- Hi Nehu thanks for doing this. where do you live and how does this influence your photography?
I was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and reside here currently. Living on an island has had a huge impact on my photography. On one hand we are in the middle of the ocean so it forces you to really work with what is available. It’s difficult and expensive to travel for photography purposes so I have found myself focusing incessantly on Waikiki which is sort of my stomping grounds. We also get a lot of visitors which is nice because it provides fresh subjects every-time I walk on the street.
2. How did you get into photography?
I became a fan of photography at a young age due to my obsession with cinema and the urge to understand storytelling through the visual medium . After studying photography at UH Manoa for a couple years I dropped out of college to pursue music in San Francisco, California. During this time photography became an afterthought in my life and I really did not pursue or take it seriously (sadly). It wasn’t until I returned home in 2015 that I really dove back in. I bought a Ricoh GR II in 2017 and began documenting my personal life. As the pandemic came around I found myself very intrigued by street photography. Seeing the landscape of Waikiki change so drastically made me realize that it was Important to document my home.
3. If you had to explain your work to someone who has no idea of what street photography is how would you describe it?
I would explain that I spend most of my free time documenting life as it happens in Waikiki. The act of storytelling and capturing everyday life candidly is what I aim to do. The constant ebb and flow of tourists and locals are all a part of the symphony of chaos that is life in paradise.
4. What’s your thoughts on today’s street photography landscape?
I think it has definitely become more popular during the pandemic. a lot of people were cooped up inside and realized how important it is to document the times that we live in. YouTube has been a huge tool for me to learn about those who came before me and also keep up with the photographers in the here and now. The most important thing is that we are all out documenting our little spheres of reality. The more people that do it the better I feel.
5. What is one street photo you never get tired of?
There is a photo by Hiroshi Tabata (@hir0_ig101) that I will never tire of. He caught a woman crossing the street in England with both her hands holding her hair up as she makes eye contact with the camera. It was taken at the perfect moment and her expression is priceless. The light is hitting her face perfectly and she is nicely composed in the frame. It seems like a pretty normal scene but just the timing and her expression are absolutely impeccable.
6. Do you foresee Hawaii being a major location for street photography?
I definitely feel like it could be. It already is a highly sought after vacation destination so I think that allows it to be a perfect location for street photography. You have the long walk along the beach, the more urban sprawl of kalalaua and kuhio. You could walk towards Diamond head or even the other way towards the canal and Ala moana. It’s not the perfect place but the more I delve into the Waikiki the more it surprises me. It has the greatest concentration of people on island as well so that helps when the sidewalks and crosswalks are nice and busy.
7. Which street photographer inspires you and why?
Lorenzo Catena (@lorenzo_catena) is someone I very much admire and look up to. His work is some of the best being made currently in my opinion. Not only is he a masterful storyteller but his compositions are constructed in an absolutely breathtaking way. I was lucky enough to spend a couple days with him shooting around the island. His approach differs from mine as well so it is even more inspiring to see a master doing his thing in only a way he can.
8. Name three contemporary photographers you really admire?
Jeremy Paige (@eatenbyflowers) Diego Bazan (@visualchaski) Kazu (@kazutonakajima_)
9. If you could have dinner with one street photographer past or present who would it be?
Garry Winogrand for sure! I just love hearing him talk and I find him very funny.
10. When you aren’t making pictures you are doing what?
I’m playing drums for Dreams of Future Machines and I watch a lot of movies!
11. Social handles?
@nay.who on Instagram
Tim Huynh | Street Photography 