Meet Ed Chang | Photographer

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

Hi Ed, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It’s a very attractive idea to manage your own business: setting your own goals and schedule, having creative control, and taking full responsibility for every effort, success, and failure. There’s valuable knowledge and growth that can only be found through putting yourself in this position.

On the less logical side, the drive to start your own business is very similar to many works of art. There’s an inspiration that drives you to start, even if you don’t have a clear idea of what it will become, how it will look, or where it will take you. You just feel a rising tide in yourself, or maybe a wave, that pushes you into motion and it’s too powerful to fight. So you go with it and dive in.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
For most of us, art comes at great risk and sacrifice. It’s common to be face to face with resistance immediately after that first pull toward creating any kind of art as a profession, and I’m not just talking about the cost of materials, equipment, and travel expenses, which are nothing to sneeze at. Not to mention all the time it takes to make art when you could be grinding down parts of your soul to accumulate some savings and security.

Imagine a Taiwanese-American kid in the early 1980’s telling his immigrant parents that he wants to be an artist when he grows up. Though it’s not guaranteed, there is a very strong likelihood that parents of such a child would think that their child just expressed a desire to live in poverty and suffering for the rest of his life. So needless to say, my dream was not met with such motivating responses as “yes you can!” and definitely not “yes you should!” I don’t blame them for feeling this way given what they had been through, but I never stopped fantasizing about “throwing my life away” for art.

It’s hard to find happiness if you’re spending most of your time avoiding being who you are. I do have another career and another job in addition to that, but photography brings me the most feelings of joy and fulfillment. I feel I’ve dabbled in almost every other kind of job and a couple total career changes, but art has always called to me and won’t let me forget it. At some point, the dream broke through the resistance because I can’t deny who I am and what I want. I also have many friends who have insisted I follow my heart and insist I have something to offer. The signs are all around if you open your eyes and your mind.

My brand Rabbit in the Moon Photography was born from dreams and stories. My logo is a representation of the rabbit I always saw in the full moon since I was a young child, the rabbit I always insisted was clearly and unarguably there despite few other people being able to see it. I was born in the Year of the Rabbit too, so the night, the moon, and that rabbit that sits inside it have always played some significance in my dreams and stories of my identity. It’s like the rabbit returns about every 30 days to ask me if I remember who I am and remind me of where I came from. It’s always there, always will be, and the moon is so bright that even when I close my eyes, I can’t escape the image that lingers.

I’m drawn to the feeling of magic, especially when that feeling comes from things that are totally real and right in front of me. I love to witness the miracles of nature, hear the stories and legends of various peoples passed down through many generations, study the science behind how things form, how complex ecosystems form and function, and laugh at my mind for still not being able to comprehend it beyond that feeling of “WOW!” There’s a strong sense of gratitude just for being able to witness the miracles of existence and have some time to sit with it.

I enjoy sharing the stories behind my pictures, and love when people can find their own stories in them or get inspired to make some new ones. One of the greatest compliments someone can give is to simply say “wow” and see a bit of what I saw, feel a bit of what I feel. And maybe it will also inspire them to learn about and help protect these animals and places that bring us such joy and wonderment. All these visions of existence before our eyes are gifts, and we should treasure and protect them as such.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My idea of the best day ever here is not too far off from how I already spend my free time.

Day 1 starts before sunrise. We’ll walk down to the beach as dawn breaks over the eastern hills and check the surf. There’s a good chance the winds will be slightly offshore, keeping the water smooth and glassy. And if we’re lucky, we’ll have some swell too.

While we’re checking the surf conditions, we’ll say hi to dozens of local dogs and their owners who pass by on their morning walks. I’ll remember the names of nearly every dog, but might only remember about half of the owner’s names or less. After a bunch of smiles, pets, and licks, and maybe a few tosses of balls and frisbees, we’ll make our decision about surfing.

Maybe the tide’s not right yet, so we’ll head down to my friend’s art gallery space that she lets me use for yoga. Surrounded by strokes of color and texture, we’ll close our eyes and start the vinyasa practice with slow, deep breathing, then let movement follow the pace of the breath. We’ll dive inward, quiet the mind, move into the present moment, stretch, awaken, and invigorate. Every movement is intentional, until our final rest in Savasana when we release all intention and effort. Crying might happen at this point, and that’s ok too. Let it go and let it move through you. That’s what this space is for.

Now that our body and mind are right, we’re in the perfect state to surf. The swell and tide have shown up, so it’s time to paddle out. It’s another type of meditation, learning how to read the moment, be in the moment, and move with it. It’s not easy, but sometimes you find yourself in the flow and you can just feel where you need to be and what you need to do without even thinking about it. And if you manage a long ride on a big wave, we’ll woop and holler and celebrate with you.

Even if there were no waves, it’s never a bad idea to sit in ocean, surrounded by our scenic, rocky coves, letting the salt water hydrate and cleanse the skin. Maybe one of the curious seals or sea lions will come pay us a visit. We’re likely to see dolphins swim by, and possibly see a whale spout, fluke, or breach on the horizon. Waves or not, you’re guaranteed a good view.

If it’s totally flat, we could go for a snorkel. In this marine protected area, the sea life seem to know that nobody can take them and you can swim among many species without startling them. Among the rocky reefs, seagrass and giant kelp forests, we’ll come across Garibaldi, kelp bass, sheephead, stingrays, batrays, nudibranchs, leopard sharks, California spiny lobster, green, black abalone, urchins, sea stars, and many others.

After we head back home and dry off, we’ll be hungry for Vietnamese food at Saigon Beach. They have some tasty pho and vermicelli dishes, and there’s the ingenious pho dip, a banh mi that comes with pho broth for dipping. Appetizers? Pork belly lollipops, spring rolls, and this addictive rice dish called 420 Rice that has garlic and cilantro mixed in and can be topped with meat or vegan options.

Now that our bellies are full, we might want to walk it off or mountain bike on one of the many trails here in the Laguna Greenbelt. With over 22,000 acres of protected natural habitat that surround the city, there are so many trails to choose from with great views of the canyons, coast and ocean among the coastal sage scrub habitat. We might even spot a coyote, roadrunner, bobcat, some birds of prey, or the California Quail.

If the morning exercise was already enough for us, maybe we’ll cruise through some of the many art galleries in town and the Laguna Museum of Art. In Summer, there are several art festivals like the Festival of the Arts, the Art Affair, and my favorite, the Sawdust Festival. All the artists at the Sawdust live in Laguna, and we build our booths every year from the ground up. Photography, glass, ceramics, painting, jewelry, and several other kinds of media made by those that capture the heart and soul of Laguna, which was started off as an artist colony. There are 3 stages at Sawdust with live music going all day and night, food and drink, demonstrations by the artists of their work, and free art classes for children and adults.

But as the sun begins to set, it’s probably a good time to head back to the beach and watch the sky turn into shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, blue, and purple. The wind usually dies back down and starts to head offshore at this time, holding up the waves and glassing off the water.

It’s time for food again. There are many choices from great Mexican food at Carmelitas or Asada, South African cuisine at Mozambique, comfort food at Reunion Kitchen, Thai Bros, or sushi at San Shi Go. But my ultimate favorite is Friday night pizza night, which we often do with a group of friends and neighbors. Eden makes the best pizza dough, Angi makes a killer salad, and the rest of us bring our own toppings and ideas for the many pizzas we’ll share through the night.

And depending on the season, we have many choices for day trips or getaways for a couple days. Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego deserts are only a couple hours away to camp, climb, and see wildflowers in Spring. There are ski resorts within a few hours away, and there are world class surf spots up and down the coast, including Baja California, Mexico. LA and San Diego are only about an hour away if you leave at the right time of day.

There’s also whale watching in Spring or Fall when the humpbacks and grey whales migrate, fishing for bluefin, yellowfin, and yellowtail tuna in the summer, or taking a sailboat out to Catalina Island.

This is how many of us spend our days here, and whatever you plan, there’s a good chance it’ll be sunny when you go.

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?
It wouldn’t be possible in a few paragraphs to mention all the people who have inspired, encouraged, and supported me in realizing where I stand today. So, I’ll mention just a few.

Throughout my childhood, my parents took me and my brother on a lot of road trips to the desert and many national parks, and we visited my parents’ friends around the country. This is probably what sparked my curiosity about all these different places in the world, the diversity of geology, plants, and animals, and how other people live. Near and far, there are so many worlds to discover.

Between the ages of 8-10, my parents would put me on a plane by myself in the summers and fly me out for a couple weeks to stay with Bob and Geneva Foster and family. They were a family of farmers in South Dakota who were host family to my father when he came to America in the mid 60’s from Taiwan to get his Masters in Electrical Engineering. They became like grandparents to me and broadened my concept of home.

Another chosen family member is my friend Nely Pohl. She is a travel companion, photography enthusiast, biologist, emotional supporter, appreciator of irreverence, and essentially my adopted sister. We’ve inspired each other to venture out and get totally lost in some pretty remote places with only a plan to seek out and stand in front of jaw-dropping natural beauty.

I’d also like to thank my good friends and neighbors Trevor LePenske, Eden Oleson, and Tyra Vassallo, fellow Sawdust Festival artists in Laguna Beach who encouraged me to apply and join for the first time this year. This dive into the Sawdust went hand in hand with starting my own photography business and steering my photography back toward the travel and nature photography that my soul is most strongly drawn toward.

And then there are all the other artists and patrons at the Sawdust Festival who have brought such positivity to this leap into a new ocean. It is truly a community of good intentions, service to each other, “you can do it” attitude, and expression of gratitude and appreciation. I wonder every day why the rest of the world isn’t just like this place.

Everyone I’ve worked for or with in the field of photography has given me valuable lessons in every form. You name it, I’ve felt it, and those feelings always result in some reflection about what I want to do, what I need to improve, and what I want to feel. Really, everyone you come across is a your teacher if you are willing to look and listen to the lesson they give you, especially those that don’t tell you what you want to hear.

Website: rabbitmoonphoto.com

Instagram: @rabbitinamoon

Other: email: rabbitinthemoonphotography@gmail.com