Meet Ghawam Kouchaki | Photographer/Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ghawam Kouchaki and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ghawam, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Early in my journey as a photographer, I faced criticism for being too distant from my subjects. I acted on advice from several people to get closer and it improved my photos but also helped me discover my unique style.

The biggest risk I embraced was incorporating flash into my photography. It’s a giant signal to unsuspecting people saying, “I’m taking your picture.”

Flash photography, often perceived as invasive and exploitative, can provoke adverse reactions. Yet, immersing myself in these challenging moments enabled me to capture the essence of the places I photographed, particularly during my travels in Tokyo.

Tokyo served as the crucible where I refined these skills. Despite numerous tense situations, the photos I captured outweighed all of the hazards associated with this style of photography. These risks were essential for authentically portraying the vibrant energy of Tokyo’s streets.

In life and art, pushing boundaries is essential for growth. In today’s digital age, where social media inundates us with images in every facet of our lives, photographers must take risks if they want to crave out a name for themselves in this highly competitive field we live in today.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a street photographer, I work mainly in Downtown Los Angeles, but I’ve shot around Iran and Tokyo as well.

While some photographers focus on capturing reflections or street portraits, my passion lies in discovering moments that resonate with my experiences of navigating through a city. I find inspiration in photographers who share a similar ethos—they seize fleeting moments that reflect something intrinsic, a recognition of shared emotions and experiences.

Street photography remains a relentless challenge, even for those photographers who admire as masters. Regardless of skill level, there are bound to be both good and bad days. Personally, I’ve yet to reach a point where I’m completely satisfied with my work. However, I’ve come to understand that embracing failure and letting go of the pursuit of perfection are essential for growth in this genre. The temptation to strive for flawlessness is a common trap in the arts. It wasn’t until I allowed myself to fail that I began to progress, evolving not just as a photographer but as an artist.

The best advice I can give as a photographer is to find a style you’re comfortable with, it might not be street photography, and it might not be the style of street photography I practice, but finding your voice is one of the most essential parts of being an artist, what do you have to say about the world?

Something people should know early on is that the best camera for them is the one which allows you to get the image you see in front of you and get out of your way. Forget brands and bokeh, the best camera is the one where you don’t really have to think and just shoot.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Grand Central Market, The Broad, LACMA, MOCA, Santa Monica Pier, Little Tokyo Table Tennis, The Last Bookstore, The Smell, and ilCaffè.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are several people I’d like to mention who’ve helped me not only grow as an artist, but as a person.

Eduardo Acosta, he’s an animation character designer and photographer I met while doing street photography in Downtown Los Angeles. He’s invaluable to my growth as an artist, not because of his encouragement, but his advice on not centering my subjects, making editing a priority in my photography, and encouraging me to look at art as a way to develop my visual palate. He gives a lot of advice and I think it’s invaluable, especially when many people today treat other artists as competition.

Channing R. Salazar, is my best friend and is a great artist in his own right. We encourage each other a lot and the mantra we repeat to one another is, “Don’t stop, keep going”. Even when we both feel like we aren’t making any progress, it’s that mantra and our relationship that keeps us going and following this path we started back in high school.

Emyr Ap Richard, he’s my mentor and one of my biggest facilitators of growth as an artist. In our industry today, it’s common to encounter social climbers, and I recognize that networking is an integral part of the job. However, the level of time and mentorship he dedicated to a complete stranger, expecting nothing in return, exemplifies a kindness rarely seen in today’s competitive landscape. Through his guidance, I not only learned the art of storytelling but also discovered my own voice as an artist. I owe much of who I am as an artist to his selflessness, and I aspire to extend the same level of kindness to someone else in need in the future.

Kamran Assadi, he was one of my role models, growing up as a child of immigrants, a career in the arts is not something encouraged by your parents. I’m thankful to have an uncle like him who not only encouraged my artistic pursuits, but continues to this day help me grow as an artist to this day.

Nazi Kouchaki, my aunt and one of my biggest fans, she was one of the other people during my childhood who facilitated my growth as an artist. She’s very well connected with many artists in Iran and being exposed to much of that part of Iranian culture helped give me the confidence to pursue art as a career. She’s always been in my corner ever since I was a kid and thanks to her invaluable support I was able to create my first photo book, “The Last Summer”.

There are a lot more people to thank, but I want to say I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for the many people I encountered in life, the common thing they all gave me was their time, it’s the most valuable thing you can offer in life.

Website: https://www.ghawamkouchaki.com

Instagram: ghawam.kouchaki

Image Credits
Ghawam Kouchaki