Catherine Han
WHAT DO YOU DO?
“I am a freelance fine arts photographer with versatile photography skills suitable to advertising, fashion, and lifestyle.”
WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?
My life was already set in place for me to continue my studies towards nursing. But as my last year of college was coming to an end, I realized that this was not the path for me. So five months after graduating, I just grabbed my camera and hopped on a plane to Seoul, South Korea to attend Seoul Fashion Week. Ever since then, I just took chances. I let fear take over and see what it would make me do because it wasn’t me that hopped on that plane- it was fear. It was definitely pure fear.
HOW DO YOU STAND OUT IN YOUR FIELD?
One thing my clients point out in my work is that I don’t follow the trend. My work does not reflect what kind of photos are “in” right now but rather my aura and color. They say I’m a walking mood board.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
I am currently working with 4 brands as a freelance photographer/content creator.
WHAT'S YOUR STYLE/PERSPECTIVE/TASTE? DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REPRESENTS THIS?
My favorite visual realms are generally abstract, fine arts, and black and white. I like to describe my work to be dark, sharp, and ambiguous. I recently completed one of my personal projects, Existence, and I believe this one hits close to home for now.
WE ALL HAVE MULTIPLE SKILLS OR WORK IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, WHICH ONE DO YOU WISH YOU COULD FOCUS ON MORE?
I wish I can improve on creating film. I always enjoyed creating travel videos, and abstract/artsy videos. If I can brush up my skills in that department, maybe it can become another creative outlet for me to channel out my crazy visions!
WHAT IS FRUSTRATING YOU RIGHT NOW?
I recently graduated from college and it’s only been a year since I’ve started my professional career as a photographer. I not only graduated with a degree that has nothing to do with photography, but everything I know is self-taught. Therefore, it has been tough for me to find projects to work on because they all require a certain "degree" and/or amount of experience. I’m built on only experience, but I think in the end, it’s my level of confidence that is frustrating me.
IF YOU COULD HIRE SOMEONE FOR $20/HR, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE THEM DO TO MAKE YOUR DAY EASIER?
I will have them help me with anything that has to do with numbers - whether that be taxes, budget plans, management, etc. please. I’ll add in a meal if I have to.
LET'S BRING OUT THE TIME MACHINE. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE TOLD YOURSELF, WHEN, AND WHY?
“Dear 15 year-old me, don’t be afraid to follow your heart. Take as many art classes as you can. Apply to art schools. Your parents will definitely lash out on you for doing so but why not, right? The opportunities are all there. Take it! It’s going to be alright. Also, please lay off the ramen and hot Cheetos...it will get you real hard in your senior year.”
IF YOU COULD TALK TO AN EXPERT TO GAIN MORE INSIGHT ON SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE ABOUT?
It would be about food, definitely food. The idea of taste has always been an intriguing interest of mine as a child.
WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES/PROJECTS ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?
I am looking for freelance fashion/travel/lifestyle photography projects as well as content creating for social media platforms. I’m also open to collaborating with other amazing creatives as well.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL JOB/CLIENT/COLLABORATION.
I appreciate and love it when a client brings their own vision to the table. But I also love it, even more, when they get creative and crawl out of their comfort zone. Some may have crazy ideas, but I love it, because it gets MY creative juice flowing too! You want to make an indoor pool with sparkles and disco balls? Let's do it.
WHAT IS YOUR HOURLY RATE, RETAINER, OR SALARY RANGE?
It depends on what kind of project it is. (i.e. event, portrait, product, etc.)
I've been very fortunate to have met so many awesome creatives along the way. Over the past two years, they have become my mentors, both in career and life. They would tell me the mistakes and accomplishments they have been through so I can learn from them.
To name a few:
Ann Kim (@andyheart)
Esther Lee (@eslee)
Priscilla Jimenez (@priscilla_j)
Esther Sun (@_esthersun)
HOW SHOULD SOMEONE APPROACH YOU ABOUT WORKING TOGETHER?
For me, I prefer a casual business communication. I don’t want to feel like I’m talking to a computer but rather a real person. As I work with clients, I end up getting to know them as a person along the way. And that’s what I love about my job. I love it when clients get creative with their intros, such as adding GIFs in their introductions. It loosens up the tension in these structured emails.
But aside from that, I’d appreciate it if they gave a brief introduction about themselves/their brand, their vision that they want to fulfill, and their budget. If I know how much they’re working with, I can try my best to work around it and make it work for the both of us.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE?
To become a stalker of the world I live in.
This member profile was originally published in May 2019.