Meet Minh Do | Freelance photographer

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

Hi Minh, what inspires you?
My inspiration for this was my family. So originally, the reason why they are my inspiration was because through out all my life, they were really supportive of me and my work. At first, they questioned it because it did not seem like it would benefit me financially, but after viewing my work and hearing from everyone about my work ethics, they started to appreciate it more. Now, the reason why my family is the inspiration is having to capture the most happiest moments. Recently, my father passed away, and my biggest regret was not taking pictures with him to have more memories. Of course, there were a lot of moments that stood out to me, but now this reason made me more passionate to make people smile. I always want everyone to be satisfied and to enjoy the moment so that they can feel more confident and be able to use this as a precious memory.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started out as portrait photographer, and to be completely honest, I was lazy when I began. I did not take the time to learn and just started to click and shoot. Eventually, after years of studying, researching, using some of the software, it has gotten a lot easier to use. My career only picked up this year at the end of January. Started to go to pop-up events, and found new clients since I also started to do cosplay photography. The one main lesson that I have picked up from so many people, is be your own creator. We are the ones that makes the atmosphere, being able to bring up ideas for the clients, and having to be the guide through it all. This helps them to ensure that everything is structured and they will receive the best experience. As a brand, I want to let everyone know that I can add in creative ideas while having to use their own preference, and to help make the photoshoot a smooth process.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One spot I would recommend for everyone to try out is The Post in Downtown Houston. There are plenty of options for food, and to take pictures there, all you need to do is email the office to notify them which day you are planning to do a photoshoot there, and pay a $80 fee. The location is beautiful and it has a modern aesthetic, with three different stair cases, and a rooftop with a view of Downtown. Another spot I would recommend for anyone that is trying to feel a bit fancy is the River Oaks District. It is five minutes away from the Galleria and its a good spot to get some candid or fashion photos. There is also a garage next to it so you can take some from the top!

To be completely honest, the one thing I always tell people is that any area you use is a prop. You just need to have your inspiration ready and to know which location you wanna use to capture that moment.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to give a shout out to all of my photographer and videographer friends that guided me through my journey of photography and being able to experience so much. I never owned a camera at first, but I had great friends that allowed me to borrow their camera for a event. It is a bit funny because usually photographers never like to let people borrow their camera, because it is a expensive career. Now I make sure that I take extra care of my gear and equipment in case anything happens.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shots_by_minh/