Meet the man behind the lens! Anthony Yip is the photographer behind Lines Photography. With a sharp finger, serious eye for lighting, and a perfectly themed Instagram page with almost 25,000 followers, this is one up-and-coming Montreal photographer to look out for. Read on to find out how to get the perfect shot, why Anthony wants to photogrpah Lady Gaga, and his take on selfies (yep, we went there).
Alexandra Sakellariou for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): First off, can you tell us a little about yourself- major, year of study, hometown etc.?
Anthony Yip (AY): I’m in U2 Management, studying Information Systems and Finance! Hailing all the way from the west-coast-best-coast city of Vancouver!
HC McGill: You’re very talented at photography, as evidenced by your Instagram page! Can you tell us a bit about what made you get involved in photography?
AY: First, thank you so much! It actually all started when I got my first cell phone in Middle School. Nothing fancy whatsoever; I’m pretty sure it was 1 megapixel or even worse. It’s not like I was a sporty kid throughout middle school and high school so I suppose it was the laziest artistic outlet I could find since I can’t draw or play music to save my life.
HC McGill: You call your photography business “Lines Photography”- is there a story behind the name?
AY: I’m very inspired by symmetry in the world. Symmetry photography sounds cheesy, you know? In a way, when you find symmetry, you find patterns of lines that just mesh together to form an appealing aesthetic, you know what I mean? Actually, that’s all bull. I was literally looking at a barcode and I was like “omg, lines.”
HC McGill: What’s your favourite thing to photograph- people, landscapes etc?
AY: When I was in highschool, I really enjoyed takings photos of patterns, obscurities, and inanimate objects. However, since then, I’ve grown into capturing people. Fashion photography is something I aspire to do later in life.
HC McGill: If you could get paid to travel somewhere and take photographs, where would you go? Even more, if you could photograph anyone, who would you choose?
AY: This is a hard question! Iceland for landscape, Bilbao for architecture or even parts of India — colour palettes there are just beautiful, or New York City for photography that’s all encompassing. And, if I could photograph anyone, it would be Lady Gaga. The photographs she has appeared in the past especially ones shot by Annie Leibovitz, Inez and Vinoodh, and Mariano Vivanco has totally sparked my direction towards fashion photography.
HC McGill: How do you find the time to balance your passion for photography with the demands of university and your personal life?
AY: Thank god for my iPhone.
HC McGill: What are your tips and tricks for capturing the best photo?
AY: I haven’t actually done much work on an actual camera for a while now since it was unfortunately stolen; however, I think I’m doing just fine with my iPhone in the meantime. If you’re an iPhone shooter, definitely get Snapseed for all your editing needs. Lighting is super key to good photography! No need for expensive photography gears especially if you’re just having fun, like the way I am. I am far from being professional at photography. It is actually really just a hobby for now.
HC McGill: Your photography has made you Instagram famous with almost 25,000 followers! What’s your favourite Instagram filter? Do you try to maintain a certain theme in all your photos?
AY: I actually don’t use any Instagram filters. They don’t really appeal to me. My go-to is any of the VSCO filters if I like to add a bit of spunk to my photos. Otherwise, editing on Snapseed is definitely sufficient enough in my eyes! As for my Instagram theme, I like to believe I don’t know have a theme? At one point, on my description, I wrote “99 themed pages, but this ain’t one.” I actually might change it back. Haha
HC McGill: And, I have to ask, what is your opinion on selfies?
AY: GURL, PULL OUT THE LUMEE CASE FROM KIM K TO MAKE YOUR SELFIE BOMBALICIOUS.
All images are obtained from the interviewee’s Instragram page.