beautiful stories and memories come to my heart, and of course it is also an unforgettable experience and wealth in my life.
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
Yes, in addition to conveying one's own ideas, photos can also be kept as memories of the past through the instantaneous beauty. Among them, what do you think is the biggest difficulty you encounter in shooting?
Qin Lao: I personally think the biggest difficulty in shooting comes from unclear style and ideas of shooting, which will directly lead to not knowing how to shoot, what effect to shoot, and whether the results obtained are correct. If you can have a full understanding and sufficient preparation for shooting style before shooting, then your thinking will be clearer in real shooting, and the results you often get are what you expect. Never take pictures for the sake of taking pictures, but for the sake of liking and suiting. This is important to photographers.
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
Photographers need inspiration and a lot of knowledge accumulation. Where do your usual inspiration comes from?
Qin Lao: I think the biggest inspiration in photography often comes from life, from your preferences, from what you see and hear, from what you think. These things can let photographers know roughly what they want to shoot. The real implementation is to browse a large number of photography works similar to what they take, so you will find that the things they want to shoot can be displayed in so many different ways and methods. This is often a process for a photographer from what to take to how to shoot and finish the shooting. So let’s summarize: go out more, look at pictures more, learn from more, and try more.
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup and hair: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
It seems that the saying that inspiration comes from life is not false. From the time you first came into contact with photography to now, have your views on photography changed during this period?
Qin Lao: I think in the five years I have been a photographer, every year and every stage, I have different views on photography. Looking back at last year, the biggest change in my ideas is that I am no longer defined by standard frameworks to take photos. This feeling was not profound last year because my works were still influenced by various definitions. Therefore, when shooting a group of works, I always think about it, which leads to too many concerns that often cannot bring more ideal results. As for style, I think my understanding of photography is different at each stage, and my preferences are somewhat different. Just like this year, I pursue relaxed photography more, so in my recent two sets of works, you can see some expressions related to American casual attitude towards life. I think this may be because of my current state and a deeper understanding of photography that have created the style that I tend to take photos now.
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
In these five years of photography career, how do you maintain your innovativeness and freshness of your works?
Qin Lao: The innovation of works comes from constantly learning and accepting new knowledge, trying other different styles of shooting, so that you can find the style you really like, and can easily control, and have more ideas and feelings when shooting. Being self-satisfied or satisfied with the status quo will only keep the work at one stage and cannot achieve a breakthrough. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I would like to thank our team’s makeup teachers, post-production teachers and editing teachers. It is precisely because of everyone’s hard work that we will have the final result. Thank you all!
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup and hair: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
Does Teacher Qin Lao have the idea of trying a new style next?
Qin Lao: has a lot of styles that I have never taken before, and I really want to try more novel styles, or I can discover more aspects of myself in the future.
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup and hair: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
Is there anything you want to say to novice photographers? How can you find a way to improve yourself and avoid detours?
Qin Lao: I think the way I can give novice photographers the way to improve themselves is to watch more, shoot more and try more. The skills require many practices and can be mastered, but ideas and aesthetics really need to open up your thinking and horizons. Finally, I also hope that more novice photographers must stick to the photography path to gain something.
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
Thank you very much for your advice to newcomers in photography. So does the teacher have any plans for the future?
Qin Lao: The ideal is too big may be far away from me. I want to do a good job in front of me and the present, continue to improve myself, enrich myself, so that I can go to another level to create more good works, and be willing to instill the accumulated things into more people who love photography. If you are confused and love photography, then you might as well join us quickly!
Photography: Qin Lao | Makeup: Wang Wei | Photo editing: Wang Ya
Thanks to Teacher Qin Lao for accepting our interview. Finally, I wish Teacher Qin Lao and you who like photography can realize your ideals!
