ABOUT ME

I was born in S. Korea and grew up in Detroit, MI., United States. As a child, I would spend hours on end watching music videos and classic films itching to become a creator. While in my twenties I relocated to Los Angeles and consider them my formative years sharpening my skills in every aspect of production.

A love of the outdoors and travel has been a constant in my life and while directing commercials was my entry point into the creative industry, I discovered the art of travel x street photography capturing the humanity of life both far and near. This has quickly evolved into a passion for photojournalism. As a director and photographer I have won top honors worldwide including two International Clio Awards, inclusion in Shoot’s 19th Annual New Directors Showcase, and a One Show Yellow Pencil in 2023. My work has also been featured in publications around the world including Daily Voice Seoul, NBC, NPR, Esquire, Hypebeast, Huffington Post, CBS, and Mzansi Live! S. Africa to name a few.

I have given lectures hosted by the Detroit Institute of Arts - the groundbreaking talk + curation, “Vlogzilla: The Art of the Vlog” and often guest-speak at Universities and various academic institutions.

You will rarely ever find me without a camera strapped to my side. I get incredible inspiration exploring new cultures and documenting the beauty of the human condition.

MY TOOLS

In regards to photography, I shoot on Fujifilm camera systems for portraiture, travel/street and passion projects which include the GFX-100S, X-H2 and the X-Pro 3 along with various Fujinon and vintage lenses. For commercial and photojournalism assignments I rely on my Canon R5(c) as this type of work is more demanding. Fujifilm fits my aesthetic and philosophy of traveling minimal while Canon’s robust quality and speed ensures I never a miss the moment. I use a variety of camera bags including Think Tank’s Airport Takeoff v.02 for city-to-city travel and F-Stop’s Ajna 37L Adventure Backpack when the destination is off the beaten path. My everyday carry is the Domke F-2.