Today we’d like to introduce you to Trace Le.
Hi Trace, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I always had an interest in photography but never really pursued it until mid 2020 when I got out the Marine Corps and came back home. I pushed myself to buy my first camera, the Sony A7iii, from a friend and from there on out I knew there was no going back. At the time I was super into just trying out different shoots I’ve seen on Pinterest, like shooting with a prism, shooting in Dave & Busters, Ikea shoots, automotive shoots, etc.
I never really started to invest my time into learning more about photography until June 2021, when I met new friends that were creatives and really just took me in and allowed me to come to their shoots to shoot behind the scenes pictures for them. One thing led to another, I met some amazing creatives I get to call my friends and I got to network more with other people and people started to trust my vision in photography, which led to me starting to take on serious inquiries on fashion shoots, event shoots, and product shoots.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Photography definitely has not been a smooth road for me. There were moments when I would have really bad imposter syndrome and would question my skills in shooting and editing. I would feel afraid to plan shoots and to come up with concepts, because I wasn’t really sure how to speak up. But thankfully though, this has also taught me to stop doubting my craft and to just do it, and learn as I go, to always be open to learning new things and taking things with a grain of salt.
It honestly really shook me when my friends were supporting my work, giving me lots of pointers and would recommend me to other people.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a freelance photographer and graphic designer as well! Since I’ve been employed as a graphic designer though I mostly am focused on photography. I try to do a bit of everything like automotive shoots, product shoots, fashion shoots, event shoots, etc!
What I’m most proud of is definitely the growth I’ve made compared to when I started. What always intimated me was that I was afraid my work could never be up there with my friends. But looking at all the support I have now and the people that believe in my craft, it truly reminds me how much I’ve grown as a creative.
What sets me apart from others is that I’m very open to different shoots, and always am down to learn and explore new types of shoots.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories was watching my dad learning and getting into photography. He also taught me certain pointers as a photographer, like rule of thirds and attention to detail.
So one of my favorite things I used to do was to take walks with my dad around the city in Berlin, Germany and I’d watch him take pictures and he would explain to me as to why he would shoot a certain way. It also helped me really form an eye on how I take my pictures today!
Contact Info:
- Email: tracethle@gmail.com
- Website: https://lae.design
- Instagram: laez.log
Image Credits
Trace Le
