Meet Ethan Yang | Destination Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ethan Yang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ethan, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m a proud Houston native, born and raised! Looking back on my upbringing, I considered myself to be a bit of a “lone wolf” throughout my childhood, and I struggled to make friends. Since I had few friends, most of my free time was spent watching TV shows and movies, such as Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, One Piece, and Interstellar! As I continued to watch my favorite shows and films growing up, it made me realize how much I enjoyed the art of storytelling through the lens of a camera. This greatly impacted who I am today because it sparked the curiosity and passion I have for filmmaking, storytelling, and photography! I picked up the camera as a hobby back in middle school, but it wasn’t until my sophomore year of college that I took the leap of faith to pursue photography as a career. Back then, being a photographer felt like a distant dream, but now it’s a reality! I feel incredibly grateful to have a community of people that support me and my work. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Honestly, there isn’t anything out of the ordinary that sets me apart from others. I believe that everyone has their own creativity, as well as their own way of doing things. Personally, I value being able to photograph the candid beauty of people and showcase their unique story through my own lens and vision. Later down the road, I’m excited to travel more and capture the scenic destinations that the world has to offer. Ultimately, I want to hone in on a more photojournalistic style of photography, and with that, I aspire to be able to capture and curate the timelessness of my clients’ story! Getting to where I am today has not been an easy journey, but it was definitely a road I don’t regret going down on. When I was first starting out, I did a lot of shoots for free to gain exposure and build my portfolio. With time, practice, and patience, I networked with various clients and creatives, as well as bettered my skills in photography, editing, and storytelling. Doing this taught me how to seize opportunities rather than wait for opportunities to be presented to me on my doorstep. Lessons I’ve learned throughout my career is that it is important to be kind, resilient, vigilant, a little hard-headed, and to continuously grind to keep growing! I had to hear a lot of “no’s” before ultimately getting the “yes” I needed, but with determination and resilience, I got to where I am today. Of course, growth is a lifelong journey, so I know I have much more room to grow! At the end of the day, I want the world to know the passion I have for showcasing the magic life has to offer, as well as showcasing the beauty of a story through my eyes. Like they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Houston is one of the most diverse places in the country, and the foodie scene here is one of the best! I’d definitely take them to check out Downtown Houston, and as a proud Taiwanese-American, Houston’s Chinatown has endless options for good food, drinks, and desserts. Austin has a place in my heart as well, due to the beautiful scenic destinations, such as Mount Bonnell and Red Bud Isle!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to start off first and foremost with my family! They’ve been supportive of me and my career since the start of it all. I’d also like to give a huge shoutout to my friends who have seen me and supported me since the very beginning of my journey, such as Usamah Hossain (@usamah.hossain), Victoria Diaz (@victoriadiaztorres), and Alex Nguyen (@alex_winr)! Shoutout to the sisters of alpha Kappa Delta Phi at the University of Houston (@houstonakdphi), Vy Dang (@dang.it.vy), and Tori Nguyen (@wsuptori) for being one of my earliest clients that allowed for me to grow my portfolio as well as gain more exposure within the Houston community. I’d like to recognize my brothers of Omega Phi Gamma at the University of Houston as well for providing me with opportunities to continuously practice and perfect my photography skills and for their continuous support of my endeavors. Furthermore, I’d also like to give a shoutout to my fellow creatives and media team, Krono Collective (@visualswithkev, @tuvisuals, @martey_tx). Lastly, shoutout to Brandon Woelfel for being an inspiration for my aesthetic and work!

Website: ethanmarkyang.com

Instagram: @ethanmarkyang