After the article about his photographic work, James was so kind as to grant us an interview. You can get a glimpse of his photographic work here.

Could you please tell us something about yourself?
I am a freelance photographer based in Hong Kong. My full time job is a lawyer.

Can you briefly tell us about your photographic background? When did you start taking photographs, how did you start?
I started taking photographs about 5 years ago. I started as a hobby, but the hobby gradually developed into a passion. Now I am starting to earn a little money from it.

What photographic style do you prefer? Would you like to specialize in a specific area, such as street photography or portrait photography?
I love cinematic photography. I first came across this genre of photography on flickr and I was and still am inspired by a lot of great photographers. I have even met quite a number of them, including people from London, New York, Japan and of course Hong Kong.

Can you tell us how your work flows from the moment you get the idea to the stage of final presentation?
When I go shooting with my camera, I looked for interesting scenes on the street. I like to capture pictures that are story-telling. I shoot in RAW, and I processed the pictures using Lightroom.

Could you possibly provide a tip to the amazing street photograph style, how much the pictures are processed afterwards, and what else one should take into consideration?
Shoot a lot of pictures. There are a lot of uncontrollable variables in street photography, but try to put yourself in the right spot at the right time and shoot. Look for the light source especially for night time photography.

In your opinion, what constitutes the art of producing extraordinary street photographs, and what are the characteristics of a good picture in this field?
As they say, it is wonderful if you capture the ‘decisive moment’. For me, the most important aspect of a street photography is the story behind it. As I like to process my pictures in a cinematic style, it is crucial that the picture tells a story just like a movie.

What equipment do you use and what are your favorite focal lengths?
I mainly use Canon 5D MKIII with the 135mm f2L lens. I also use Fujifilm X-Pro with 35mm f1.4 lens. I must say the 135mm f2L lens is the best I have ever used.

What characterizes your work in comparison to other street photographers / cinematic photographers?
I am just one of them really. ☺

Were there interesting incidents in your photo shoots, whether funny, embarrassing or sad?
99% of the subjects in my pictures are candid strangers. On a couple of occasions, the subjects themselves identified themselves as the person in the photos after I uploaded them to flickr. There was a girl in Manchester who messaged me saying her mum saw her picture on flickr and liked it very much, so I sent her the picture. Similar stories also happened in Hong Kong.

What are the most important experiences you had during your photographic career?
About 1.5 years ago, out of the blue, I was invited by a Hollywood director to work with him on several high-end TV commercials in Shanghai and Hong Kong. It was a great experience for me to be involved in those million dollar projects and it has definitely broadened my horizon.

What advice would you give to a newbie for his/her photographic career?
Don’t be afraid to shoot. And work hard to improve on your skills as practice makes perfect.

Were you inspired by other photographers, and if so, which ones?
There are so many to name. Loomax, Jeff Krol, DJ Poe, Shuji Moriwaki, Matheu Petley are all people on flickr who inspired me a lot.

Do you have a dream for photography that you would like to fulfill?
I don’t have a dream as such, but knowing that people appreciate my work is already a huge satisfaction.

Would you like to tell us about something that is important to you?
I would like to say thank you to all those who have encouraged me and supported me by leaving comments on my photographs throughout the years. I probably would not have the drive to improve myself if not for them.

If you want to follow my latest work, you can follow me at http://www.facebook.com/jamesyeungphotography
Thank you very much for this interview. We will follow your progress in photography and will continue to be inspired by it.