Sony Kando 2023
I lately had the honour and pleasure of attending Sony Kando in Snowbird, Utah. Kando is an unbelievable inventive expertise that Sony hosts yearly, bringing collectively a number of the most proficient creatives within the business.
Whereas at Kando, I bumped into some wonderful creatives and was fortunate sufficient to interview just a few of them.
Marion Mou is a freelance photographer whose facet pastime is road pictures. I’ve been admiring his work for some time and was tremendous excited to have a chance to interview him at Kando.
Marion’s cinematic road pictures and distinctive fashion has garnered over 106K followers on Instagram. I actually love his moody fashion, which he describes as “scenes from a film, or comedian guide.”
Our Kando interview offers helpful perception into Marion’s inventive workflow and the way he pushes his inventive abilities to the restrict. It is full of wonderful recommendation that may be utilized to different genres of pictures, however is particularly helpful for these of us who’re desirous to stage up our road pictures strategies.
A few of the road pictures suggestions that Marion shares embody:
- Methods to look for emotion in your photographs
- Why you should not overthink issues
- Methods to select your gear for road pictures
- What to anticipate while you’re out within the subject
There are numerous extra helpful suggestions that Marion shares within the interview, so take a look at the edited transcript and the total video interview under.
The Interview
Marion: My identify is Marion Mou, and I am a contract photographer. I’ve shot a handful of weddings previously couple of years and it has been an excellent expertise. I do a whole lot of household classes, maternity, engagement shoots, and even album covers for sure artists. This has been my career for the previous three years since COVID began. On the facet, my ardour is taking pictures road pictures. That is what I like to do.
Reza: I believe that is how I bought to know you. I noticed one in all your photographs, and I used to be like, “dang, that is a banger.”
Marion: That is too form of you, man.
Reza: After which we met in San Francisco, proper, on the group occasion for the a6700? I am an enormous fan of your work. Your road pictures is gorgeous, and I used to be curious, you recognize, I wished to understand how you assume by way of it.
Marion: You recognize, to be trustworthy, you simply gotta go on the market and shoot. I do not take into consideration compositions. I search for different issues, like the best way an individual clothes, or how they stroll. One thing a few particular particular person on the road normally grabs my consideration, after which I simply go discover my method over there and take a photograph of them. It is normally candid, so I attempt to not be seen, however typically while you get that good eye contact, it positively brings out a special form of really feel for the photograph.
Reza: Good, so you will have that connection, you recognize, with the picture that you are taking?
Marion: Sure, it is normally not a pleasant one, however I will take it, as a result of an emotion is an emotion.
Reza: That is what you wish to convey along with your imagery, proper? Like a sense.
Marion: Sure, a sure kind of temper per se.
Reza: So, while you’re out, what’s your course of like, your workflow? Do you simply resolve you wish to shoot a sure topic or a sure digicam, or how do you’re employed by way of that?
Marion: Yeah, so normally, the evening earlier than I am going out to shoot, I will line up two lenses. The subsequent day, once I get up, whichever lens that I really feel like taking pictures, I will simply seize that one and shoot the complete session with that one lens. It is normally a major lens, and I shoot the entire complete session with that one prime lens. It forces me to seek out totally different angles and push my abilities to the restrict.
Reza: Good, so it is a great way to self-motivate, proper?
Marion: Completely, it forces you to be extra inventive when taking photographs of the topic. You gotta discover extra sneaky methods to get nearer to strangers with out freaking them out, since you by no means understand how they’re going to react in the event that they really feel such as you’re stalking them.
Reza: Yeah, so there’s a component of being discrete, and there’s additionally a component of staying impressed, proper?
Marion: Sure, you are completely appropriate.
Reza: It goes each methods. You may have the precise device for the job, however then you definitely’re additionally serving to your self by not changing into bored of seeing the identical factor.
Marion: Sure, it positively retains it tremendous, tremendous fascinating, since you problem your self. You’re normally taking pictures from the hip, otherwise you’re placing the digicam down at a sure angle, simply hoping that you simply get an excellent body, after which after a whilst you get used to it, after which it turns into like a brand new achievement unlocked, that you do not even actually have to have a look at the viewfinder to shoot anymore.
Reza: So, you form of get a really feel for the forms of photographs you are going to have the ability to anticipate when you’re taking pictures on a sure lens, proper?
Marion: Precisely.
Reza: What sort of recommendation would you give somebody that is simply beginning out in road pictures?
Marion: A lot of the questions that I get are about the best way to exit and simply take photographs of strangers. Lots of people inform me that they are tremendous nervous. They do not wish to get caught. They do not know what to do when somebody approaches them and says, oh, why did you’re taking my photograph? They do not wanna be confronted by a stranger, you recognize? I believe for most individuals, taking photographs of a stranger isn’t actually a pure feeling, as a result of they really feel like they’re invading somebody’s sense of privateness, however simply so you recognize, it’s authorized to take photographs of individuals on public property.
When it comes right down to it, there’s no different method however to simply exit and do it. I went on the market and did it. I felt uncomfortable for a very long time. I even nonetheless really feel uncomfortable once I exit and shoot proper now, however that every one goes away after 10 minutes. When you get the warm-up, you are good to go, and also you’re on a roll.
Reza: So principally, do not overthink it, proper?
Marion: Do not overthink, simply do it. If you happen to see one thing, simply take a photograph. Step by step, you may develop the braveness to get nearer and nearer to your topic. If you happen to’re feeling uncomfortable, you may all the time shoot with an extended lens, akin to an 85mm or 135mm prime. They’re normally actually quick, and also you get actually good depth of subject, and so they’re tremendous crispy.
Reza: Good, we have now some wonderful recommendation there. Don’t overthink, exit and simply truly shoot till you are within the zone and feeling comfy.
Marion: If you happen to’re slightly timid, slightly shy, it is okay. Get the large lens.
Reza: There’s additionally a component of respect and discreetness, proper? You are not on the market sticking your lens in somebody’s face.
Marion: Oh, completely not. More often than not, you do not actually wish to be seen, however you may’t anticipate to by no means not be seen. Simply attempt your finest. Get the candid pictures. What you see from me are like scenes from a comic book guide or a scene from an immersive film, like a candid second of life.
Reza: So like every picture is a narrative in and of itself?
Marion: Effectively, hopefully that is what you guys really feel while you see my photographs. I’d say that is the purpose.
The Video
Try my full video interview at Sony Kando with Marion Mou under:
Photos used with permission of Marion Mou.
