Shuo Huang - Photographer of the Month January '17
Introduce yourself…
I’m Shuo Huang, an intrepid visual storyteller plotting to conquer the world one country at a time!
How did you get into photography?
I turned the first page of a book titled “Travel Photography: A Guide to Taking Better Pictures” by Richard I’Anson in 2010. I remember it vividly as I had just boarded a night bus from Mexico City to Oaxaca after frantically using broken Spanish to acquire a last minute ticket! This book helped me to learn on the go and use my entry level DSLR to capture my epic solo overland travels from Mexico City to Rio de Janeiro.
Do you have any particular style of photography you specialise in?
Ultimate Selfies…. You’re probably wondering what constitutes the “Ultimate Selfie”. In my travel photography, I want to add a human element to the scene so the viewer can visualise the sense of scale, and marvel at the wonder of nature or famous iconic structures. The feeling of insignificance in the universe in which we live is powerful and evocative. It allows the viewer to live vicariously in that two-dimensional slice of time and space. And besides, it is the ultimate holiday photo! Who wants the same photo like every other photographer who stood next to you? You want to be able to point and proudly proclaim to your children or grandchildren: “That’s me, I was there!”
What do you enjoy about photography?
A photograph freezes that moment in time that is essentially yours – just yours. Every time, I look at a photograph that I’ve taken, memories start flooding back such as that feeling of seeing the Treasury through the Siq, touching the white marble of Taj Mahal, hearing the water roar at Iguazu Falls and smelling the aromas of a night market in Yangon. As Aaron Siskind once quoted “What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.” Photography is also a medium by which I can tell the viewer a story; as if I am an explorer recounting my bold tales of adventure over a campfire. Through my photographs, I want people to visualise the sense of scale, and marvel at the wonders of our world.
Tell us about one of your projects
The objective of one of my projects is to photograph all 14 wonders of the world (7 Natural World Wonders and 7 Manmade World Wonders). To date, I have visited 13 of these world wonders. This year I hope to complete this project and visit and photograph the last world wonder which happens to be Jeju Island in South Korea.
If you could offer one piece of advice to aspiring photographers what would it be?
Chase the best light! Waking up before dawn on your holiday is far from relaxing but getting to a wonder of the world before the hordes is worth every hour of sleep lost. As an added bonus this is also a time of day when the light is phenomenal. I guarantee the feeling you get will make you forget any fatigue. When I was the first to set my eyes on the Treasury in Petra, I felt I was the first explorer ever to discover it. Spending a moment (however brief) on my own at the foot of some of the world’s most exquisite places has raised hairs on the back of my neck and brought tears to my eye. I recall fondly being the first to reach the Sun Gate overlooking Machu Picchu while it became illuminated by the day’s first rays of sun with only the sound of my breath to break the silence. Words will not do it justice but a photo just might…
Any plans for the rest of the year?
My plans this year is to travel to the stark wilderness of the 7th continent, Antarctica.
Where can we see your work?
My website www.shuophotography.com exhibits both my photographs and travel blogs.
Follow me on Instagram: @shuotography
