The purpose of photography is not to change lives but to understand life.
The person is the center throughout Hui Choi’s work. The main narrative stresses the emotional state of the subject while inviting to get a glance at their intimate story. The research has two central layers: the complex connection of the person with society and the juxtaposition of the inner and outer worlds. The viewer becomes aware of the complicated reality and variations on reality through the subjects portrayed.
We speak with Hui about his series, Invisible, in which, through the recurrent element of present/hidden tears, he proposes to acknowledge an intrinsic connection between people, a parallel in emotions. We also present the series Under Cloud, an ongoing project, which draws a line of resemblance between the photographer’s inner personal state and nature, emphasizing contemplation on love and relationships.
Hui Choi is a photographer currently based in Guangzhou, China. Hui started his career in the fashion industry over ten years ago as a hairstylist, later opening his studio. Hui explains his decision to become a photographer, “I became more and more aware that the vision of the hairdressing industry is limited.” Working on both commercial and recently on personal projects, Hui focuses on the individual and researches the domain of personal emotions and connection to society. Working mainly with large format cameras and shooting on 8x10 format, Hui practices contemplative photography, striving to reach the deeper layer of understanding the person’s existence.
‘I began to focus on social issues and the individual inner world, trying to find my own visual language in photography.’
I Am
Hi Hui, happy to have you here for the interview. Tell about yourself. How did you enter the field of photography? What was the moment when you realized this profession is something that you’ll continue doing no matter what?
Hi, my name is Hui Choi. I'm a hair stylist and photographer. I am very grateful for this opportunity to share my story. I was born in Hubei, China, and now I run my own independent studio in Guangzhou. I've been in the hairdressing industry for more than ten years, since I was very young. During this time, I learned a lot about the fashion industry. It can be said that I have always been passionate about creation, and this kind of working environment enriches me with a lot of insights on photography. Meanwhile, I became more and more aware that the vision of the hairdressing industry is limited and that many commercial shooting productions were also limited. In 2017, I started to use the camera to take photos, but it's all about commercial works. Since 2018 I officially started publishing a large number of my personal photography works. I began to focus on social issues and the individual inner world, trying to find my own visual language in photography.
大家好，我是蔡辉，是一名发型师和摄影师。非常开心能和大家聊天分享我自己，也很感谢有这个机会。
我出生在中国的湖北，现在在广州经营自己的的独立工作室。 我在很年轻的时候是在伦敦从事美发行业，至今已经有10余年了，可以说我一直在接触时尚视觉相关的工作，在工作期间我创作了大量的发型作品，也参与众多平面广告发型制作，可以说我一直热衷于创作，同时恰好是这样的工作环境让我对摄影有了很多看法。后来随着职业生涯发展到一定阶段，自己越发觉得美发行业的视觉是局限的，很多商业拍摄制作也有所限制，2017年我开始用相机拍摄和自己工作相关的照片，拍摄的基本上是商业性质的图片，我想还不能称之为摄影作品。2018年下半年我才正式开始大量对外发表自己的摄影作品，开始针对一系列社会现象和个人的问题进行拍摄，用摄影代替自己的语言，真正以个人风格进行拍摄。
‘My works have a strong sense of emotion and privacy which is related to my own life experiences. I think photography is a very natural way of expression that is available to me.’
Photography
Photography is a means: to present a topic, to research a subject, to even analyze one’s state. What do you aim to achieve with the photographs you create?
As you said, photography is a means, usually with a further and deeper purpose and meaning. My works have a strong sense of emotion and privacy which is related to my own life experiences. I think photography is a very natural way of expression that is available to me. Photography helps me to express my emotions and understand the world, revealing the uniqueness and diversity of society and the state of an individual.
就像你所说的，摄影是一种手段，通常有着更进一步更深层次的目的和意义，其实我的作品带有强烈的情绪感和私密感，这跟我自己的生活历练有很大的的关系，可以说摄影是非常自然而然的属于我自身的表达方式，通过照片我主要是用来描述自身的情感以及周遭环境的理解的方式，借助这一媒介去揭示当代社会的独特性和多样性，关注个体的存在。
‘The purpose of photography is not to change lives but to understand life.’
How do you think you present the subject through your lens?
The purpose of photography is not to change lives but to understand life. It is what helps me in perceiving the flexible and turbulent side of life or the subtle flow, it also makes me aware of its healing effect, and allows learning new things.
摄影的目的不是改革生活，而是了解生活；不是说服生活，而是了解生活。 就像摄影一样，
它使我感知到生活中柔韧骚动的一面或微妙的流动，也让我意识到它的治愈作用和学习新鲜事物的能力。
‘With personal projects, it's all about passion, and you just need to do it for yourself, so that could allow for more freedom, removing the limitations.’
The Subject
You focus on photographing very diverse types of models, while the work ranges from fashion to more personal research of the human and the body. What would be the main difference working in those genres of photography? How can you describe your work with the model on the fashion set and for personal projects?
Yes, I used to focus on fashion photography, but now I work on it less often. Fashion photography is influenced by trends, which means it's usually sharp and fierce, but I don’t think there is much conflict between fashion photography and art photography. Fashion photography is a business service, so you need to take responsibility working with customers, while with personal projects, it's all about passion, and you just need to do it for yourself, so that could allow for more freedom, removing the limitations.
对，我过去一直是拍时尚摄影为主，现在也有但很少，时尚摄影受潮流的影响，通常是犀利且又凶猛的，内容往往是累赘的，对客户而言更多是呈现它的商业价值，但时尚摄影跟艺术摄影之间我认为并没有太大的冲突，与其说时尚摄影不如说是一种服务，个人项目拍摄的话相对更没有顾忌，时尚摄影的话通常需要考虑到甲方和拍摄时间。
Emotions
One of the topics you always come back to is tears, as in the project Invisible. In what way are you looking to present this emotion? What are some of your main findings working on those photographs?
Yes, there always seems to be the element of tears hidden in the Invisible series. It is a long-neglected voice concealed in the heart, a prelude to tears, pain, and surrounding things. When I first started, I didn't have the courage to disclose my private experience to the outside world. I put my trust in the people around me and discovered the resonance that I felt deeply in my heart. I reflect on myself by shooting portraits of different people. I use simple composition, soft light, and plain colors to capture true feelings. The emotional information contained in it is an echo to observe the close relationship between each other.
是的，在Invisible这个系列似乎总潜藏着眼泪这个元素，是潜藏于内心的早已被忽视的声音，是由眼泪、伤痛和周遭事物所展开的序曲。刚开始的时候我并没有勇气对外界公开我的私人经历，我寄托于身边的人身上，发掘与内心有深切体会的共鸣。我通过对不同人物肖像的拍摄来映照自身，用简单的构图、柔和的光线以及平淡的色彩来捕捉人的真情实感，里面包含的情绪讯息都是一个回响，来观察彼此紧密相连的关系性。
‘I am always interested in rigid composition as rigid framing is closer to my style.’
Large Format
Working with 8x10 film, what are some cons and pros you could name? Why did you choose the large format, or how did you come to work with it?
The advantage of the 8x10 camera is that it can capture more details, but the disadvantage is that the sheets are expensive, and the process is complicated. As I mentioned, I am always interested in rigid composition as rigid framing is closer to my style. Initially, I used a 120mm camera to shoot but found that not suitable for my working habits. Also, I don't like to choose a final photo from a large number of films.
8x10相机的优点是它的页片能捕捉到更多的细节，缺点是页片贵，操作繁琐，除此之外其它都能在接受范围内。如上所述，操作上的严谨性和克制性比较适合我的拍摄手法。最初我是使用120mm相机拍摄的，但发现这种无节制的拍摄方式并不适用我的拍摄习惯，并且我不喜欢在一大堆底片里去挑选一张有用的照片。
Next Steps
What project are you working on or planning as the next one?
I am currently working on a project - Go to 100 people's homes to photograph their bodies - and I have photographed about 30 women so far. This series allows me to observe the hidden side of people and experience the diversity of their lives.
目前我正在进行一个“去到100个人家里拍摄他们身体”的项目，至今已经拍摄了大概30位女性。通过这个系列它让我观察到了每个人隐藏的一面，体验他们生活的多样性。
