About Me

 
 
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Hi! the name’s Joshua Vang or Josh but I also go by my artist name, adearest. My nationality is Hmong /hmôNG/ and I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. I specialize in portrait photography but never limited to it, that’s what keeps photography fun and interesting. I’ve done a lot of product photography, helped in weddings, and of course my favorite…just experimenting.

I don’t have the fanciest background story and the fanciest education, I studied graphic design at our local community college but never once thought about dedicating my life to photography. I’m a self-taught photographer who’s done a wide range of photography mostly as an armature hobbyist photographer with a cell phone or a cheap point-and-shoot camera my parents bought me; a lot of my subjects were landscape, plants, and insects because they are the easiest subjects to access.

In 2016 that’s actually when I had my first request to photograph a wonderful couple, I know I wasn’t a professional or anything but they loved the why I took my cousin’s prom photos so I took the request, and now here we are.

A lot has changed in the photography world (actually it changes like every year); some things I’ve noticed is how grey it has become there’s a lot of talk about making profits, more profits, booking your next season, and what specs you need in your camera. That’s why in late 2018 I took a step back and reanalyze the philosophy of photography, refocused on why I love photography and its artistry. Photography isn’t just about the business aspect but it’s the connection between different communities, it can transcend time, and tell stories of memories that once were here before us. That’s the magic, being able to capture the memories that we as humans hold dear.

 
 

Awards throughout time

 
 

Gallery and Shows

 
 
 
 

You may be wondering…”How did I get the artist name adearest?" It’s pretty simple, I wrote a lot of poetry in high school and my style of poetry is very sentimental, a lot of love poems and personal poems. Where a friend of mines suggested that they’re almost like letters to someone important…someone very dear to us as readers, and so adearest kind of just stuck with me since. It’s also nice because it’s very mysterious which helps tells the stories of my photography without viewers trying to break down my history/background and how my pieces are connected to me, and why my art pieces are what they are. That the viewers can just see the photo for what it is, the story, and the emotions it conveys within you, not me.

 
A Dearest