Meet Yiran Chen | Director of Photography

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

Hi Yiran, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
I am happiest when I can use visual storytelling to convey my feelings and philosophical ideas. It’s about being creative in discovering your uniqueness by embracing your experience, identity, and dream. I enjoy it when ideas come to me and just pour out of my mind. I’m excited to see those wild ideas come to life as that makes me feel like I can accomplish anything and nothing can stop me from making stunning and captivating works of art.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Loneliness is a common motif in my artwork which always convey a feeling of disconnecting from other people. More subtle stories about people’s vulnerability and determination to carry on are what I hope to create in the future. When I realized that what I had been picturing myself doing professionally in the future was cinematography, I discovered my true calling. Being a female DP is a goal I chose to pursue despite many barriers in my path, such as doubts about my physical stamina to carry heavy equipment and my leadership skills to issue orders to a crew team made up primarily of males. In my opinion, a good director of photography must have excellent eyes that can capture images that convey a narrative before having the technical know-how to manipulate such images. What I’ve learned is to just never give up and accept any offers that come your way. Put in all of your effort. Never be afraid to take a risk. You’ll never have enough time to thoroughly prepare, but you must still proceed.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m planning a hike in Topanga State Park with my best pal. It’s a terrific location for taking a break from the busy life of the city and reconnect with nature. On the way to the peak, especially during the golden hour, the view is breathtaking. The Malibu beach is a second location I’ll without a doubt bring her to. She feels the typical LA vibe and it’s tranquil and wonderful. I truly enjoy the Asian cuisine in Sawtelle and K Town for both food and drink.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A Los Angeles-based artist named Yanyu Li is the one who has had a significant influence on me. I had the opportunity to interview her about her experimental films, which depict her journey to India in search of her mother’s past, many years ago. I come to understand a completely other approach to non-narrative storytelling. The movie has a documentary-like feel to it because to its numerous tracking and street shots. It demonstrates how to appreciate and connect with your surroundings. Beautiful shots are seldom the focus of good cinematography; rather, the goal is to capture the exact emotion that the scene is trying to evoke.

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