New York City Fashion Photographer Hyun Gu Kim

Hyun Gu Kim was the fashion photographer for USL Magazine’s “Show Ure Fun-Side” fashion shoot in Soho and Chinatown, New York City. “We Were looking for a fashion photographer to shoot this particular spread and happened to run across Hyun on modelmayhem.com. His style of photography is clean, abstract, yet urbane and shows that he isn’t afraid to stretch the imagination.” Get to know Hyun Gu Kim and appreciate his work.

Where are you from and how did that make an impression in your style of photography?

I’m from South Korea, and I like Oriental style of painting. It is so simple and yet very temperamental. Oriental Painting is usually not very heavy as western painting, but still contain a lot of details, nonetheless.

I am also a fan of Western Photography. However, Oriental photography and painting is still my passion as I grew up surrounded by it. I want to bring the “Simpleness” and “detail” from Oriental Painting into my photography.

Who are some of your influences as an artist?

I was hugely influenced by Nick Knight (a British fashion photographer, documentary photographer, and web publisher). When I studied photography in Japan, I saw his work, which was very impressive. It was amazing as I had never seen anything like that before. I really admire his work and creativity.

Is the a super model, in particular, you would like to work with?

If I were given a chance, I would like to work Natalia Vodianova (Russian supermodel and actress).

Why live in New York City and is this where you got your start as a photographer?

New york city is the most famous fashion city in the world. Many artists are from here and many end up working here. I can get a lot of information about fashion, so I decided to move here. While in Japan attending school, I worked as a P.A. (photographer assistant). Now, I work as a freelance photographer and have done so since 2011.

Who are you most proud to have worked with?

When I was a photographer assistant in Japan, I worked with Araki (Nobuyoshi Araki) and Lady Gaga. It’s been my best experience so far.

What are some goals and achievements you have your eyes on?

To find the best Aesthetics in Simplicity.

What are some of your top accomplishments in the past?

My photography appeared in Professional Photographer magazine in UK.

Do you prefer to shoot people or objects/scenery and why?

I prefer both. I can learn people through scenery. I like Geometry. I learn to appreciate it through scenery and it has helped create abstract in my photography.

When shooting, do you prefer beauty over professionalism or does it go hand-in-hand?

I believe in Photography and in general aspect of things, thus, beauty and professionalism go hand-in-hand. Photography, as it is global, has many different sub-cultures within a culture. In certain countries, professionalism is thought of as the utmost importance, whereas in some other countries, beauty overshadows everything. So, one must have a good balance of professionalism/beauty towards nature and people as well.