In the course of my work, I had the privilege to travel the world extensively.
In 2015 I met Vivien (@vdubl on IG) and it was an instant click between us.
I believe we share the same values.
Vivien Liu went to study at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where she was awarded the prestigious Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design.
Vivien discovered a passion for photographing the urban density and architecture of Hong Kong and around the world. Her photography on Instagram has attracted more than 250,000 followers who check in to see her unique view of Hong Kong every day.
Since then, her style has broadened to include portraiture, natural landscapes and product photography.
She was awarded Best Female Photography Award by #legend in 2017, and her work is trusted by a wide range of clients including Nikon, Jack Daniels, American Express, Huawei, Samsung, Leica, and The Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Vivien is an enormous source of inspiration to many people around her. Her heart is where her enthusiasm and loyalty are and her brain is where creativity is.
She has the natural ability to be a great listener. Listening requires emotional strength. Listening involves patience, openness and desire to understand. Many times I have shared my pain with her and she gave me the benefit of her instructive comments and offered valuable practical feedback.
The correct friendship will infinitely impact your effectiveness.
My mind is filled with pleasant memories of deep, meaningful times together.
I am grateful to her beyond measure for many hours of inspiration and insight.
Get to know more about Vivien here
1. How would you describe yourself to a total stranger?
I’m a photographer with an architectural background.
2. What is the first 1 hour of your morning looking like? Share with us, any morning routine you have.
On a normal day, I have a granola and almond milk breakfast with a cup of coffee. Then I feed and play with my cat, check and answer my email, then proceed to the tasks of the day which usually include photo shooting, editing photos, preparing presentations and quotations.
3. What is your thought process, before making a decision?
“Is it worth it? Will I regret this? How would it benefit me in the future? Have I thought through all the alternatives?”
4. We live in a digital world. What are some apps you use on an everyday basis?
My top 3 are Instagram , Facebook, Whatsapp.
5. When was the last time you changed your mind on an important issue? And can you tell us more about it?
The last memorable decision was not continuing to practice architecture and dive fully into photography. I studied architecture for 8 years and worked in the field for the same amount of time, but I do not regret making the decision to switch to photography. My training in architecture trained me well creatively and the skills I picked up previously still apply to my photography practice. I find photography a lot more rewarding and through it, I am able to realize ideas more quickly as compared to architecture.
6. You are very successful in your field. What are some of your tips/strategies on overcoming fear?
I think a large part of the fear comes from the unknown and is often psychological. Therefore, to overcome the fear I believe we should slow down and try to understand what’s causing the feeling of fear. From there we can tackle the issue one problem at a time.
7. You travel a lot! What is the best vacation you can think of and culture you like the most? Do you have some travel tips/tricks
The best vacation in my opinion is one that involves a road trip. I love to drive and to travel this way you can experience several cities in one journey. The real bonus is when the drive is also scenic. I love European and Scandinavian culture. In terms of travel tips, I always try to pack light and use the 3-colour rule – that is, pack clothes that are of 3 matching colours – it really saves on space and the time needed to select clothes while on the go. In order to counter jet lag, I set my clock to the designation’s time a day or two before travel to accustom in advance.
8. What do you do when you feel anxious? What are you doing to gain focus?
I take a deep breath and take a short break, like go on a walk or get a coffee.
9. How do you define success and who comes to mind, when I say “successful person”
I think the idea of success has different parameters and they vary among each individual, therefore I believe it’s difficult to measure or quantify. At the moment I define success as being able to do what you’re passionate about and make a living out of it.
10. What are some spiritual practices that you have
Not much to be honest, because I’m quite a pragmatic person. I’m becoming more aware of mindfulness and ways to be better to myself, learning how to reframe problems and come to terms with things that are not within my control, things that I would get pretty emotional about before. I guess you can call it a “spiritual” training of the mind but to me, it’s still a practical and tangible exercise.
11. What are 5 books, you read that influenced your life
“Simplicity” by Edward de Bono,
“All that is Solid Melts into Air” by Marshall Berman,
“Lord of the Flies” by William Golding,
“It’s Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want To Be”, by Paul Arden,
“Damn Good Advice (For People With Talent!)” by George Lois
12. What is advice, you wished someone gave you when you were in your 20s?
Life cannot be taught in school.
13. What are you excited about right now?
Upcoming shoots where I’ll be making documentaries on some exciting architectural projects over the next 2 years.
All photo credits go to Vivien
