Meet Hou Shot ya | Visual Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hou Shot ya and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hou, what inspires you?
I think back to when I was a kid, my uncles and my dad would take me to MacGgregor Park, Mason Park, MLK Blvd, Holmes Rd, Lawndale, to watch cars race, to see car shows, and to catch up with friends. Just about every weekend we were on the scene. Fast forward 20 years and I still find the same excitement in me as an adult to be a spectator on Slab Sunday.

The culture, the artists, the creators, Houston – The Hood, The people of this city, that’s who inspires me. I wanna show others a behind-the-scenes, what you really don’t see, there is much more to us as a city than museums, good food, and entertainment. There’s a different story to tell here, a different life, a struggle, and I was raised in this. Capturing those moments and freezing time makes me feel like I’m just a kid again.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I capture the stories of the innercity, the hood, what some might be curious about. I feel as if the media will sometimes portray the hood as ghetto or dangerous or maybe taboo, but it’s completely the opposite. It’s families, it’s laughter, it’s sharing a love for the culture. It’s a fun and lively environment. The stories that are being told through photography are moments you can feel with each capture.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Two words: SLAB SUNDAY!

Since the early 90’s MLK BLVD has been a landmark in the slab world. To get that real southern hospitality experience you gotta hit the “K” and to get there what you do is bust a left, a right… nah just kidding. When you come through on a late Sunday afternoon you’ll see more than just slabs, you’ll see people riding horses, bikes, The Pop Out Boyz on four wheelers, you’ll see a community of Houston’s culture. While you’re on the boulevard make sure you tip on over to Timmy Chan’s for that wings and rice special and after MLK make your way to McGregor Park to keep the party going. I promise you, it’s a movie.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Most might be inspired by a celebrity or a fictional character but the person that inspired me is someone I engaged with through social media. I direct messaged a photographer to compliment his work and edit style and from there a friendship grew with @Stlathird who also goes by “J”. We began to give constructive criticism to each other, bounce ideas back and forth for concepts and style for shoots, and learning how to expand my knowledge of the camera, edits, and technique. In my opinion, he’s the underdog. I’ve grown as a photographer through his mentorship and I’m grateful for his willingness to share and teach.

Instagram: Hou.go

Image Credits
photo of myself taken by – Mike lazo