Photographer Interview:
Angella Choe
BIO
Angella Choe is a Los Angeles based photographer and creative consultant working across fashion, music and technology. Redefining the lens of traditional fashion and beauty standards, her work amplifies inclusive voices and celebrates self-expression through authentic narratives.
Her work spans across brand and fashion partnerships with TikTok Fashion Month, Snoop Dogg, Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, Dover Street Market and Supreme. Her photography work has been published by Interview Magazine, Vogue, Wonderland and the BOF. She has also contributed as a panelist for Women's International Month at Soho House and Ace Hotel.
Angella Choe studio is a 360 creative and production agency providing clients with photography, creative direction, consulting, casting, styling, video and production services.
Where are you from? Where do you currently reside?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles. Born in San Gabriel Valley, to be exact, and was raised in La Crescenta (suburbs). Growing up, my friends and I would always go to the city to hang out because there was nothing to do in the quiet suburb neighborhoods. I now live in the city (WeHo).
Tell us a weird fact about yourself?
I feel like the world is going to end everyday LOL.
Did you buy your first camera or was it a gift? What type of camera was it?
My first camera was my mom’s 35mm film Yashica from the 90’s. She would always take photos of us when we were kids and print out endless amounts of photo albums. I remember looking at them all the time and reliving the memories through the photos. They are so precious and the only documentation of our childhood since memories are fleeting and become even more vague as time goes by.
Does photography run in your family?
Photography doesn’t run in my family, but music does. My parents are musically gifted. My parents always put us in music lessons and encouraged us to explore creation and self expression through music, art and film. My mom is a singer and used to always sing at home. So I would mimic that. She taught us to be open minded, see the beauty in things and think outside of the box.
How long have you been shooting for?
I’ve been unofficially shooting for as long as I can remember. I started with an obsession of documenting everything on the camera phones (friends, events, anything I could take photos of). I take so many photos x 1000’s of angles and variations, save 1000’s of screen shots, and rarely go back to look at them ever again. About 6 years ago, one of my best friends who took a photography class, asked me to model for her school projects. We started dabbling with her film and digital cameras. She let me borrow her cameras and I fell in love with the images and also the sound of the camera trigger. I’m so thankful for her support and encouragement to dive into this creative medium during a really rocky time in my life. Photography has always been a safe space and escape for me to create images and fantasies. It also allows me to give others a platform to feel safe, seen, and in their best light.
“I stay in my own lane and focus on being my only competition. Always strive to do better than myself yesterday or myself last year.”
How has your photography evolved over the years?
I started out documenting my friends and my daily life for fun. I would make these elaborate photo albums with a cohesive story and make each shot editorial. My professional photography work started with shooting fashion events. I have a fashion background and I just wanted to be out there shooting. I would go to fashion shows and events and shoot interesting looking people. I wanted to share their story and also showcase their insane and amazing fashion. I wanted to show the world that self expression is so liberating and important and to love people who are different from you. My intentions have evolved as the categories of my photography have diversified from shooting events, to fashion editorials, to musicians portraits, to commercial work, and personal passion projects with a dynamic blend of experiences. I love all of these equally and they always blend with each other.
Any specific moment that stands out where you knew you wanted to pursue photography?
I knew I wanted to pursue photography at my first job. I was able to assist in creative/art direction for fashion campaigns and then recognized hat was my calling. Then I ventured into creative/art directing my own shoots and everything else happened naturally. To this day, I am very hands on and involved with the creative/art direction for my shoots including casting, styling, location and production. I also knew I wanted to pursue photography full time when I first got paid for my work. It blew my mind when someone wanted to pay and trust me to execute their vision. As an artist, that is probably a pivotal moment.
Does your environment influence you as a creative?
Yes, of course. You start developing your eye based on things that spark interest and have a message to share. My favorite part of being a photographer is meeting all of the new and unique people, talent, crew, creatives along the way. I love getting to know new people and learning about their life and creative mediums. Being around other creatives definitely fuels my creativity too because you’re able to bounce ideas and support each other. It’s a creative rush.
Where do you draw inspiration from when assigned gigs?
Normally, if a client is paying you, it’s important to keep their identity and lens at the forefront with the story they are trying to share. But I definitely balance the clients vision and mine. I want to elevate the client to the next level and push them to where I think they could be. I try to bridge that gap with my lens.
You’re a photographer, director, casting director and stylist. The list goes on and on. Can you tell us what came first?
My love for art direction definitely birthed my love and obsession with photography. Creating an image and telling a story through a still is something I enjoy. I work backwards and have a vision in my head. Then I put the puzzle pieces together of how to achieve that.
Los Angeles, like NYC, is extremely competitive. How do you manage to stand out from the rest of the creatives?
I stay in my own lane and focus on being my only competition. Always strive to do better than myself yesterday or myself last year. Being responsive, immediate, urgent and professional also helps.
When do you feel like you thrive the most, when you're behind the camera, styling or behind the scenes?
Behind the camera! When I look through the viewfinder and hear the shutter sound, I feel the most alive and purpose driven.
Are you a self taught photographer? Any advice you would give to beginners?
Yes, I’m self taught. Advice to beginners would be “just start.” Don’t overthink or be so hard on yourself. Shoot what you love. Make sure that you’re really enjoying your own work. Find pride in your work and feel confident that what you’re putting out is of value to you. Believe in your work. Experiment.
You’ve shot for tons of publications. Can you tell us one of your favorite shoots shot on film?
I recently shot for Interview Magazine. It was such a fun experience and a dream come true. We shot on a rooftop in Silverlake, Los Angeles and the last shot was totally unexpected - it was an extra look (full Dior) and we ended up dancing to disco. That is the shot that made the print issue. I love Interview because they always encourage to push outside of the boundaries and that’s where the true magic happens.
Anything you’d like to do with photography that you haven’t?
Just want to continue empowering and encouraging the people I meet and shoot. Relearning, reimagining and highlighting nontraditional beauty and people who feel like outsiders. My work is amplifying this in fashion, but I’d like to go outside of fashion and do this in other fields of work and environments.
On Set…
What camera would you want to be your last?
Probably my mamiya.
Assistant or solo? Solo
When shooting analog on set, do you also shoot digital and/or vice versa?
Yes, when shooting film, I normally shoot some digital as backup and vice versa. If a client wants digital, I’ll shoot fun BTS film.
Candid or posed? Why?
Candid all day. Love capturing the candid moments and raw emotions are more natural.
Flash or no flash? Why?
Flash has always been my security blanket but I am learning to love no flash these days with film.
What vibe or mood do you like to curate on set? How do you go about doing that?
The mood is everything on set. I like to make the talent feel so comfortable and safe. I’m also a natural hype man. I want the shoot experience to be strong and empowering. I strive to show the talent the 2.0 version of themselves and push their boundaries. Help them experiment and come out of their shell. I also like to have less people on set (no big productions, 1:1 is best) because it’s more intimate and the talent feels less self conscious.
Music is everything to set the mood. But no one wants to be the DJ on set because people are self conscious of exposing their music taste and being vulnerable haha.
Personally, I love to blast high energy music like Azealia Banks or something fun like Tems and Rema.
When it comes to photography, what moves you to shoot?
The people I meet, their unique stories, learning people’s backgrounds and all of the other things they do outside of modeling.
Is there any particular element of shooting you’d like to tackle or explore?
I’ve been doing more motion and music. I’m obsessed with AR as well.
What would you like people to take away from your work?
I want the audience to feel something or be inspired to shoot/create on their own, kind of like music does. Sometimes you want to dance, cry, create, whatever it may be. I want to inspire others and trigger creativity, it’s like a domino effect.
Any upcoming projects that you're working on?
I wish I could share, but a good mix of commercial and personal coming up!!!
Interview by 35s & 45s
07.15.21