Today we’d like to introduce you to Yising Kao.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m a music photographer and videographer and aspire to eventually work on a tour with an artist/band! Growing up, my dad would always take photos of me and my family and he gave me a point and shoot camera which I used to take photos of everything in my daily life, including the concerts I went to. I listened to music at a young age, to Disney Channel stars like Hilary Duff and Jesse McCartney, and went to so many shows. Through shows and watching music videos, I fell in love with music and wanted to create art through photos/videos. I started shooting local shows then worked my way up to bigger ones.
In 2016, I created my own music magazine because I wanted a platform to shoot concerts for a while also writing concert/album reviews and express my passions and allowing others to as well. I rebranded it as Galaxy Magazine www.galaxy-mag.com in 2018 and people started to ask me if they could join. Now we have a team across the US and international and I’m proud of it. I’ve gotten to cover so many of my favorite artists like Taylor Swift, Waterparks, Twenty One Pilots, and more, and I also do interviews with artists as well. I love hearing other people’s stories and sharing them and hopefully can inspire others through my work.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road. One struggle I had when first starting out was that I had to build my portfolio and figure out where to start. I learned I had to reach out and ask if I could cover shows and events for press and eventually, I would be able to post my photos on social media and gain exposure.
Some advice I have for other women who aspire to start music photography is to never give up. It may sound cheesy, but honestly, you have to believe in yourself or no one else will. Use whatever equipment you have, whether it be your cell phone or a cheap camera, and edit with whatever program you can find and afford. If you’re passionate about something, then don’t let anything stop you.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I currently run my own music magazine dedicated to expressing our passions, Galaxy Magazine www.galaxy-mag.com, which I’m really proud of. We’ve released 15 issues so far, available to read online and in print. Additionally, I work as a freelance photographer/videographer and focus on music and portraits, and I’m starting to get into engagement and wedding photography. I believe everyone is unique in their own way, and I think what sets me apart from others is my style in photography/videography. I really love the concept of lights and stars so I incorporate that into my work. And I always love learning about other people’s creative visions and helping them make their visions come to life.
It would be great to hear about any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve used and would recommend to others.
Social media applications definitely help me with my work because as a creative, you need to get your work out there, so this is the best way to showcase it. Also, if you ever want to teach yourself a new skill, whether it be editing or using your camera settings, YouTube and Google are great resources. There are tons of tutorials that have helped me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yisingkao.com/
- Email: yisingmedia@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yisingkao/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/yisingkao
- Other: https://www.galaxy-mag.com/
Image Credit:
Yising Kao
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