Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Doan.
Alex, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my journey with a simple photography class back in high school. What captured me initially with photography was the ability to look at the same thing with multiple perspectives. I guess in a way, it tied into my personal life at the time. Where do I go for college? What do I pursue? There were so many ways to look at it. I chose to go a more traditional route by finishing a four-year degree and applying for a full-time job. With this though, I became very burnt out of the routine it brought, and it did not give me time to apply my passion of photography that never went away. Today, I am finding every opportunity I can to learn and grow whether it be being a PA for a shoot or traveling to a different city to explore the culture.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being Asian American, my parents have always wanted me to have a timeline. Be this occupation by this certain time. Because I am also a perfectionist in my early 20s, there are always the voices in the back of my head saying, “what if” and makes me compare myself to others. But I realized that there is no better time to pursue the things that you are passionate about. It a time to take risks. To mess up. And I have been leaning into that a lot and being more unapologetic about it. And it has definitely benefited be creatively too. I have been trying concepts in my shoots that I would not normally do and have grown immensely from them.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I shoot strictly film photography (which can get quite expensive), and it has been what captivates me. There is a rawness to only having 36 shots at any given time, which makes you appreciate and take advantage every given moment presented to you. In addition to this, I am very drawn to street photography. I do have days where I want to try an entirely new and fresh concept, but there is something to street photography that is so meaningful. Every person you see has a story, which we sometimes forget. Sonder is the word for it. Everyone has a unique and complex life as special as our own, and that is what I try to capture in a single image.
Risk-taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk is something that I feel like I am quite familiar with. From something small, like trying a concept that I am unfamiliar with to something bigger, like quitting a job I was unhappy with, there is always something to learn and take away from taking risks. I feel like it’s even risker not to take risks. Risk-taking allows us to discover something new about yourself. Sometimes risk-taking gives us new opportunities. Sometimes risk-taking results in absolute failure. Regardless, succeeding or messing up allows us to learn about ourselves and grow. All the risk-taking I have experienced has allowed me to be the creative I am today.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @onfilmbyatd
Image Credits
William Barrientos
