Luna Sweetheart: Will Luo
Dec. 17th 2019
WITH COLORS GALORE AND A INVITING FEELING - Will Luo's unique way of capturing New York City invites the viewer into a warm and dreamy version of the city that never sleeps. The visual artist emphasizes the value in experimentation and simply having fun with your work to create the best results that are truly you. Read below to learn more about how he found his style , how he works best with models and more.
LUNA: How would you describe your visual aesthetic?
LUO: I like things that make me feel nostalgic for something I haven't experienced, so I try to embed that feeling in my photos. Visually it tends to come across as colorful and somewhat psychedelic.
LUNA: How did you find that artistic style?
LUO: I used to look at tons of photos from Ryan McGinley, Ren Hang, Vivian Maier and random stuff on Tumblr. I’m very much into tapping into different influences to create something new. Most everything I’ve learned has been from experimentation or accidents, like damaging my film.
LUNA: Do you think your style would be different if you weren’t in New York?
LUO: I've lived in New York for 5 years now, which is about the longest I've lived in one city. I can't imagine how different I'd be as an artist or as a person if I had been someplace else this entire time.
LUNA: Advice for those wanting to get into film photography?
LUO: Choosing to shoot film over digital is about realizing that there's more to photography than technical perfection. I'd encourage new film photographers to have fun and don’t overthink it.
LUNA: What’s your favorite story behind a photo?
LUO: When I first moved to NYC, my friend and I climbed up the construction site for the tallest building in the city. It was a summer night and we were looking down on all of Manhattan from the top of a crane. It was the most insane thing I had ever done, and it made me realize just how far I could push myself to get a good photo.
LUNA: What role do you think Instagram plays in the creative community?
LUO: It's so easy to discover and connect with all types of creatives on Instagram. We've never had such a centralized place before. I remember when people used different smaller sites like Flickr or Tumblr to post their work, but now everybody is on Instagram. It does make me feel exhausted after a while, so I rarely check it now.
LUNA: How do you get your model comfortable in front of the camera?
LUO: It’s the same as making any person comfortable. Most people I've worked with have been super easy to connect with. I’m kind of a chameleon in social situations. It helps if they share your creative vision, and it makes for better photos when that happens.
LUNA: What’s the biggest way you’ve seen your work evolve?
LUO: I used to copy photos that inspired me, and now I'm making photos that I hope are inspiring others.
LUNA: What do you want people to know about you as an artist?
LUO: Art is therapy for me, and I’m grateful that people are able to appreciate what I do.
