A picture is worth a thousand words and Karl is using pictures and photography to share the narratives of different people, cities and cultures through his own eyes. Read about his journey to becoming a photographer.
A Little Bit About Karl and Through My Peripherals…
Growing up as the youngest in my family, I was heavily influenced by my older brother who was well into the arts. Less motivated by the traditional medias of arts such as painting and drawing, I was able to find my release through photography, a medium that blends my love of art & technology.
Ever since high school, I’ve always been into fashion and streetwear. A few of my friends were too, and I was the one always making them put their style on display with the craziest outfit photos. As years passed, this became my niche; heavily composed photos with stylish wardrobe. Ultimately, I decided this is the type of photography I wanted to pursue. My photography style is all about composition. Staying true to the elements and fundamentals of art, I like that to be the main role of the photographs I take. Keep it simple, you know?
Favourite Thing About Being a Millennial Entrepreneur…
As millennials, we grew up in the transitional phase and watched it all manifest right before our eyes. The conventional style of business is changing and there are more opportunities available to the younger generations. We’re able to correct ourselves from the mistakes made of previous generations and improve upon that.
What’s been one of your favourite photos from your collection? (Please attach the picture — watermarked and tell us the story behind it)
One of my most recent shots from my trip to China. This was taken in Xintiandi in an alley way just opposite to where all the tourists and locals were. The spot alone is not interesting however at that time I stood looking down this alley way just admiring the light peering in during sunset. After a couple minutes trying to get this shot down, I noticed that I harboured a group of local trendy girls watching what I was doing. To ease their curiosity, I showed them the photo that I took and they were amazed how something could come straight out of the camera with no editing. Little things like this are the confirmation I needed to keep going.
How Karl Differentiates His Photography From Others in the Social Media Age…
Photographers before me have always faced the problem of sharing the competitive market with mom & pop photographers who bought an expensive camera and charged less than half of what professionals would charge. I’ve also seen successful Instagram photographers make it only using their phone camera and post-processing editing. The argument is no longer about what camera you have or what gear you can bring. It’s the hunger, drive and discipline that will seperate the amateurs and professionals.
In the saturated market of photography, it’s pretty comparable to fashion; trends will always come and fade and renew after some time. What matters to me is creating, developing, and improving my style as I progress as an artist and photographer.
Challenges of Being a Millennial Entrepreneur…
Social media was the best and worst tool to use as I broke into the market as an artist. You have the opportunity to post your work and gain instant gratification through likes and comments. But that’s all it was, food for your ego. This was one of the biggest things I had to overcome. As an artist, I’m overly critical about my own work. “Is this photo good enough? Why doesn’t it gain as much likes? What photo trends do I need to replicate in order to harvest my own success?” These are common questions that millennial photographers are constantly battling with.
I’ve learned to just stop worrying about it. Go out and take pictures, post your work, be consistent. Over time you’ll see your style change and improve.
One Person Karl Would Like To Photograph…
Oh man, too many. I love the rap game, if I could photograph Kendrick Lamar that would be pretty sweet. More towards the fashion aspect, photographing someone like Andre 3000 would be pretty cool too.
I’ve been developing my more moodier shots when it comes to travel. If I were to have any of my photos published on Street Dreams Mag, I’d be pretty happy for a while.
Cool Projects or Events Coming Up for Through My Peripherals…
I’m planning to travel Southeast Asia next year for a few months to photograph. Capturing the many lights and styles that are different from our own, while adding my personal style to the photo compositions. Stay tuned for that!
View more of Karl’s photography or book him for your next event or photo shoot at https://www.throughmyperipherals.com/.
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