Ethan Shin ’25, a four-year Senior from New York, was a photo student for all four years and took Honors Senior Portfolio.
Shin served as Features Editor and Editor in Chief for The Record. He was co-head of Photo League, the Korea club, and senior advisor for Quiz Bowl. Shin was also co-captain of Boys Thirds Basketball and Boys JV Tennis.
How did you discover your passion for photography?
As a kid, my family would take photos on vacation, and I always wanted to be the one clicking the button. In middle school, I took studio art, and I realized I didn’t have any skills in that area.
When I got to Hotchkiss, I found out there was a photography class I could take. Because I had always liked playing with cameras as a kid and enjoyed taking pictures on a phone, I thought, “Why not try it at high school?” I’ve stuck with it ever since.
What does photography mean to you?
It means being able to connect with and meet new people. I live in the city; I go on photography walks, and I meet so many people just taking pictures. Every photo is a new connection.
Whenever I go on street photography walks in the city, I’ll always hear someone asking, “Hey, get this!” and I’ll ask how they want to be shot, and while setting up for shots, I learn a bit about them. I learn about how they ended up at the basketball court that day with friends or how long they’ve been working at their bakery. And when I ask why they want a photo, I always get differing answers.
Walking around with my camera has introduced me to so many new people and their stories all because, while taking the time to set up a photo, I have time to connect with them.
What are some of your favorite projects that you’ve completed?
I had a series where I photographed doormen in New York. Since I was really close with some of them, I decided to photograph their day-to-day life.
There was one photograph where a doorman has his arm on this metal pole on the door, and he was looking out at the cars coming by. His outfit was gold, matching the color of the metal door. I tried to be conscious of the rule of thirds when shooting, and the placement of the doorman’s head worked out, as he’s on the left third of the image, leaving more space on the right. The gold outfit on the doorman complimented the gold frame. I also loved how the reflection of the street in the middle of the piece added a pop of color and brightness that complimented the dark windows.
I am currently working on my Senior show. My goal is to get to know more about the people around us by highlighting them at work and showing how they go about their day-to-day lives.
What advice would you give to current and aspiring photographers?
Stick with it. I know a lot of people stop doing art or photography entirely after their first two years. I have never gone into a photo class saying “I hate this class,” or “I never want to take this class again.”
I have always enjoyed taking photo as my sixth class, and usually it’s my favorite. Sometimes you will have a shoot with zero good pictures, which has happened to me multiple times; I once wasted two hours without a single good shot. But all you need is one, and it doesn’t matter how long it takes.
