Hello there, my name is William Chan (Pak Hei) and I am an 18-year-old student of TRU based in Kamloops and Hong Kong. I fell in love with photography after I moved to Canada back in 2016. I picked up my first DSLR for around 100 dollars back in late 2017 and It's been "Glued to my hands" since.
When I first started photography, I had no idea of how photography works, from the choice of lenses down to the editing to push out the final product. The point where my works really starting to take off is right after my first breakup. Instead of spending hours and hours crying over it, I used the time to go out and shoot more. I was a self-taught photographer until four months ago when I meet Colleen Foucault (@Colleen Foucault Photography) in my first semester studying at TRU, she is a photography/journalism teacher there and she taught me a lot of useful tips throughout the course.
I get bored easily and so I find that pursuing my passion for photography has enabled me to challenge myself constantly. I enjoy meeting new people and doing free collaborations with local companies and artist. My goal for this two to three years is to become one of the best photographers in BC.
Why do you use Instagram?
The reason why I use Instagram as my main platform to showcase my work is that Instagram is a powerful tool to help me reach a larger audience and get people familiar with my work. It is also a really good great place for me to find local models to do collaborations with and connect with other people who are in the same or similar industry from around the world. It is also a great place to draw creative inspiration from!
What will people see on your feed?
My Instagram feed and style are actually still evolving at this time, so users can expect to see different styles of photos on my feed and BTS (Behind the scenes) on my highlight bubbles.
Does your page have a specific style?
I'm actually still evolving and trying different style of photography, but my page is full of pictures that I've done with the people who I've collaborated with before, and edited the way we both agreed on.
Some of my favourite Instagram accounts to follow are :
@baileycolors (The very first model I've worked with in the studio)
@chelseysoulieres (The Queen of lowlight)
@miguel.ports (The King of editing!!)
@maddiemoritz_ (Super fun to work with! REEEEEEE : )
@bigit.portraits.adventures (Wanna hike up the mountain for a shoot?)
@kaitynrose63 (Super talented photographer and cute from the inside and out : )
Here are the people who I would like to work with again or in the future ; )
@taylor.maudsley @tristansemeniukphotography @dysonfraser @kaylameecham @luke.redgrove @chofai_1214 @layahd_ @chromatographic @dynamicexposures @thriftmonster @craves.adventure @bespoke.photo
@funkamloops
How do you decide on your location for shoots?
I like to roll with the flow! but I am constantly scoping out new session locations! Looking for that beautiful backdrop or scenery, the light, as well as where the sun sets ( shooting during Golden Hour and Blue Hour is my favourite! Oh, also neon lights!!!!)
Biggest Instagram moment?
My biggest Instagram moment to date is being followed by a couple very well known celebrities based in Japan that I've worked with in a commercial before and big-name photography accounts.
Favourite hashtags?
Some of the hashtags that I use regularly are :
#neonlights
#DiscouverCanada
#kamloops
#canadianphotographer
#Photoshoot
#Portrait
Why do you follow KamloopsBCNow?
I follow KamloopsBCNow not just because I love the content, but to stay informed about events and happenings in the community and of course to admire all the other amazing local talented people this city has in it.
