Today we’d like to introduce you to Annie Yu.
Annie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up as an Asian-American immigrant and not speaking English for the first years of my life, I quickly found that the visual arts were a fantastic way to express myself without needing to verbalize my thoughts. I also thought it was peculiar that every kid always started with drawing a sun in the top corner on paper. As I got older, I drifted away from the arts to pursue other interests but I think there was always a part of me that knew that I would always be involved in the creative field professionally in some way.
After bouncing around between several college majors and coming to a crossroads in my life in my early twenties, I decided to travel Europe for a month (very cliche, I know). It was during this month of solo travel that I re-discovered my love for photography and promised myself to give it a chance even if it didn’t amount to anything. Fast forward to nearly a decade later and I am still upholding that promise to myself!
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?
Of course it was not always a smooth road. Working full-time left me very little free time and energy on my days off. This was a really easy cycle to fall into: work, sleep, work, sleep, etc and I was in it for quite a few years. And to be frank, photography is a very expensive endeavor so i was committed financially as well.
With finding clients, I don’t think I’ve ever had qualms about putting myself out there; it was more so having the confidence in my abilities to be able to deliver. That confidence definitely started out shaky and to be honest, I still get nervous before every shoot because I worry about creating something my client won’t like or something I wouldn’t be proud of.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am currently in a great place in my life in terms of work-life balance. I work full-time in the travel industry as part of a incredibly-talented marketing team that does everything from graphic design to videography. This means I’ll never be a full-time professional photographer and I actually prefer to keep it that way. This might sound strange but it’s because I love working with like-minded creative clients and creating something that is born out of collaboration, not a transaction.
I’m so lucky to be able to now pick and choose the type of work I want to pursue which is mostly lifestyle portraits, fashion, and food but really, I love doing anything outside the norm. I don’t think I’d have this kind of freedom if I relied on photography as my sole source of income and feeling like I needed to take on anything and everything that comes my way so I can pay the bills.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Oh man, this is a tough question. If you asked me that when I first got started, I probably would’ve said having my own studio and a line of clients out the door would mean I’ve “made it.” But now? I think of success as an experience. The incredible people I’ve had the privilege of working with, the travels that photography has taken me on, the ups and downs and milestones documented in my own life…these experiences all mean infinitely more to me than what 4 walls could ever give me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://annieyuphotos.myportfolio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annieyuphotos/
