Meet Heylen An

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heylen An.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
As far as I can remember, creativity has always been a part of me. When I was younger, I was into drawing and painting but not really photography. I remember during middle school I taught myself Photoshop because I liked being able to manipulate images. I didn’t get into photography until I was a high school senior. After getting my first paycheck, I bought my first camera. I began by taking creative portraits of myself. Using the little knowledge I had in Photoshop, I started editing my own photos. Eventually, I began taking photos of my friends and family. (Now, those you don’t want to see LOL!) In 2013, I graduated from the Art Institute of Houston with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts specializing in Photography.

Please tell us about your art.
I specialize in portraits, engagements, weddings, events, and live music photography. I love shooting in natural light and outdoors. I’m into the organic feel, lots of deep greens and natural colors. I’m just very inspired by nature. When someone views my images, the thing I hope they take away from it is how genuine they are. My goal when shooting is to make sure my client is super comfortable. I ask them questions, such as “how did you meet” or “what’s your favorite memory with each other”, this usually gets my clients smiling genuinely rather than it being forced. If I am shooting a family, I get the kids to yell something crazy such as “CHICKEN NUGGETS!” and that usually gets them laughing! (The parents, too! :D)

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
I think that the biggest challenge that Professional Photographers face today is that iPhone cameras are getting better and better (LOL). My favorite line I commonly hear is, “Oh, that’s a great photo. You must have a very nice camera!” Ouch! It’s actually not just the camera, but my creativity, my posing, and my editing. Just because you have a nice camera doesn’t mean you know how to take a beautiful portrait. Photography is so much more than just taking a photo, which is something people struggle to understand. Composition, lighting, posing, and editing all play an important role in photography.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Sometimes I showcase my photography in galleries around Houston, which you can stay tuned for on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/heylenanphotography.

You can also view my work on my website: www.heylenanphotography.com and on my Instagram (which I rarely post on but you should still follow me anyways ;P): www.instagram.com/heylenanphotography.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heylenanphotography.com
• Phone: 832-231-3753
• Email: contact@heylenanphotography.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/heylenanphotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/heylenanphotography

Image Credit:
Heylen An Photography

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