Interview with a Creative Muse: Photographer Qing Liu
Welcome to the world of Qing Liu, featuring images so dreamy that they instil a sense of nostalgia and a feeling of awe that you just cannot shake.
Qing is the quintessential creative; someone who loves to capture moments in time through photography, but also enjoys delving into other mediums such as poetry, writing, art and design (especially whilst in the company of her sweet Cavalier canine friend).
We're excited to bring you an inspiring interview with the talented Qing and hope you enjoy reading her answers below!
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Q: What inspired you to first pursue photography?A: I have always been intrigued by the camera and was exposed to the camera at a very early age as my father had one. Later on as I grew up I began to collect things and grew more and more into a nostalgic person, I realised that photography was the perfect tool to distill each and every little special moment of my life, so that I may look back upon over time. As Julia Margaret Cameron once said regarding photography, “I longed to arrest all beauty that came before me, and at length the longing has been satisfied.”
Q: How would you describe yourself in just three words?A: calm, contemplative, nostalgic
Q: We also understand that you enjoy dedicating your time to other creative pursuits such as art, design, poetry and writing. Please tell us what you love the most about these different mediums?A: All of these mediums allow me to lose myself in some way, especially in art where the freedom of self-expression is beyond limits. And as for design, particularly architectural design, although one is bound by certain constraints, however sometimes that’s how the best creations are formed. Finally I particularly love poetry and writing as it is a channel through which I can truly release my emotions, and sometimes it could also be a more concrete form as opposed to the more abstract medium of photography.
Q: What does an average day in the life of Qing look like?A: At the moment I am still studying, so I am occupied with a lot of uni work. But if it was a work-free day, I usually get up early at around 6, take my lovely cavalier for a walk in the fresh morning air, make myself some coffee, and browse through some photo blogs. I would normally spend the day reading or writing at home or in a cafe, or go to the bookshops for some inspirations. And of course, taking a few photos here and there when the moment is right.
Q: What do you hope to achieve with photography in the near future; Do you have any exciting, upcoming plans that you would like to share with us?A: I don’t have many grand hopes for my work except that I wish to share them with like-minded people and that they would somehow bring a little bit of joy to those who enjoy them. As for future plans, I am planning for another trip to Europe at the end of this year where hopefully I would be able to produce a body of work for publishing.
We want to thank Qing for taking the time to shed some light on her creative pursuits (whilst heavily inspiring us in the process!) and we encourage you to check out more of her whimsical work on her Flickr photostream or by following on Facebook. Enjoy!