By Sage
Camera, Curiosity, and Cold Emails
The summer of 2013, I started taking photos for fun. It was right after I dropped out of my Engineering program at Ohio State. I had enrolled at a small community college, trying to convince myself that everything was going to be okay—even though I had just made a major detour from the path I’d mapped out for myself in high school.
Most days, the campus felt gray, both literally and creatively. But since the environment wasn’t inspiring, I had to be. I started photographing my friends between classes—experimenting with framing, light, and expression to bring color into the dullness.
Eventually, I began wandering downtown with a buddy who also had a camera. We’d strike up conversations with strangers and take portraits on the spot. It was raw and spontaneous. We were curious and constantly learning. That’s where I sharpened my eye and learned how to think on my feet.
One day, I met a fashion blogger while photographing a stranger. She liked my photos so much she shared them with Columbus Fashion Week. That led to me shooting their runway event, where I met several local designers.
One of those designers invited me to shoot his very first show at New York Fashion Week.
It was the opportunity of a lifetime. I bought my ticket, packed my camera, and waited for the day.
Then came the call: the designer had to cancel. No show. No gig. Just a one-way ticket to New York and no plan.
But I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I tracked down a directory of designers still participating in NYFW, cold-emailed at least 50 of them, and got two or three responses. I followed up with every lead. I showed them my work. I stayed persistent.
And by God’s grace — I was in.
I ended up shooting my first runway show in New York Fashion Week with the incredible designer Jasmine Chong. Our photos were later published to Elle Magazine and printed in her home country of Malaysia!
The journey was uncertain. I had no roadmap. Just a camera, the audacity to ask, and God on my side.