From Orchestra Pits to Wedding Aisles with Benny Chiu
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[00:00:00]
[00:00:29] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Benny, I am so happy we're doing this. First of all, it's very early your time. not as early my time and, it's always nice to see your face in the morning. The only time I get to see your face in the morning is when we're at trade shows, so this is nice.
[00:00:47] Benny Chiu: That's true. I am a night owl, so you know.
[00:00:52] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: so I'm gonna kick this off with, tell me about your history with music. I know that originally when,you were like, [00:01:00] Hey, would I be a good fit? You were a little hesitant. And I'm like, I don't, it doesn't matter how deep in music you were before going into photography. I wanna, I want to hear about it because the crossover in the industry, which I do plan on surveying the industry. To get a
[00:01:15] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:01:15] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: of the true crossover percentage, but, the crossover's gotta be pretty big. So tell me about your history with music.
[00:01:28] Benny Chiu: Alright, I wanna say, okay, so one of my first instruments I ever played was a violin.
[00:01:36] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
[00:01:37] Benny Chiu: and that was back in, so I'm, okay. So this little fam family fun history, I guess. I grew up watching my oldest brother learn violin and then. I don't quite remember my second brother playing piano, but that's what, that's what my parents was like, oh, you know, one played violin, one played piano, they'll be perfect duets, you know?
but then when they got to [00:02:00] me, 'cause I'm like, I'm six years younger than my second brother. So when they got to me, they were like, ah, they gave up, you know, they're like, just. Like, whatever. Right. So they didn't even offer to take me to a music lesson, because I, but because I remember my oldest brother playing violin.
When I got to middle school, I was like. I wanna play violin, like there's an orchestra. So, so yeah, I, so my parents were pretty shocked, so I was able to use my brother's violin to, get, some private lessons and then I was in orchestra all the way through,high school.
yeah, I play violin. Yeah.
[00:02:40] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Cool.
[00:02:41] Exploring Musical Preferences and Influences
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[00:02:41] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: and when you were playing, like what was your, what was your favorite. Type of music to play? Was it the classical classics, for lack of a better word, or is it, musicals, was it, something more modern? Like what, what was it that you really liked [00:03:00] playing while you were playing it?
[00:03:04] Benny Chiu: Okay, so if you ask me this, remember names I can't remember,
[00:03:06] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:03:07] Benny Chiu: but I really love like melodic ones. So like Mozart
[00:03:10] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Hmm.
[00:03:11] Benny Chiu: as one of those, or like, the famous like les
[00:03:14] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm.
[00:03:14] Benny Chiu: of type of songs. so, so anything that has like a very melodic feel to it. like, but back, I feel like back then when we learned instrument,it was kind of, unheard of.
Like play modern music, right? Like with violin, I mean, now nowadays you like, if hear that people use like classical instruments play like pop music, right? it kind of integrate into the, like the, pop genre or like, I don't know, heavy rock kind of thing. Right? but, but when I, but back when I was learning, it was mostly just like classics.
Yeah.
[00:03:49] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: it's interesting because there's, you met, you brought up. Integrating violin, for example, to pop music. There's so many,types of [00:04:00] music these days that I would say in the past maybe 15 years, where violin, cello, these instruments that you wouldn't expect to be in rock, right, or metal, like hard, you know, heav heavier hitting music that you wouldn't expect these instruments to be in and. now they're in it, and it's just, sometimes it catches you, catches you off guard. and sometimes those instruments are the forefront. but my favorite is 'cause there's a band, I don't know, I, wanna say they're from like the Midwest somewhere, but band's called cursive. and the cellos, like besides from the singer's voice, which is quite unique, the cellos, what? Stand out.so I always thought that was interesting and that's like a rock band. but then you get bands. Have you heard of Sigur Ros from Iceland?
[00:04:50] Benny Chiu: No, I haven't.
[00:04:51] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: So they're a very of ambientband [00:05:00] and. They don't, I don't think they have a violin in the band. However, guitarist experiments a lot and actually does use a violin bow on his guitar,
[00:05:13] Benny Chiu: Oh,
[00:05:14] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: and it's super interesting. Yeah.
[00:05:16] Benny Chiu: Wow. How do you even do that? Because the, the guitar is flat.
[00:05:22] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: It's,
[00:05:23] Benny Chiu: you know, violin, there's a bridge. So it's, it's, it's bowed. Interesting.
[00:05:28] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Interesting.
Yeah. if you hear the music it might make more sense 'cause it's a lot of
[00:05:33] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:05:34] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: it's a lot of that like constant, one chord going for a little bit
[00:05:41] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:05:41] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: and with
[00:05:42] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:05:43] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: effects and it's really interesting. so was there a defining moment, While you were, while music was something you were focusing on, was there a defining moment that stood out?
Maybe a solo performance or something like that that stood out from [00:06:00] the violin?
[00:06:00] Benny Chiu: not, okay. Not quite the violin, I think. I think violin was like, I. I think it's something, something I grew up watching my brother doing, so I think I just naturally wanted to do it. but I actually, but I actually went into, playing drums for a while, so it was like. Kinda the opposite, right? So like, yeah.
And then, so I was like, getting into, and then drums, I actually never had a private lesson. the only reason I got into drums was 'cause, I, I was very in, I was very involved in like, youth group, right? Church and stuff. So, so I was, I wanted to play. So I ended up picking up, drums just to p play on the play on the church, like worship team.
And so that, that was like my, that was more of a, actually playing in front of people than like, the violin. The violin was more like, yeah, part of the orchestra. Like, oh, you know, you only have like a concert like every so often, right? Like throughout the school [00:07:00] year. but yeah. And then,
[00:07:02] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: So,
[00:07:03] Benny Chiu: yeah, so I, I don't know.
Yeah.
[00:07:04] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: is there, is there a moment that really
[00:07:06] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:07:06] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: out? like, you, you have a memory to this day of, for example.
[00:07:10] Benny Chiu: I think
not like, I don't, I don't have particular, I just remember like, I. I, I just remember playing it and then, you know, of course you, you're like on stage playing and then that's, that's all I kind of just remember like, people like it, right? Because the, especially if you're playing like a worship songs, like,you're the, you kinda mess up really, right?
'cause the drums are like the main, the main beat to the, to the music. So, I just remember like, you know, don't ruin people's mood. You know, like that's, that's, yeah.
[00:07:41] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: my, my, my, my wife this year was moved from teaching in the middle school to teaching in high school. For the
[00:07:47] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:07:47] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: ever in her entire teaching career,
[00:07:49] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:07:50] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: to the high school.
[00:07:51] Benny Chiu: Wow.
[00:07:51] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: and her first day of school, oh no, it wasn't the first day of school. It was, the day before. It was like a teacher's only. Day. Right. [00:08:00] But,
[00:08:00] Benny Chiu: Okay. Yeah.
[00:08:01] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: like the football team and the marching band and they all start practicing over the summer, prior to the school actually starting, they had drumline to welcome all the teachers into the school that, that
[00:08:12] Benny Chiu: Oh, that's cool.
[00:08:13] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: so my wife for the first time ever experienced a drumline
[00:08:18] Benny Chiu: Oh, wow.
That's amazing.
[00:08:20] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: like drumming is so impressive when you're a good drummer. It's really impressive. drum line. There's almost nothing more impressive than a drum line when they're like. perfectly in sync
[00:08:30] Benny Chiu: It's like. It's the top.
[00:08:33] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:08:33] Benny Chiu: Top of the top. Yeah.
[00:08:34] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: It's so
[00:08:35] Benny Chiu: Yeah,
[00:08:36] Scott Wyden Kivowitz:
[00:08:36] Transition from Music to Photography
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[00:08:36] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: so,what, what made the shift from, you know, you were doing, some violin, you did some drumming. How'd photography come
[00:08:45] Benny Chiu: yeah.
[00:08:46] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: into the, into your world? Like, how'd that shift come?
[00:08:51] Benny Chiu: okay, so photography has always been, So photography has always been kind of in my life. Like I think it's just my, my dad was a [00:09:00] big camera guy, so whenever we had like, family trips, he, he would, we would have trips with like his group of friends.
So like we would have like a bunch of the, you know, a little ones. All we all. Go together. And my dad, so with among his group of friends, he was always a photographer, so he was the one that would document everything. So I kind of picked that up as I, as I was growing up.
So even for my friends and like middle school, high school, I usually would have a camera with me. This is, this is the 35 millimeter days, so I would always have with me. And then, so yeah, so I would, I would just already start documenting, but, for music wise, I've always been into like slide shows.
So this is like, this is before like Animoto type of thing, you know, like when music are sinking to the pictures. So, but I've always, really into that. So like, So when I first found out about Animoto, I was like, oh my gosh, there is a, there is a world that's like that. [00:10:00] Put the two together.
Like I have, I was like, trying to imagine. So, so yeah, I, I, I don't know if I had to shift. I just feel like it was kind of like the. At the same time, you know, 'cause 'cause I, I see, when I hear the music, I can see it's like I see a slideshow going.
[00:10:18] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:10:18] Benny Chiu: So yeah.
[00:10:20] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: That's, that's
[00:10:21] Benny Chiu: I dunno if that makes sense.
[00:10:22] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. It, it makes total sense.
it, it makes me think your clients, your photography clients must love the heck out of the slideshows you, you might make for them. Or, know, when, if you do IPS, you know what I mean? Like, they, they must, they must really enjoy the experience. if you, if you love it that much, it probably comes through for your clients as well.
[00:10:48] Benny Chiu: Okay, so for, that's the funny part, you know, like I, in the beginning I was kind of creating these like synced slice shows for them, but I never really get like a. Actual, [00:11:00] like, I, I get a few, obviously, they're like, oh yeah, this, these are great many, you know. But then after a while I was like, I don't know.
You know how like with photographers, we send out galleries and we're like, well, we did hear back anything. So they wasn't like, they mustn't like it, you know?
[00:11:13] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:11:14] Benny Chiu: so for a while I was doing it, but I was like, ah, didn't really like it. You know, I haven't really like, and, and then, and then, but I think the mix between like social media, right?
Like we've, we've taken like. Before we would take a whole song and then we would syn it right to the, to the rhythm or like to the beat, and then so. You would do, have you, you would end up being like a three, four seconds. Like, which is, which is pretty good for like image be on, on the screen to enjoy.
Right. But then now, because social media is, we had, this is when it first wrote out the reels, right? It was like, oh, 30 seconds or no, like, 15 seconds or something like that, right when it first came out. So it's like, well now we gotta condense like a three minute song into a 15 second thing. And then like, [00:12:00] you can't really s you know,
[00:12:02] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:12:02] Benny Chiu: I think.
I think at that point I felt a little discouraged, like, oh, like you can't really take the time to enjoy the photos with the music.
[00:12:12] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:12:13] Benny Chiu: But, but now that they extended it, I, I feel like, oh, okay, now we can have a little bit more of a sneak peek type of thing, you know?
[00:12:21] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah,
[00:12:22] Benny Chiu: yeah.
[00:12:23] Modern Tools and Client Engagement
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[00:12:23] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Have you, know you use, you use Fundy for your album designs, correct?
[00:12:28] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
Yeah.
[00:12:29] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: have you, embraced the tools, all the modern tools that are available for making the reels, making slideshows? Are, are you,like what, what is, what does that, what's that look like for you from the tool set standpoint?
[00:12:45] Benny Chiu: a tool set standpoint. I, okay, so.
I haven't used, I haven't really got myself into cap cut. but even though I feel like cap cutt is probably the most, advanced in [00:13:00] like actually doing really good syncing with music. but before, but this is, I think this is also because I got, I think I just got burned out from like making these, synced slideshows.
Things like, like, You know, and then not get much response for it. But, but before I was using, I, I loved like the Animoto type
[00:13:19] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm. '
[00:13:19] Benny Chiu: cause they were, they were the first ones to come out with the, the syncing
[00:13:23] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yep.
[00:13:23] Benny Chiu: and they were great. 'cause then it was a full song and all that stuff. So, Fundy does have a slide show, one, but it doesn't, it doesn't sink to beats.
Yeah.
[00:13:35] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: social templates co as a, as a simple alternative?
[00:13:40] Benny Chiu: Yeah, I've looked, looked into it. Yeah.
[00:13:42] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Okay. Yeah, so
[00:13:43] Benny Chiu: I, I haven't really used it yet though.
[00:13:45] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: that it's, Not a separate app you need to install. The fact that it literally
[00:13:49] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:13:49] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Instagram templates that already beat matched ready to go, I think is a really nice, aspect to it to just make it less daunting to create it. Right. You're just loading up
[00:13:59] Benny Chiu: I. [00:14:00]
[00:14:00] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: or
[00:14:00] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:14:01] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: whatever it is from the day into your phone and then, you know, in seconds you got it done. Right. I think it's a
[00:14:08] Benny Chiu: Yeah. I do have a question though. Those templates that you have, like set, set songs, right?
[00:14:13] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
So, an when Angela designs them, she designs them
[00:14:17] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:14:17] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: the trending music, the ones that are ready.
[00:14:20] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:14:20] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Instagram's telling you use these, they're gonna perform well. That's what she bases the
[00:14:25] Benny Chiu: All right. Okay.
[00:14:26] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. So,do you think that your background with music has influenced how you connect with your clients for photography? Anyway.
[00:14:36] Benny Chiu: Let's let, I'm gonna expand
I guess I,
[00:14:38] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: little bit.
[00:14:39] Benny Chiu: yeah. Okay.
[00:14:40] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: question because music is also teamwork. Do you think it's also influenced how you work with second shooters or videographers that are with you on that day, or the DJs or the band or whatever? Overall, do you think music has impacted how, how you work with your clients or [00:15:00] peers?
[00:15:00] Benny Chiu: that's a really good question.
[00:15:01] The Orchestra and Teamwork in Music
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[00:15:01] Benny Chiu: and I probably never had thought it that way, but I think it definitely does because, because I had learned how to play in the orchestra, right? So in orchestra there's first violin.
Second violin is, is, there's a viola, right? There's the cello in this base. So. right. We all have to work in sync in order to get across the music. So, and same thing with the drums, right? You have to play with the whole band. So, I guess maybe Unconsciously or consciously, you just naturally learn how to work with people in that way.
I guess.
[00:15:38] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:15:38] Benny Chiu: never, I never thought about it that way, but I guess it does. It's kind of like the base, right? Like fun fundamentals. Yeah.
[00:15:46] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah, there's, you've gotta have, you've gotta have that foundation right in, in the case of music, the bass, the drums, you gotta have the foundation photography. There's gotta be a foundation of some sort. Maybe for some it's taking the lead from the wedding [00:16:00] planner. Maybe for some weddings you've gotta take the lead 'cause there is no wedding planner and you, you have the most experience.
Right. So, I think it's, I think there's lessons there, right? As, as musicians working with others. are there any specific songs or albums that inspire you with your photography or inspire you when you're doing your calling and your editing and the post-production work? Anything that you have, that you like your go-to when you're, to listen to when you're doing your thing?
[00:16:29] Music Preferences During Editing
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[00:16:29] Benny Chiu: When I'm, When I, Okay. so when I'm edit, actually editing,I can't have like two soft music. Okay. So I grew up listening to classical music to go to sleep, and I would literally, like, I would play classical music. I to sleep. and, but then I can't do that while I'm editing 'cause I would just wanna go to sleep. so I actually listen to a lot of, like dubstep,
[00:16:51] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Okay.
[00:16:51] Benny Chiu: like chill step kind of songs. what is it? future bass.so any, anything that's, so it kind of ties to [00:17:00] my drumming. era, I
[00:17:02] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:17:02] Benny Chiu: we call it,
[00:17:03] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yep.
[00:17:04] Benny Chiu: like a lot of beats. so as far as like editing wise, like actually working, I need that kind of music to kind of like, as a motivator, like to keep me going. but when I'm doing like social media stuff, obviously.I guess I'm a little different. I like, I really like rhythm melodic stuff. So then sometimes they're not the most romantic looking sounding songs.
[00:17:30] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:17:31] Benny Chiu: really good rhythm.
[00:17:32] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Right.
[00:17:32] Benny Chiu: really good melody.
[00:17:34] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
[00:17:35] Benny Chiu: so I think, I feel like I'm always a little torn.
It's like, 'cause like, you know, oh, you know, like doing weddings, like you have to have like romantic songs, like, you know, but I'm like, Yeah, I listen to like, even though the lyrics can be really good, I really more focus on the melodic side. So,
[00:17:55] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: That's cool.
[00:17:56] Benny Chiu: so Yeah,
I don't know. I always feel a little torn, like,
oh yeah, I should have [00:18:00] romantic songs on my social, my on my page, you know, 'cause
[00:18:03] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: yeah, yeah. Well that's good. That's good. so.
[00:18:07] Photographing Musicians and Inspirations
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[00:18:07] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: If you could photograph any musician, whether or band, past or present, who would it be and why?
[00:18:20] Benny Chiu: Ooh.there's too many
I guess for photo wise, like, 'cause you like, in order to capture like an actual,action, right? Like in photo, I feel like the, it has to be like very emotive, right? Like very like, like, you know, action. So. I, I guess my first artist that come to.
my mind is like, have you heard of, have you ever heard of Vanessa Mae? She's actually the first one to, but you, you've heard of, Lindsey Stirling. Right.
[00:18:59] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. [00:19:00] Oh yeah. Yeah.
[00:19:01] Benny Chiu: Okay. Okay. So Vanessa Mae is actually. The first one that ever brought, electric violin in with pop music or like rock music
before Lindsay made it, like, like more,
streamlined.
[00:19:16] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:19:18] Benny Chiu: So, so. So in, in that way, I feel like if I were to capture somebody, it would be like, little action shots, like playing violin, like actually like rocking out to music.
[00:19:32] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Vanessa.
[00:19:32] Benny Chiu: that would be, yeah,
Vanessa, oh, I mean, she was the one, she, okay, so Vanessa
[00:19:37] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: looking her up by the way. I'm just Googling her.
[00:19:39] Benny Chiu: Yeah. Yeah. But so mine, Vanessa, may is more like rock style, right? Like she's very like, it's very classical, but it's still very rock. But
Lindsay stirring is a little different. She's like more, ballet type, right?
[00:19:51] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Mm-hmm.
[00:19:52] Benny Chiu: she's more like spinning, like dance, like kind of
[00:19:54] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: It's, she's like, I, I consider her cinematic, like she's [00:20:00] performing more than just rocking out. Yeah, yeah.
[00:20:04] Benny Chiu: So she's very like, you know, she just kind of flows like with her dance, right.
[00:20:07] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: yeah.
[00:20:08] Benny Chiu: Vanessa Mae, back then it was more like. It was already a very, like a, what do you call it? like the, the classical people didn't like it 'cause she, she had brought like classical music into like this rock, you know, theme. then, but then she was like, Yeah.
So anyway, I feel like she's the first one that comes to my mind. Like
[00:20:27] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Nice. That's.
[00:20:29] Benny Chiu: photo.
[00:20:29] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Great answer. I'm definitely gonna listen and watch some videos of her playing, later when we're done. I love Liz. I love watching Lindsey Stirling, so it's, it'll be a nice treat to see another,
[00:20:40] Benny Chiu: I feel like she plays a lot of like, pop, like
[00:20:42] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: yeah.
[00:20:43] Benny Chiu: music, like pop music, right?
[00:20:44] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yep.
[00:20:45] Benny Chiu: May, at the time, she would remix the classical music
[00:20:49] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:20:50] Benny Chiu: like a rock,style, you know? So it's like classical music for,
[00:20:55] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: It's gonna be cool. Yeah.
[00:20:57] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:20:57] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: excited to listen to that. okay. [00:21:00] So improv is like a key in, in many styles of music, right?how does that spirit of improv translate to your work as a photographer, especially in unpredictable live settings, like weddings can be.
[00:21:18] Benny Chiu: I mean, I guess, that's a good question. Let me think.I think, Okay. so I think for violin, this'll probably, I don't know, I think I, I guess for violin's a little bit more different 'cause you're like, you're the main melody where you play violin mostly. So, so you kind of just follow what's, but I think, I guess, I don't know. I, that's a good question.I guess what, I guess when I was playing violin, I didn't get into the. Like improvisation too much. So, but I, but I can see that, as a, as a, like a true pro, then you can, you can improvise. 'cause you know, the, all the chords, right. And you can, you can [00:22:00] kind of, dance around a little bit within the chords to, to still sound good, even if you like, mess up or something, you know? Yeah.
[00:22:08] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: this is gonna be a fun one. this I've only asked one other person this question.
[00:22:12] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:22:14] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: If your photography style was a genre of music, what would it be and why?
It's a hard one.
[00:22:21] Benny Chiu: music.
[00:22:21] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: very hard one.
[00:22:23] Benny Chiu: Well, because there's so many genres.
[00:22:24] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: I know. I know. And, and some people make up genres of music, which is even crazier, so it's like. You know, like some people, it's like you, you look at, punk rock and you're like, punk rock is a genre. It's just, it's just rock. It's just a subset of rock, right? So
[00:22:43] Benny Chiu: You, yeah.
[00:22:43] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: it, it could really be anything you want.
or it could be a combination of two genres if you want. It's whatever, whatever you think. There's no wrong answer.
[00:22:52] Benny Chiu: I guess it depends on where I'm shooting. I
[00:22:54] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Okay.
[00:22:54] Benny Chiu: I'm doing weddings, weddings, I feel like.I feel like, yeah, if I'm [00:23:00] shooting weddings, feel like the classical side of me plays a lot because,
[00:23:05] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: can see that.
[00:23:06] Benny Chiu: Because, I, like, I mean, in my photography, I really love a lot of, like motions, right?
But, you know, stop motion pretty much, right? Like, you, you stop the in
action. So, I usually like my couples to kind of be in motion for me to like capture the photo. then, so it has to kind of be like, it goes back to the melodic side, right? Like. I hear like, I have this like, maybe like a vision of like how the song would be, but not like there's no action notes, right.
It just, it's just kind visual. and then so like had to kind of give 'em instructions to like, okay, can you like do this? And then kind of hoping that they would kind of go with the flow of what I have in mind and then, and then capture that. So, I think for weddings, classical probably has a lot to do with it.and then, but like, but like, one of my favorite [00:24:00] things to capture on wedding days are actually the open dancing. 'cause then, sometimes I, I, I need to go through my footage sometimes. 'cause I started recording myself like POV.but do this a lot with all the guests when they're dancing is like, like some people would just stand inside.
We take pictures of people dancing, but I actually, I actually go into the floor and then I, I sometimes I'll turn on my,my video light on my camera, I mean, on my flash, so that I can get their attention on me. So when I go to them, and then if they're, if they're really into it, like. They'll dance.
They'll like dance in front of the camera, like into the camera, like as if I have a video camera, but you know, so then I'll, I'll kind of, move with them a little bit and then, and then get them to like, oh, like he wants to dance. And then I get pictures of that and get the
[00:24:45] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. Which is very much not classic. So that's really interesting. That's,
[00:24:50] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:24:50] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: yeah, so there's a, maybe it's modern, classic.
[00:24:56] Benny Chiu: I don't know. Well, I, that's why I feel like, that's why I [00:25:00] feel like, like Vanessa Mae type of music is very fitting because
[00:25:05] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:25:05] Benny Chiu: you're taking a classic.
music, right? Classical music
[00:25:08] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:25:09] Benny Chiu: and then, but then you're twisting it a little bit. Yeah.
[00:25:11] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: I am curious
[00:25:13] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:25:14] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: like in Spotify and Apple Music, I'm looking it up right now, what genre she's considered. it looks like,
[00:25:22] Benny Chiu: Yeah.
[00:25:23] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: looks like she's just under composer. So that leaves it out there.
[00:25:28] Benny Chiu: Interesting.
[00:25:29] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.yeah, just, just really, she's just under a com composer. Let's go to, like, I'm gonna go to one album.
Let's see. I'll just go to an album and it's under classical,
[00:25:39] Benny Chiu: Yeah, because she, she, I, I feel like she's the one that started the real, like really,using a classical, instruments to play like pop music. And so.
she kind of mixed it two, but then the next, generation was like, well, we'll just take the instrument and play, play the actual pop music, and
[00:25:58] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah.
[00:25:58] Benny Chiu: yeah. [00:26:00] Yeah.
[00:26:00] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Yeah. Well, I think, I think, that description of your work, I could definitely see it. So that's, that's good.
[00:26:07] Benny Chiu: see it? Like, does it, does
yeah.
[00:26:08] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: yeah, I can visualize it a hundred percent.last question for you, and
[00:26:13] Benny Chiu: Okay.
[00:26:13] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: i
[00:26:13] Advice for Musicians Transitioning to Photography
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[00:26:13] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: s a, this is a good one for any musician out there who's listening to this, who's watching this, what is one piece of advice you would give to a musician who's thinking about picking up a camera for the first time?
[00:26:29] Benny Chiu: Like any, like any instrument, you want to put in as much time as possible. And then, so. Right? Like, like, let's just say, yeah, any instrument really, like the violin, even drums, as long as you put in time, you'll, you'll eventually like learn from your mistakes, right? And then, and then you, you know, you kind of continue to improve your progress. So same thing with cameras. Like, I think, I think when I. [00:27:00] Even though I started very young, like taking pictures with my 35 millimeter like pointing shoot, like, I still feel like, that, that has taught me to, like, especially with film, right? Like you, you can't waste your film. So you have to like, one by one and then, and then it teaches you be patient.
'cause then after you take it, you have to like wait for it to develop. Like, you know, a week later you're like, okay, now I gotta go through and like, did I mess up? Or, you know, oh, how come this thing's. Blurry. but I think it's, I think they're very, very intertwined. Like, put in the time?
just be patient, like, you're not gonna just go to buy a, the, the best instrument or camera and then like automatically be, be be the best, photographer, you know, or, or, whatever instrument you're playing.
So,
yeah.
[00:27:44] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Nice. Well said. Benny, this has been fantastic. I'm so glad we made this happen. Can you please share with those listening and I'll, I'll put everything in the show notes where they can check out your beautiful photography.
[00:27:59] Benny Chiu: you can find [00:28:00] me on, Facebook and Instagram. I should, I should probably join the other ones too.
do, but don't, I don't pose on there. BYC photography,B as in boy, Y as in, I don't know, yellow, C as in color. you'll find all my work there. And,hopefully kinda see what we talked about today in my, in my portfolio.
[00:28:23] Scott Wyden Kivowitz: Amazing. Thank so much for, for joining me and chatting about all this. It's such a fun topic.
[00:28:29] Benny Chiu: Thanks for having me.