We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alex Cheng a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alex, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
When I was younger, I was incredibly skilled at finding myself in situations that I normally wouldn’t want to be in. I wouldn’t consider myself a “bad” child. Curious might be the better word. Also I had an inclination towards doing the first thing that came to mind. And doing it very clumsily.
It took me 25 years to find out that I have ADHD.
Along with having ADHD, I tend to also be clumsy. I once tripped over a rock (yes, a rock), and scraped my knees so incredibly bad that they are still scarred today. Another time I vainly thought I could jump over a ledge, but that led to the ER. And another time, I thought I was a super talented mountain biker, only to end up with a broken bike and many scrapes and bruises. Not to mention, a sense of defeat.
But I was able to pick myself up after all those occurrences. Today, other than being a photographer, I’m a skier, motorcyclist, and rock climber. So you could say that everyday I take risks.
What I learned from my youth was that risk is what makes life exciting. It’s what creates stories and invites changes. Probably my favorite event of risk taking is when celebrities of the late 1990’s popularized frosted tips. THAT was risky.
There are different levels of risk, and everyone has their own relationship with it. Some love the thrill of high risk, high reward. While others would prefer lower risk, less severe consequences. When you realize risk is all around, and embrace that fact, then life happens.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My photography business, A. Cheng Photos, is all about helping people indulge in their creative ideas. I grew up under the idea that climbing the corporate ladder or going into the medical field was how I provided value to the world. So I thought that my creative endeavors were only meant to be a simple hobby. But that only led to low self-worth and low confidence. After graduating college and working as an engineer for a few years, “what the heck am I doing” and “is this really how I want to live” were constant thoughts in my head. In 2023, I finally decided to break the code and start my own business.
Through A. Cheng Photos, I open the opportunity for my clients to be in control of their own story. I offer collaborative photography sessions, and provide them with a space and time where they feel supported for their choices. If it’s a small business that wants brand recognition, we’ll review their portfolio and create a series of cohesive imagery that will allow them to market to their dream clients. Or if it’s a couple seeking a fun date night — I offer date-night style photography experiences where they can enjoy their date and remember it again and again. I take great pride in what I do, and it is so incredibly rewarding. I look forward to creating more content with brands, and providing couples with photos they can feel.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
First off, I just want to say that success is a subjective word. So whatever your version of success is, own it. Don’t let others define success for you. Honestly that might be the most important mentality to keep when starting a journey.
Other than that, I think what has helped the most in launching A. Cheng Photos, and also in life, was being able to take a moment to breathe. Well, multiple times. You’ll hit a point where there’s a lot going on and you feel like you can’t focus. Your brain is all over the place. It’s stressful! I’ve found what helped me most in these types of situations was an 80-20 rule. That means that 80% of my time, I’d dedicate to working; and the remaining 20% I’d strictly stay away from work and relax – whether that be going for a walk, petting my dog, or just sitting in silence. We’re not robots, so you can adjust the 80-20 rule as you see fit. But the important point is to make sure to allow yourself to take small breaks so that you can re-collect yourself.
To touch on the creativity side of photography, having curiosity really helped me develop my style. I must have watched hundreds of hours of videos about how other photographers set up their camera settings or posed their subjects. That was good for creating a foundation, but my photos looked like everyone else’s and it didn’t feel genuine to me. One day I decided to start relying on my imagination instead, and letting all the “what if” questions flow unfiltered. Photoshoots began to be more dynamic and developed a cool sort of flow. And my editing style changed to be what it is today. Being curious and allowing yourself to explore all the questions in your head will allow you to grow.
But what happens when you’re down in the pits and don’t have motivation? I get that, it happens. I went through it quite a few times also. What helped me get back on my feet and continue pushing to launch A. Cheng Photos was letting myself be vulnerable. Ask for help when help is needed, there’s no shame in it. People may think vulnerability is a weakness, but knowing that you are vulnerable and taking steps to turn it around is part of the story. You’ll learn from it, grow, and know how to handle similar situations in the future.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
I enjoy working with small business fashion brands that want to build their brand recognition and social media presence. Fashion entrepreneurs may have a great catalogue of designs, but those designs won’t sell unless they have a cohesive visual marketing strategy. That’s where I like to come in! I’ll work closely with these brands in order to create a clear brand message and build a series of strategic, cohesive, scroll-stopping content. The goal is for their dream clients to start noticing and buying from them!
I also love to work with couples that want documentary-style photos – similar to wedding style photography, but without having the wedding yet. When you see couples photos, they tend to be the same basic poses. It’s a bit robotic. That’s why I create date-night style photography sessions so that couples can freeze time and create core memories together. These are photos that they can FEEL because the pictures show their unfiltered, unposed moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.achengphotos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/achengphotos/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@achengphotos/
Image Credits
Alex Cheng
