Five Questions with Katelyn Wang

Current Occupation: Student
Workshops: Bali: Island of the Gods
Instructors: Jamie Rose, John Christopher Anderson

These photos were taken on the Momenta Bali Island of the Gods workshop in Bali, Indonesia from June 12-22, 2018. (Photo by © Katelyn Wang 2018)

1. What motivated you to take a workshop and why did you pick Momenta?

I was looking for a workshop that really allowed me to dive deep into photography, while simultaneously giving me an opportunity to explore a new place. It’s usually one or the other. When I came upon Momenta I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. I signed up right away!

2. What surprised you most about the location you visited?

I have never met a group of people as kind as the ones we encountered on our journey around the island. Everyone was so welcoming to us, and they were so happy to interact and engage with us. It made me feel more confident about my own being there in a foreign country, and I think it made a big difference in my photography too.

3. What was the best lesson you took away from your workshop?

The most valuable thing I got from this workshop was a renewed passion for something I always knew I loved. Having just graduated high school a few weeks before the trip, I always felt a bit disconnected to photography when I was in school. The workshop was the perfect start to my summer, reminding me why I love photography so much and why it is so important in our lives today.

4. What was your favorite photograph from this workshop & why?

It’s honestly hard to pick just one photograph because looking back, they all remind me of different memorable experiences from my time in Bali. My personal favorite photograph would have to be a picture I took at the Jimbaran fish market before dawn. The colors that morning were extraordinary — it was so worth the 5 a.m. departure! It was our second visit to this location, and I’m so glad we came back. The extra time, as well as a more in-depth understanding of the space, really brought out what I was hoping to achieve in my images. We then had the most spectacular breakfast feast with fresh seafood that we picked out from the market and then watched be grilled just a few feet away. What a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

5. What would you tell a potential student to help them prepare for their experience with Momenta?

I would advise them to keep an open mind, because a big part of exploring is the unpredictable encounters along the way. Momenta does a great job with encouraging this mindset as well as putting it into practice.

We would spontaneously stop along the road if there was something interesting going on, and in a place like Bali there was always something you did not want to miss. Our workshop leaders, Chris and Jamie, really broadened my perspective by teaching me how to look for interesting moments like this. In this way, they taught me how to become a better photographer.

I would also tell potential students to be ready for the greatest adventure of their lives, because if my experience I guarantee it will be nothing less.

Katelyn’s Biography:

My name is Katelyn Wang, and I’m an 18-year-old photographer from Los Angeles, California!

My photography aims to showcase the way I see the world, with a focus on the beauty that is present all around us. In direct confrontation and absorption of human life, I find beauty and a drive to consistently look deeper and more precisely. In the indirect observation of human beings, I find beauty in process, routine, behavior, lived life. In landscapes, roadways, cut-outs of the larger spheres and sectors of terrestrial existence, I find a reason for spiritual hope in the beautifully imperfect and endlessly various world in which we dwell and observe. Together, these works showcase my different definitions of beauty, collected like postcards from various parts of the world and various moments of my life. In this way, I participate in the formation and sequence of the images, lending not just artistic perspective, but personal situated-ness and honesty.

Here, there is room for all of us. This is my adventure. Seven billion more are waiting. Find yours.

See Katelyn’s work:

Web: www.katelyn-wang.com
Instagram: @kwangphotos

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