From a young age, Meng-Ke Hsieh, a two-time Centennial graduate, was passionate about exploring the media industry. Growing up in a generation surrounded by technology, television, and computers, Meng-Ke’s passion for art and desire to become an artist, whether as a painter, filmmaker, or photographer, helped him navigate his next steps. This passion led to our Communications and Media Fundamentals (CAMF) program – a launching pad that allowed him to learn various aspects of media at once.
Meng-Ke gravitated to the visual aspects of the program, making the photography and filmmaking classes particularly enjoyable. Additionally, the writing classes were helpful for him, as he shares, “English is not my first language, but this course definitely brought me confidence in writing in English.”
Meng-Ke graduated from the CAMF program in 2020 but wanted to continue learning. After being captivated by the beauty of still photos in his photography classes, he enrolled in our two-year Photography program. “Still photos are a powerful way to tell stories, and I fell in love with it after I started taking more photos. Seeing a lot of great work from the previous photography students made me want to be one of them as well, so I decided to join the program and pursue it as my professional career,” he shares. While viewing work from the masters in photography played a role in his interest in the industry, it wasn’t until Meng-Ke started taking photos seriously that he realized he really enjoyed the craft.
Reflecting on his favourite part of the Photography program, Meng-Ke explains that he enjoyed all the classes he took; from pre-production to post-production, he liked every aspect. “More importantly, I was so lucky to have such amazing professors to learn from. Making friends with other photography students was also a huge part of my study. It is like a family for photographers even after graduating,” he adds.
In terms of how the two programs helped prepare him for his career, he owes it to the projects that made students connect with professionals outside of the school. For instance, in the Storyworks component of the Photography program, Meng-Ke worked with fashion designer Izzy Camilleri to photograph for her brand, IZ Adaptive – a clothing line designed for individuals with physical disabilities. Meng-Ke also had the opportunity to photograph at Nuit Blanche, which the Story Arts Centre campus took part in. “Nuit Blanche gave us a chance to photograph for more than one hundred people in the community,” he shares. “These big projects boosted our confidence in becoming professional photographers.”
Upon graduating from the program in 2022, Meng-Ke embarked on his journey as a photographer, first taking on the role of a photography assistant as he enhanced his freelancing portfolio. “Step by step, I built up my portfolio, and it eventually led me to become a full-time photographer,” he explains.
Meng-Ke specializes in people photography. From portraits to fashion, he enjoys telling people’s stories through images. Meeting individuals from various parts of the world is another aspect of this career that he says he’s particularly lucky to experience.
His passion for photography led him to become a Canadian Association of Professional Image Creators (CAPIC) board member, acting as Toronto’s Student Liaison. In this role, he is responsible for staying connected to photography students in the GTA, strengthening the association by seeking more people to get involved. He says, “I enjoy being a part of CAPIC a lot. It gives me the opportunity to get involved in the photography community and hold events, which is also an exciting part of it.”
Something he’d like to tell future students of the Photography program is to always work hard and take the homework seriously. “Making good relationships with your fellow classmates and professors is one of the great things to do at college. Photograph more and create more. One day, you will find your style and will be known by people. The key is consistency. Most importantly, enjoy the process; the journey is long but definitely worth it.”
If you would like to see more of Meng-Ke’s work, be sure to check out his website and Instagram: @mengkehsiehphoto. He also welcomes emerging talent to check out CAPIC’s website for more details.
Article by: Alexandra Few
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