Learn More About Gim Liu
Early life, How he started
Gim Liu is from the UK and Hong Kong. He’s been taking photos for over 10 years since he bought his first fancy camera in 2009. He started taking steel wool photography as a hobby, but it became something he’s really into and does all the time.
He thinks photography is like making art or writing poems. It’s not just about taking pictures but also about showing who you are. Gim likes long-exposure nighttime photography because it lets you create something special in a cool way.
1. Tell us how you got started in steel wool photography and what inspired you to pursue it as a career.
I have always been into photography since an early age. I guess it started when I had the first camera phones back in the mid-2000s and the old digital compact cameras. My first DSLR camera was bought in around 2008 when I was hanging around with a group of bloggers with DSLR cameras. This was during the period when I was at University. I started taking all types of photos, including long exposures, which I enjoyed very much, and it immediately captured my interest. From here I carried on taking long exposure night time photography photos up until this day as I loved the creativity of it. Later on, I was inspired to pursue it as a career because it was something that I could do that I loved, and it also taught people what I had learned while also making money.
2. Most of your work seems to be in long-exposure nighttime photography. What draws you to these genres?
Yes, most of my work is highly focused on long-exposure night-time photography. What draws me to these genres is how creative and artistic you can be. You are not simply taking/capturing a photograph; you are creating one, like when a painter paints a painting. It is a systematic and detailed process but spectacular photos come from it. It is also rather mysterious as you never really know what you will produce in the final photo and how it will look!
Learn about his photography style & how it evolved
Long-exposure & Night-time photography
3. How would you describe your photography style, and how has it evolved over the years?
I would describe my photography style as creative, experimental, and spectacular. I think these three words sum up my photography style succinctly. For those who don’t know, my main aim when shooting is to create a photo where a static object is brought to life by what I have done to it.
It has evolved gradually. In long-exposure nighttime photography, I first took photos of vehicle light trails, which then progressed to using a torch to paint words/shapes/patterns to create a photo. From here, I took it to the next level by using different light sources to make creative photos, using different objects as the center point of my photo and bringing it to life in some way.
Check out Gim Liu’s Instagram to learn more
4. Which is your favorite photoshoot ever? Why does it mean the most to you?
I don’t have a specific photo shoot that is my favourite. This is because they all are special in their own way, and the photos produced are always different. Typically, I would consider the last successful photo shoot I have done to be my favourite one because the idea has been brought into existence.
Nevertheless, I will give you an exclusive I have not uploaded yet. The photo below is from a photo shoot I did at home, which produced one photo that is an idea I was excited about. The idea was to use a slinky and a light source to make it look like it had travelled down a flight of steps, and it came out pretty cool! Here is the photo:
Equipment used by Gim Liu
Camera, tripods, lights
5. What equipment do you prefer for steel wool photography, and how do you believe it contributes to your unique approach to photography?
I do not believe that the equipment contributes a great deal towards my unique approach to photography, nor does it affect whether a photo is successful or not. What makes a difference and contributes to my unique approach are the ideas I can come up with and the process I take to make them exist. What the equipment does is make it easier. Furthermore, my equipment is cheap and widely available apart from my camera. Last, you can still take spectacular and interesting photos without the best equipment.
To answer the first part of the question, the equipment I prefer to use is a DSLR camera, a tripod, a wireless camera remote, and different light sources such as a torch, sparkler, or string lights. That is all that is needed!
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6. What tips would you give someone just starting in photography?
I have several tips to give to someone who is just starting in photography. The first tip I would give is an important one which is to take the time to play and experiment in the genre of photography you are interested in. The second tip is to find what interests you most out of the exploration, then develop and perfect it. The third tip is to exploit any techniques you discover to take the most interesting photos possible. The fourth tip is to take the time to practice and develop your skills and to keep at it. The fifth tip is not to be too critical of yourself too early on or let others put you down. The sixth tip is to check out the masterclasses on PhotoWhoa.com which will help you develop yourself as a photographer. They have fantastic masterclasses to take your photography to the next level!Â
7. How do you approach working with clients to understand and translate their vision into your photography?
Other than in commercial photography, when I have done photo shoots for clients who own restaurants and hotels, I don’t work with other clients in that way. That is, to understand their vision and translate it into my photography. I predominantly work with clients to project my vision, like when I work with the fantastic team at Photowhoa. Our partnership is great because we spread our vision together and educate the masses.
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Other photography resources by Gim Liu
1. After Dark Photography eBook
2. Steel Wool Photography eBook
8. You recently launched your book on After Dark Photography. What made you turn into an author and are there any new books in the making?
Yes, you can purchase a physical copy of the book ‘A Beginner’s Guide to After Dark Photography with Gimagery’. You can also buy the ebook available.
I turned into an author because of the challenge to write a book as I knew I had the ability to write one and it also being a great way to spread my knowledge.
As for any new books in the making, not at the moment but myself and Photowhoa just collaborated and published a book called ‘The Complete Guide to Steel Wool Photography’ a few weeks ago which you can purchase.
9. Name some photographers whose work you look up to.
Unfortunately, I don’t look up to any other photographers. I am self-taught, picked up skills myself, and developed my own methods. Additionally, my motivation comes solely from within. It primarily comes from trying to outdo myself and create better photos than I made previously. The satisfaction of your idea coming to life, it being a success, and seeing what you have created on the camera screen is indescribable! This is exactly what spurs me on.
What I can say is that I prefer to look up to and also draw inspiration from other highly influential people that I have great respect for and aspire to be like such as the GOAT of football, Cristiano Ronaldo, the cricketer Virat Kohli, the streamer iShowspeed and the rapper Pedro.
10. If not photography, what profession do you think you would like to pursue?
The profession I would like to pursue which I have already started pursuing is in the real estate industry. In March last year, I bought my first property which is in Scotland. It took me around 6 months to renovate which I mostly did myself. After finishing the renovations in September, I successfully got a tenant and rented it out.
I thoroughly enjoyed this project and everything I learned from it so I would like to do it again. As soon as I can I would like to purchase a second property and get it rented out so that would make two I own and collect rent from.
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11. How do you balance the demands of a photography career with your personal life?
I balance the demands of a photography career with my personal life by dedicating time to my practice and keeping them separate from each other. A career and personal life should work symbiotically, with one complimenting the other. The key to keeping the correct balance is being able to prioritize what is most important at that time. My photography career is perfect for me because I can do these things and photography is something I love to do!
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Future Plans
Masterclasses, content creation & more
12. What are your plans for 2024? Are any new exciting projects coming up?
It looks like 2024 will be another exciting year for me! At the start of writing this interview, me and my partner were expecting a baby and he has just been born! So now that our son is here, a big part of 2024 will be bringing him up and settling into family life.
With regards to projects coming up, the main one is me and the team at PhotoWhoa are creating another masterclass for our audience that is on light painting photography which I am working on now so look out for that!
Conclusion: Long Exposure Photography
As we came to an end, it was interesting how steel wool photography can be creative in ways. And how Gim Liu had shown his talent in long-exposure photography.
Gim Liu’s love for long exposure with steel wool photography is visible in his words. How he has explained about his journey is something we can all learn from.
Check out more such tips to click amazing photos here.
