We were lucky to catch up with Suyun Kim recently and have shared our conversation below.
Suyun, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
I think my resilience comes from having to start over, again and again.
Since I was young, I’ve always been someone who could do many things fairly well —
but I was never exceptionally gifted in one thing.
So I kept searching for what I could truly be great at,
and that search led me, eventually, to photography.
Along the way, I wrote, drew, acted, and studied film.
Looking back, I feel like every form of art I practiced
was teaching me how to see the world — how to observe, feel, and express.
Photography became a space where I could turn those observations into something beautiful,
and speak in my own voice — quiet, but with depth and intention.
It might sound a little cold,
but I learned early on that when life gets difficult,
I’m the only one who can truly bring myself back.
That doesn’t mean other people’s support isn’t important —
but for me, resilience means finding my own center again,
and standing up from there.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I began my career in wedding photography —
capturing people’s most meaningful moments and learning what it truly means to be connected to others.
Today, my work has expanded to include families and children through Barking Tiger Photography,
while my wedding brand, Amelliee Photography, continues to tell stories of love and new beginnings.
Recently, I’ve been thoughtfully preparing a creative exhibition project
that invites mothers to explore and express their perspectives through photography.
It’s still in a quiet stage of planning,
but I envision it as a reflective process —
translating emotions and thoughts through different mediums such as painting, writing, or floral art.
Through these gentle, seemingly unnecessary yet beautiful expressions,
I hope to create a space for discovering and sharing one’s own sense of perception.
Although the forms and subjects of my work may differ,
the heart of everything I do is always about people.
Over time, I’ve come to realize that photography is not just about creating beautiful images,
but about understanding relationships and the emotions that live within them.
I used to believe what mattered most was how hard I worked or how good I was,
but now I know the real essence lies in connection.
It’s not always easy — emotions and relationships can’t be mastered like a skill —
but as the world changes,
I feel this is where I need to keep growing:
learning how to build more sincere connections.
That’s what keeps this work meaningful for me.
Because in the end, photography is about seeing people —
and through that, allowing myself to be seen too.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back, I think the three qualities that have most shaped my journey are perspective, patience, and my understanding of film.
The first is perspective — the way I see and interpret the world.
For me, photography is not just about looking,
but about understanding life through my own frame and translating that understanding into something visual.
Seeing through the lens means perceiving the world through my own sensibility,
and that way of seeing has become the foundation of my work.
The second is patience.
Not simply the ability to endure,
but the ability to navigate the range of emotions that come with working closely with people.
Photography, at its heart, is built on human connection.
There are moments of tension, misunderstanding, and unpredictability,
and learning to stay centered through all of that has been essential.
It’s not just about waiting — it’s about approaching every person and every project with sincerity and steadiness.
The last is film.
Studying film taught me the difference between showing and evoking —
between what is seen and what is felt.
That understanding continues to shape how I create images today,
helping me communicate emotion through quiet, cinematic storytelling.
In many ways, film taught me how to connect vision and feeling —
and that has become the language of my photography.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Many people might say they’d spend their last decade with family and friends,
but I think I would spend mine a little more intensely.
Of course, I have a family I love deeply,
but I have to admit — I’m someone who still has a stronger desire to learn,
to grow, and to understand myself through what I do.
I’m constantly learning from this ever-changing world,
and even if I only had ten years left, I know I would still be taking photographs.
Even if it weren’t photography, I’d find another way to express how I see the world.
It’s not just a job — it’s a process of looking inward,
of understanding and evolving through my own work.
In many ways, I’m already recording myself every day through what I do.
To me, recording isn’t simply about leaving traces;
it’s about keeping a living part of myself in the world.
Answering this question makes me wonder —
what kind of person will I be in ten years,
and what will I be thinking then?
It’s a thought that makes me quietly happy.
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Image Credits
All images © Suyun Kim
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
