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

Hi Michael, what makes you happy? Why?
I try to be more about enjoyment and focus on that instead of happiness.  If you’re able to enjoy the process, that will get you through the difficulties. Many things bring me joy, but when it comes to work, I enjoy collaboration, creativity, and being of service to others. Photography satisfies those things, and it’s something I still do for fun and for free in certain circumstances.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Simply put, I aim to evoke a feeling of nostalgia in my images. I like soft lines and soft edges.

I’ve always been drawn to creative stuff, and I’ve learned that I need creativity in my life. Of all the creative things I’ve pursued, photography checks off the most boxes: it allows for collaboration, it’s of service to others, and it scratches my creative itch.

I consider photography my 3rd significant creative endeavor. The first was music. I dropped out of college to pursue my love of guitar and toured all over the country and got into Europe. That lasted 6-7 years, and while I had enough successes to keep me going, it certainly had its challenges. In a roundabout way, music landed me in New York for on-camera, print, and some voiceover work. I was there for another 7 years, and looking back, it was a pretty challenging time. It was exciting, but it was also littered with struggles.

While in NY, that’s when I began getting more and more interested in photography. I just felt like there was more room for creativity behind the camera instead of in front. So, I got a camera, started shooting, and spent significant trial and error trying to find my voice. I knew what I wanted my work to be, and it took a lot of effort to work towards that idea. Looking at my current stuff, I feel like I’m getting there, but I’m always trying different things with my images to fine-tune, tweak, and hone in on the overall feel of them.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve always had a lot of support from family and people in my life. Encouragement is a big help.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelbobyoung/

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