2024 Daily Inspiration: Meet Richard S. Chow - VoyageLA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard S. Chow

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

My journey from youthful curiosity to lifelong passion began with a simple camera. Born in Hong Kong, then a British colony, I moved to the United States with my family at sixteen. My love for photography was sparked at fourteen when I saved up gifts of “red lucky money” to buy a Russian-made manual camera (SLR) with 50mm and 200mm lenses. Solid and weighty in my hands, that camera unlocked my imagination at a young age. Soon after, I learned darkroom processing at the local YMCA, marking the start of a creative path I continue to follow.

I was fortunate to have a dedicated high school mentor in the U.S., who introduced me to the intricacies of composition and darkroom techniques, inspiring me to deepen my art. While pursuing a BS in Engineering Computer Science, I continued studying photography through university courses, subsequent workshops at Santa Monica College, and seminars, each adding essential layers to my foundation. These courses provided valuable building blocks, but it was the hands-on experimentation and dedicated practice that truly shaped my skills. The joy of photography as a means of self-expression has stayed with me ever since. Fast forward to around 15+ years ago, I returned to the craft, immersing myself in creating fine art portfolios and exhibiting in galleries and museums.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect? ……