Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Ng.
Natalie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I had always been interested in photography since I was young but it wasn’t until my freshman year in college did I recognize my passion. I made promotional videos for school products and club events when I was in high school, but I just took up the job thinking it was fun and I might be the only person in the grade proficient enough to do it. (Although not pro at all) Then in college freshman year I had huge identity issues, since I don’t have a tight group of friends I could always go to and hang out with, and my self-esteem dropped so low when I realized there were so many talented people out there and I’m in comparison so useless. That time the only thing I felt more confident with which also assured me a lot was taking photos and carrying my camera around with me. It’s hard to explain how everything progressed, but I just kept taking photos and talked really closely with my now boyfriend who knew a lot about camera techs. My several friends who are also film students also encouraged me a lot in shooting and sharing them with others which all contributed to my growth and gradually my photos became better. I started getting gigs to shoot for events (mostly), and senior graduation shoots, family outings, and I also currently work for the school’s newspaper as photographer. They’re all small steps, but I’m lucky I’m going forward.
Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been, and it still isn’t now. Firstly I’m never satisfied with my work. I always think there’s something bad about it, mostly the editing. I have to admit I’m not very good at post, and I have almost never gotten the effect I really wanted in my head which irritates me a lot. But it definitely did push me in researching more, experimenting different ways of editing to actualize that final product in my mind.
The second thing is the regret you get every time you miss the perfect moment to shoot, especially in street photography. I’m from Hong Kong, a very boisterous city with a lot of people, buildings, traffic etc. A perfect moment really would only last for 1/1000 second and if you miss it, it’ll be gone. This include the shape of the crowd you want to capture crossing a road, the direction of the old man reading his newspaper, and so many so many random shopkeepers, real estate agents sitting in their offices, fashionistas whom you so want to put your camera in front of their faces but end up too afraid to do so. Fear is a big thing to conquer when one does street photography, and most of the times, the more you think, the easier you give up.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Natalie Ng Media story. Tell us more about the business.
My business is basically photography services. I do events, news, lifestyle, graduation, but all of my friends and clients say I’m best at shooting “candids”. I really like finding the best angle to tell a story right on the spot, especially framing several people within a frame and playing with the special relations between them. I always jump around people and am not afraid in poking my camera really close to them. I’m bold compared to others in getting at angles and always on my feet. I’m most proud at how I take photos not only so my clients will like it but I’ll be personally proud of them. Also, a lot of the times a shoot slowly becomes a hangout session, where I get to know a lot more about my client and their stories which makes me wonder whether we’re still client-photographer or friends.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I really want to expand in doing wedding photography and more conceptual stuff. Although I personally hate posing people because I’m just not very comfortable in telling people what is supposed to be “beautiful” and “natural” for them when their most comfortable pose is just standing lopsided or straight in front of the camera expressionless, I want to try making wedding photography less unauthentic, less posed and more of a documentation of their life together, such as being there while they’re having dinner, going on a date etc. so that it’d be something pretty but also realistic. The reason I also want to venture in to conceptual stuff is because I really like making people do boring but strange things in front of the camera, such as sniffing their sock, eating grass, to express different themes I learnt through other subjects but want to express them through photography. But I can’t possibly tell my clients to do this they would think it’s outrageous. So that’s why I really want to work with close friends, probably, to make photos that could fit into the concept.
Contact Info:
- Website: natalie-ng.format.com
- Email: yankiunn@usc.edu
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