Meet Rachel Lam | Creative Director, Student, Photographer

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

Hi Rachel, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
My favorite quote is “Live every day like it’s your last.” I like it because, sometimes, I have a tendency to procrastinate and take the ordinary moments for granted. Life is unpredictable, filled with surprises, and things can change suddenly and dramatically. Embracing this quote means striving to make the most out of each day. It encourages me to do my best within the constraints of the 24 hours I have, which doesn’t necessarily mean filling every moment with work. To me, fulfillment comes from balancing productivity with rest and personal enjoyment. The “you only have one shot” mindset pushes me to make decisions without relying on second chances or backups, minimizing regrets and maximizing the belief that my choices are the best I can make in the moment. This approach not only enhances my daily life but also keeps me focused on living meaningfully and without delay.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I would consider myself someone who works in between art and business.

I started out as a street photographer who specialises in night photography, because I wanted to document the faded neon-signs in Hong Kong before they were demolished in the city. Therefore, I started the project “Ngai4 Hung4” (Cantonese for neon sign), not only preserved these glowing artifacts but also defined the vivid neon color palette that characterizes my Instagram page.

My journey into photography was unconventional. I think lacking formal training helped setting my style apart from others, I approached my work with an experimental mindset, embracing elements like surreal exposure and extreme colors that might be considered incorrect in professional settings. This freedom from traditional “correctness” allowed my style to evolve distinctively, especially visible when I later attended film school and was introduced to industry standards. For example, I would play around with the split tone tool to distort the tone instead of editing the color temperature, where in some settings having a balanced temperature is encouraged during production.

Balancing the dual roles of an independent artist and a full-time student presented substantial challenges, especially when it came to managing my brand, handling social media, and producing art prints on my own. Financial constraints were a constant reality, pushing me to innovate continually.

It’s not easy because the fact of being a full-time student, self-funding projects could make you miserable. I think one toughest part of being an artist is when there’s a lack of resources, because reality matters.
Reality bites, and when you’re trying to make ends meet, the pressure can sometimes feel overwhelming. However, witnessing the growth of my brand—from zero followers to receiving heartwarming notes at my exhibitions—has been incredibly fulfilling. Transitioning from a novice, randomly pressing camera buttons, to capturing life’s significant moments like graduations and engagements, where clients place their trust in me, has been a transformative experience.
A major turning point came during the pandemic in 2020 when I ventured into transforming my art into a business through NFTs. This not only helped sustain my living expenses during those uncertain times but also allowed me to explore and adapt to innovative concepts. The experience was enlightening—I learned to manage client relationships, effectively market my products, and build a personal brand. Each day brought new lessons and opportunities. That experience has continued to influence me, especially with the rise of AI in the art field, which has revolutionized content creation processes. This journey has also prepared me to navigate and thrive in the evolving landscape of digital art.

I learned a few lessons during my entire journey
1. Always learning: Trends change, and that does not mean that you have to adapt your style to what’s viral out there. Understanding trends brings in a fresh perspective in deciding what to do next with your style, and also keeps your standard up to date?
2. Open Mindedness: Even though I have established my art style already, I realised that it does not translate into a new environment as easily. In my case, I moved to Los Angeles, and I realised the environment is drastically different from Hong Kong. So I started to merge into the automotive and fashion photography,

Looking ahead, I am eager to apply my creative experience to problem-solving in business solutions, particularly as a creative marketer. This role not only aligns with my skills but also challenges me to apply my artistic insights in new, impactful ways.

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.
Here’s a snapshot of our itinerary:

Day 1: Classic LA Welcome

In-N-Out Burger: Right after landing, we’d hit this iconic burger joint for a taste of classic California.
Cruise on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway): We’d take a scenic drive along the coast to soak in those stunning ocean views.

Day 2: Beach and Seafood

Broad Street Oyster Co.: For lunch, we’d enjoy some of the freshest seafood in a laid-back setting.
Beach Day: Spend the afternoon lounging and playing on one of LA’s beautiful beaches.

Day 3: Music and Korean Cuisine

Music Shows: We’d catch a live music performance, embracing LA’s vibrant or underground music scene during the weekend.
Dinner at Sun Nong Dan: Wind down with some hearty Korean comfort food, famous for their savory stews.

Day 4: Essential LA Shopping

Badmaash: For lunch, we’d dive into some Indian fusion dishes at this trendy spot (so delicious!).

Trader Joe’s: A must-visit for some unique grocery finds that you can’t get anywhere else on the planet! As someone who is from Hong Kong, I found Trader Joe’s snack and merch popular abroad, because they do not have any location out of the states.
Shopping at Abbot Kinney or Melrose: Whether they’re in the mood for quirky boutiques or high-end fashion, these streets offer the best of LA shopping.

I would keep 2-3 days for my friend to.have their free time or their “me time”!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Working in the creative industry demands a level of persistence unlike any other field.

For anyone who works in the creative industry, the hardest thing would always be the persistence in creating stuff as the working field could be more different than the other fields.

I just can’t think of one, but if I had to shrink it down, it would be that of my friends and grandparents. These kind souls are my biggest supporters in terms of my art journey from scratch. When I started photography, I was a 17 year old high school student who just received a digital camera as a birthday present. Then I started an instagram page to be a gallery for the photos i took, that’s when I met my creative friends who were also passionate about photography and creative art. They come from all walks of life— some were pilots, teachers, marketing director, nurse etc. I never took any art classes, it was a lot of YouTube tutorials, and mainly those peers. We would go on photowalk in the city as a team, and then we also hung out in a local cafe to edit photos and get inspired by each other. For example, we would go to the same photo spot and have 5 different versions of the location. After that, the different variations allowed me to think out of the box and do better. Most importantly it was to have long lasting friendships, we talk about our lives other than how to take nice photos.
My grandparents never went to school and have limited understanding about art, but even so, they support me unconditionally. My grandparents would always cook me food when I came back from a long photoshoot, they were also the first model who posed for me before I had the courage to take my camera to the street as a newbie. They were my biggest supporters. Everytime time I struggled between edits, I would bring my laptop over to them and they would give me advice on the color based on their intuition.
Lastly, as a first generation college student, I would also like to thank my two schools – Santa Monica College’s Film Department and School of Cinematic Arts at University of Southern California. I met my mentors there and they guided me through formal film training with the selection of exposing me to different subjects, particularly marketing and business classes. Those classes inspired me to transcend my artwork into art businesses during covid and helped me to go through the pandemic, which allowed me to continue to pursue my dreams. I did not learn how to take photos in school, but school taught me why I am taking photos, and the purpose of the story I want to tell through images.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/r_chl