Art has always been part of Wing Ho's life, but as a new college graduate, she went a different route. "I never considered pursuing art as a full-time career. I think I got caught up in finding a full-time job and I was too scared to pursue art after college," she says. But after a few years in the corporate world, Wing found herself burned out and looking for a creative outlet. That's when she found photography.
"There's something about the excitement of telling a story behind the lens. It's creating stories with images."
After a few years spent pursing photography only in her free time, Wing started her own company, Canary Grey, and focused on photography full-time in 2010. An early user of Instagram, Wing quickly grew a sizable and loyal following on the photography app, picking up countless clients along the way. She credits her late start in the business as one of the reasons for her success. "Finding photography later in life helped me become a stronger artist. I had other foundations in art and I had also honed my technical skills," she says.
When she's not making photographs for clients, Wing loves to hit the road with her family and her camera. "I'm really inspired when we're traveling, especially by architecture and interiors. I also love landscape as well. I'm constantly inspired by new places and feel there's a story to tell," she says.
Now that the season of ultimate hit-the-road adventures has arrived, we asked Wing to share her tips for taking your travel photography to the next level. Ready. Set. Shoot.
Composition
Have fun with composition and perspective. Not all images have to be straight on. Play with the depth of field, lines and angles; you may find additional inspiration that way.
Lighting
Lighting is important. Work with the natural or ambient light. Play with the brightness and exposure levels before you shoot the image.
Tools
Know your tools! You don't necessarily need a fancy camera. Your smart phone will have a ton of cool features you can utilize to take the right shot the first time.
Orientation
Shoot both landscape and portraits; even of the same subject or place. It will offer a different perspective, especially if you end up cropping the image.
Special Thanks: Thao Nguyen, Parc Boutique, John Gross
Minnesota Music: The Sunny Era, When We Land
Production Team: Amy Melin, Brennan Vance, Ryan Klabunde, Ezra Gold, Joe Demko
This story is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
