Kevin Chin | Art for Art | San Francisco

Since the beginning of 2014, I have been working on my year-long personal project, Art for Art. Once a month, I find a fellow photographer whose work I admire, and I photograph them; they photograph me. View the full set of previous shoots in the series here: Art for Art.

September’s shoot was with my friend, neighbor, and fellow photographer Kevin Chin.

Our Styles

Anna: Kevin has been in the wedding industry for over a decade, and I’ve long admired his work and his staying power in this ever-changing photography world. I think his work is classic. My work is perhaps a bit more light and airy, but I very much hope it will also be lasting and enduring.

Kevin: Besides capturing all the beautiful wedding day images, I always strive to capture authentic moments that tell the story of the wedding day, and the raw emotions that reveal the true essence of the subject. Anna is super chill and very easy going and easy to work with. She has a very simple and clean style. Nothing complicated or too contrived. She definitely has a style that is not trendy and will definitely stand the test of time.

The Shoot

Anna: The great thing about this shoot is that my studio is right in Kevin’s backyard, so after Susie got me all dolled up with hair and makeup, I literally just walked around the corner to Kevin’s beautiful loft. I have to admit it was incredibly intimidating to photograph someone I so admire in the industry, but I also learned so much from chatting with Kevin. He’s very open to sharing and easy to work with. And as a bonus, we got to look through his incredible Helmut Newton book. In this digital age, it’s so nice to step back and take another look at printed work and such influential photography.

Kevin: I usually feel uncomfortable and awkward being in front of the camera but Anna made it very easy with her relaxed style of shooting. I was very pleased with how natural looking she made me look in the photos. I also loved collaborating with her. She gave me the great idea of throwing her sheet music in the air as I photographed it falling all around her. Of course it took many tries and lots of luck but I think we got some good ones.

Lessons Learned?

Anna: It was great working with Kevin. Photographing other photographers is always such an interesting exchange, with all the uncertainty and dynamics that come with trading places in front of the lens. I also thought it was hilarious and great to let my violin out of its case since Kevin asked me to bring something personal and meaningful to the shoot. I really didn’t know what to bring, but my violin certainly fits the bill. I played all through high school and even college, but I haven’t really touched the instrument since. Well, it was a fun twist on the series. And a bit like having my senior portraits taken again, but it was fun!

Kevin: I love the concept that Anna has with the Art for Art project. It’s a reminder that we all need to take time out to feed our soul. I know for me, personal projects like this help me stay fresh and gives me new perspectives on things. It’s a way to energize myself and to keep the passion alive.

Below are a couple of my favorites from Kevin!

Check out Kevin’s blog post for more photos!

Anna’s hair & makeup: Susie, Susie Chhuor Studios

Art for Art is a monthly personal project in which Anna and a fellow photographer photograph each other. See the full series here.

Anna Wu is a San Francisco wedding photographer often around the world. Follow her Art for Art series and professional work at annawu.com and on Facebook.

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