I am a Korean-Canadian street photographer, drawn to the abstract because nothing is what it seems. My photographs reflect my deeper inner world.

What one piece of advice would you give street photographers just starting out?

My main advice is you can accomplish anything with hard work. For any craft, your passion will drive you to practice and learn from the best. If you want to become a writer, you simply start writing. You read and break down the story design of the world’s greatest literature. If you want to direct, you make films and watch and analyze the films of master filmmakers. If there is an element of the craft you don’t understand, you research the answer by reading books or looking it up online or asking and learning from professionals through courses and workshops. I’m a self-taught photographer. I bought my first pro camera and started shooting as often as I could. I loved poring over my many photography books and countless photos online from my favourite street photography galleries. To start, if you want to shoot a certain shot in mind, or you can’t figure out a camera setting intuitively, you can look up online how to do it. With passion and practice and utilizing all the resources available to you, you can learn as independently as you wish, and at your own pace.

What are your top two places in Vancouver for shooting and why?

Anywheredowntown. I live downtown and love it. I follow the crowds, shoot reflections and often find myself at the Sea Wall.

Which three street photographers have influenced your work the most?

I experimented and explored with many genres of photography – landscape, wildlife, cityscapes, etc. It came home to me what kind of photographer I wanted to be after being introduced to the work of Saul Leiter. Fan Ho and Vivian Meier are constant beacons of inspiration for me.

Describe your work using up to four keywords

• Photographs are emotional truth