Laowagrapher/ Natalie Lau
Name: Natalie Lau
Location: Hong Kong
Number of years as a photographer: 6
Which kind of photography do you specialize in?
Street, Urban
What camera(s) are you using?
Sony A7riii
I am a local IG photographer with more than 6 years’ experience in photo-shooting. My work mainly focuses on street scenery, and uses Lightroom and photoshop techniques to turn Hong Kong‘s ordinary scene, in particular, the dull city, narrow and criss-crossed streets, and busy business area into a different and glorious scene. My work makes us lower our busy steps, stay calm and scan through our surroundings.
How do you educate yourself to take better images?
I did not really receive any professional training on photo-shooting. Most of my photo-shooting techniques were self-learnt and I keep practising to train myself. I also self-learned different programmes such as Photoshop, Lightroom and Adobe Illustrator, which helped a lot in building my own photo style. I always browse on Pinterest to study other photographers’ techniques and there are a lot of insights you can get from them. The best way to keep improving is to practice often, make mistakes and be open to learning from others, whether they’re well-established photographers or newcomers to the craft.
How did you start photography?
I started this hobby 6 years ago, then I developed my interest in shooting night street views of Hong Kong 2 years ago. I was the kind of person who always wore my headphones and did not really care about my surroundings when I was on the street. But after I started shooting on streets, I paid extra attention to street views and this has enabled me to explore a lot of beautiful spots in Hong Kong.
Share your future photography plan.
I hope I can open my own photography studio in the future. There is a lot of room for improvement for myself, and I would like to equip myself better, such as learning more about lighting, to make sure I have acquired enough knowledge and qualifications to start my own company. And I would like to meet more people in the industry and build closer connections with different parties to develop my career.
What is/are your fav feature(s) of Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO? why?
Of course the f/0.95 large aperture. f/0.95 allows me to take excellent detail shots or portrait shots, with a large aperture that can allow all of the focus to lie on the subject, easier to achieve creamy bokeh. Besides, 33mm is a perfect focal length for street photography!
Share your memorable experiences while using Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO
I was really surprised by the large aperture! This is the largest bokeh that I have ever taken!
Share your fav photo taken with Laowa Argus 33mm f/0.95 CF APO
What photographers would you recommend this lens to?
First, photographers that are obsessed with night views. If you want to take a well exposed photo in low light, you need a lens with a wide enough aperture to let in more light. Using this lens that goes down to f/0.95, for example, is a great way to let enough light in and make the frame bright.
Second, for portrait photography. The 33mm short focal length with a fast f/0.95 aperture allows you to capture stunning images with a shallow depth-of-field, letting your subjects stand out from their backgrounds. Moreover, it allow you to collect more light towards the sensor and therefore reduce the exposure time to better freeze movements or reduce the ISO sensitivity to obtain a better image quality.
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