Fragile, Complicated, and True

Photography By Kao Saephan

Cinematic photographer Kao Saephan opens up about how photography has made him a better person, being inspired by a story from Wikipedia, and discusses the importance of staying true to your art.

California, USA

What is your history as a photographer?

I first picked up a camera freshman year of high school. I always wanted to do something creative and wasn’t very good at drawing or painting so I decided to take up photography. I started taking photos of my friends and photos of bands at shows but I quickly got bored of that and soon after stopped taking photographs all together. It wasn’t until a few years ago where I picked it back up. This time was different, for some reason I just couldn’t stop, photography consumed me and pretty soon it was all I thought about. I still struggle with calling myself a photographer though, most photographers started at a young age after being handed their grandparents old film camera or whatever the case is, that’s not my story. Since I’ve only been shooting seriously for a few years, it’s hard to call myself an established photographer.

How do you create your images? Are they candid or planned out?

Most of my images are planned out, especially if I’m doing a shoot with a model. I send them a moodboard for inspiration regarding wardrobe, makeup etc, and we go from there.

What makes your work different and unique?

I’m not really sure what makes my work different or unique, all I know is that I use photography as a form of self expression and storytelling.

Tell the story behind one of your images.

The story behind my photograph of two guys in suits wearing shiny masks is that I was inspired by a Wikipedia article I stumbled upon titled “The Lead Masks Case”. It was a bizarre incident that happened in Brazil during the 1960s where two bodies were found and they both were wearing suits and masks made out of lead. Next to the bodies, they found a notebook with cryptic instructions. The cause of death was never determined.

What are some things you learned in your photography journey?

I learned that this industry is always changing and always evolving. There seems to be some sort of new trend every week, and it’s easy to get caught up in it. You really need to stay true to yourself and your art and creating art that makes you happy.

How has photography changed and shaped you as a person?

Honestly, photography really taught me how to be a better human being; how to be empathetic towards others and how fragile and complicated the human condition can be. If it wasn’t for photography, I really don’t know what I would be doing right now. Every aspect of my life has been affected because of photography in a good way. I can honestly say I’m a better version of myself because of it.