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Above the bridge
Entertainment and conversation
Above the bridge
Episode 176 JORDAN FONG ( Photographer & Jeweler )
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Pearls on men used to get laughed at. Now they’re a quiet flex for anyone who understands style. We sit down with Jordan Fong, a Hawaii-based jeweler and photographer from the Bay Area, to talk about how he built a look, a network, and a creative life by staying true to what he likes even when it wasn’t “normal.”
We start with jewelry and fashion, including why pearls became his signature, how custom pieces come to life, and what it means to be different without trying to be louder than everyone else. Jordan breaks down the real value of personal style: it’s not about clout, it’s about self-respect, consistency, and the connections you create when you show up as yourself. If you’re curious about custom jewelry in Hawaii, men’s pearl necklaces, and building a niche that actually fits you, you’ll get practical insight and mindset in the same conversation.
Then we shift into photography, where Jordan shares nearly two decades of experience and how shooting sports trained his eye for timing, emotion, and the moment. We talk about capturing strong images in camera, keeping edits minimal, collaborating with clients before the shoot, and using Instagram marketing to grow without losing the human side of the work. We also get real about competition, gear, and why the hustle never replaces having an actual point of view.
If you’re building your own creative path, press play, then subscribe, share this with a friend who needs confidence, and leave a review. What’s one style or creative choice you’ve held back on because of other people’s opinions?
Welcome And Meet Jay Fong
SPEAKER_01Okay, welcome to another part of the Above the Bridge Podcast. I'm your host, Thaddeus Park. Thank you for tuning in. If this is your first time, please like, subscribe, and leave a message wherever you get your podcast. It matters, and I appreciate you for taking time out of your day and joining us for our show. Aloha. This week, my guest I met at our Laid Back RB event, which we're doing again on May 24th. He's a jeweler, he's a photographer, and he's a 49er fan. Uh super cool guy. I'm super stoked to have him on my show. Jay Fong, what's up, dude? Thank you for coming on. Yeah, I've I uh noticed you at the first laid back event because you always dress super impressive and you're just a personable dude, and I always vibe to people like that. And then Hoppa introduced me the second time we did laid back, and you're as an advertiser, but super cool, man. I'm super happy to have you on. I agree to um so you're a jeweler and a photographer. I am tripping out for one. I wanted to ask you about the jewelry at first because you're blinged out. I don't understand how someone becomes a jewel uh a jeweler, and I don't know, man. Like it it's such a niche market that in Hawaii I I haven't met anybody who's a jeweler.
SPEAKER_02I I love just like so can see my art.
SPEAKER_03And with with jewelry, yeah, it's a a sting, right? It's a sting and also um design. You go by different uh yeah, different outfits or different um whether it's a jersey or dressing up for a dinner and be that staple to that outfit.
SPEAKER_02Um I love fashion. I love dressing up. I'm from the Bay Area having that fashion statement and going out for dinner to make it an incredible uh appealing. Julie started about four years ago.
SPEAKER_04Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02Started wearing the pieces and people grabbed graduated stars.
SPEAKER_03People uh came up to me. They loved the the look style and especially men wearing pearls is not common.
SPEAKER_02Not as common as gold chains or pendants or yeah, certain things. So having that looks style and also uh just embracing that and uh appreciating that yeah, it's a it's an artist.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. With the per with the pearls, I noticed it on one of my friends uh Ryan, who's who's golden child, and he he brought it out one time at District, and he does wears crazy stuff and he he pulls it off. But the pearls, the first time I seen it, I of course I gave him shit. I'm like, bro, like what'd you do? Steal that from your grandma? Like, come on, like you can run pearls and and he like I give him crap all the time, and and he told me, like, watch this this is what's gonna be the next thing, and I couldn't believe it. Before it was a Friday, the next day I was watching UFC, and the chat at the time was style bender Israel Astanya, and he had pearls on, and I I was just like, okay, right? Like, I should never doubt the style of men that have style because you guys are a step ahead of the game, and I kind of had to eat my words, and now I see a lot of guys rocking them, and it and now it looks cool, and it's it takes a certain I don't think I could rock with a pearl necklace, but like you guys can. You guys have that style, but it it it always doesn't occur to me that you guys are on a different, like you guys are on a different level when it comes to that stuff, and and my little moch ass doesn't understand it.
SPEAKER_02No, it it again anybody can wear jewelry or how you represent, but it's it it's just being different. That's that's one thing is how can I be different than everybody else? Um and pearls at that time, yeah, a lot of people were not wearing pearls. And I got a lot of shit, I got a lot of crap asking about why you're wearing pearls and whatnot, but I made it true to myself. I got it true to myself and said, okay, this is my style. Um whatever if somebody's interested in a group, we designed one-on-one, designing that custom for that individual. And it's it's very much similar to my photography where people can work with later group. Um maybe somebody who never had a pronoun. So I could design fully fell out um certain startups. Um people's representing myself, my brother. Um people, individuals or clients who have met each other at certain events or parties, or my jury, I'm not even at the event. I can't let you and ask you, oh, how do you know Joe Bond? Or how do how how just like my it's always a network, my jewelry is not working with people who I'm not even gonna help us. So seeing that, it it gives me more of a reason why to continue and want to go. That's super cool.
SPEAKER_01From from talking to you recently, I've understood that you're like with your designs and as well as your photography and who you are, it's never about trying to bring clout to yourself. You're very down to earth and you're very kind of a people's person, and you dress super nice, you dress different, and sometimes people could maybe make a wrong assumption of you. Have you gotten that? Like, oh, look at this guy who he thinks he's a man or something like that. And then when you talk to talk to him, like he's it's totally the opposite. He's he's more about the people around him, and that's the vibe I got from you. But I know like Ryan, people give him crap because of the way he dresses. I didn't know if you got anything like that too.
SPEAKER_02I'm not getting why you're wearing a leather jacket and wear or a trench so people talking like that, but I feel like that's well, yeah, that's that's a style. Even if we do have something with the outfits I wear, I still don't wear. Uh engaging with me and still collecting people at at certain events or in the events I'm taking photos for or just the company, and uh that's the type of mindset I go into my day.
Custom Pieces And Retail Breakthrough
SPEAKER_01That's super cool, man. That's aloha and and if somebody has a uh yeah, somebody has a say something with my outfit, so I I'm I'm here I'm all eA's for it and I'm uh I'm still gonna be wearing whatever I want. Yeah, that's uh that's uh I like that aspect about people and my daughter is the same now. She'll wear certain things and it's not kind of on trend to what her classmates are wearing. I'm like, oh, where where why do you wear that? Like what I want to know your thought process. And she's like, This is my style. I'm not trying to copy them, I'm trying to be me. I'm like, wear whatever you want, just don't show your ass. But she has like a little her own style, and it it's cool to see, and then she'll cut her jeans and do whatnot to them, and I'm like, whatever you got, girl, just just um be you, and and and you're a great example of that. Going back to your jewelry. I was wondering, are you like those guys that will make like pieces like for rappers or like uh celebrities that can like say I wanted a above the bridge logo like penned in or something like that?
SPEAKER_02I I do have some dealers who make custom problems working with more uh gold and silver material. And if somebody who's interested with that, I think I'm towards local agencies or other people. I packed circle keys with yeah, with the pearls, my precious stone before I interest where the uh gods or the capital case or bracelets.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so your niche is is certain to to that kind of stuff. You're explaining to me your stuff is featured in kit still?
SPEAKER_02It is it was in kit. So three months of the beginning uh does it I got into cool. It was a process also. I got to talk with the manager at the town, and then it turned into working with the profession's manager. Talked about mine feet, talked about style, what I thought was would would be able to sell in the store. During that time while they're in the store, it was like a gallery where people come along and wanting to see my craft down that would tell a lot of people, but also uh sometimes in the new store might be as well. Oh yeah. So it was fun, it was a good time and um that really pursued me wanting to continue making customs for people.
Sneakers Money And Family Stories
SPEAKER_01Okay, I want to take this short break from talking to Jay Fong to shout out my sponsor, Defen Hawaii. They've been with me from the very beginning of our podcast, and right now they have a brand new spring drop they just did. Uh, if you go to their website, defenhawaii.com, put everything you need in the checkout and use promo code ATB pod and you'll get 15% off. Defendhawaii.com. Let them know above the bridge podcast sent you. Aloha. That's cool. Are you a shoe guy? Oh no. Bruh. My my wife is is all about the shoes, and like she dragged me to a couple of those shows, and um, now I got a bunch. I'm not a shoe guy, but I got some cool, cool stuff that that uh I probably wouldn't have before. But bro, we my daughter got into it and her collection is growing, and oh, it's not cheap, bro.
SPEAKER_02Like she's coming out of the middle of a week, yeah.
Learning Photography Through Sports
SPEAKER_01We were in Vegas a couple weeks ago, and we were walking the strip, and uh, I forget what store was a shoe store, like a higher-end sneaker store. And my wife was about to walk in, and the door was the guy was just closing, and he came outside. He's like, Oh, we're closed. I'm like, Thank goodness. And he was like, Do you say thank goodness? I'm like, Yup, because she would have gone in there, my daughter would have followed her, and I guarantee I would have bought three pairs of shoes, and he started laughing. Yo, well, they didn't let me in. I was there, he was ready to go home now. Yo, sorry, it's all good, but uh I wanted to get into your photography. I I looked at your Instagram and it's covered with amazing photos of of amazing people. And I I of course a lot of people in Hawaii think they're photographers, they uh everybody can get a camera and take some pictures and post it on Instagram, but what you do is totally not that, it is more very artistic. And talking with you just uh prior to the show, I got to understand how you develop yourself into this photographer and what even got you into photography from the beginning.
SPEAKER_02Sure. So I I've been doing photography for 19 years. Um really started during my high school years. I was taking a lot of images of sports, baseball, basketball, and uh yeah, baseball, basketball, and football. That hopefully developed now, especially with the mentors that are uh having me come to multiple games, uh sports games or it's different uh yeah, different games. Um knowing, of course, knowing the sports, knowing where to be, positioning yourself, time frame on the plot, all of those. I would help develop help the timing of taking out a flip-second part or that flip-second time at home. All those kind of help play that role. And now, twenty years later, developing that sports eye in my photography captures a lot of the scenery, emotion, and really the moment of each event that I that I captured and take images of. That's super cool.
SPEAKER_01Did you get formal training or is kind of you developed this skill on your own?
SPEAKER_02Um I was in the arts, uh, I did have a lot of mentors and job opportunities. I got to work with the Oakland Raiders at the time and yeah, TV year high school. Um, one of my good friends, family friends, started in Dallas, had me come out. We knew uh I was getting into the the photography scene, and they knew that opportunity of taking photos down on the field at the home games, and um that really helped my professional to help talk with other photographers and picture from the top of the car who uh everybody wants to be a PFL photographer. Oh yeah. Um I I was asking the questions. I was getting little excitements from the Rogers games, follow this player during the whole play, or watch out, it's third down, in short, we're gonna be running proxy, so follow that player. So all those little just little insights really helps my eye in positioning with sports.
SPEAKER_01That's crazy. I just had a a sports videographer on recently, and he told me the same thing, and I realized that that's an amazing culture. They you guys share knowledge with each other. It's not like I tell you nothing because then you might be better than me. Like he told me, like, he'll ask people who's doing video, like, well, how do you use that or what do you do? And they they give them tips, and it seems like with you the same thing. It's it's I never knew that culture existed until now.
SPEAKER_02Of course, while they're on the game, we're not talking, they might be talking all the time out and engaging, but kind of focus and and rather how how do you stay focused to get that chance really that uh well keeping that moment, just focus on that moment.
SPEAKER_01So do you do you remember the first like photo you took and realized like, oh shoot, I might might actually be good at this. Uh I got some action in this uh photography.
SPEAKER_02So a lot of my family would like say, I I would tell my family, where would we drop? I would, whether it's going up the Tahoe to the snow or just around the beach, drop it just though, I would tell them, hey, pull over. I like this image. I like this spot, I want to get this image, and get my my timer out and take take street photography or see my landscape shot. And a lot of uh my especially my mom was like, What are you doing? What are you taking? There's nothing there, it's just street times and all burdens, and then I would reach out on age and print it out and that's super dope. Around 2005, 2006 is when I really got into the photography scene and then find finding my own camera, talk to spot my own course camera, and then just sticking with that and continuing to grow and learn and taking a lot of photography classes and courses throughout my education and just giving a lot of feedback. A lot of different uh mentors within my photography career. So definitely you have to uh praise their uh their teachings.
SPEAKER_01That's super cool. So you you're very spontaneous when it comes to some of that stuff then.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I was always a visual learner, definitely a visual learner, and with the photography it just helped showcase what I'm seeing within uh thinking.
SPEAKER_01That's super cool. I I mean, like it like I was explaining to you, and uh a lot of times when I have uh different artists on, I always wish I could see things through their eyes or listen to music the way they do. And it's a talent and it's something that you develop, but being able to capture moments and people and certain things becomes a memory and it's something that they can reference back to. So what you do is super cool. Like, do you do you ever um not want to take pictures? Like if it's like, oh, it's becoming a job.
SPEAKER_02It's always have to take photos. Yeah. It's just it's instilled with me. I I feel like even if I don't have a camera, I'm still visualizing a shot. I'm still visualizing a photo, whether it's lighting, whether it's uh just angles of buildings, or just something that interests me that I'm walking down. I always have uh photography mindset, even if I don't have it. I'm definitely gonna get that.
SPEAKER_00That could be annoying though. So you're just walking down the street like, oh, I wish I had my camera.
SPEAKER_02I'm probably gonna wait on my phone. I don't even I I no, I don't think photos from my apple.
SPEAKER_01What would you describe your style? Like, what do you have a like a certain style that you could describe that that's unique to yourself?
SPEAKER_02I find it as a my photo photography.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Just showcasing color. I love working. We live on the island. New styles, ocean, green and showcase style. I love getting setting down perfectly. And whether it's with the film flash, with the natural sunlight, how can you manipulate your camera adjustments to that scene? And for for me, I don't really like editing like photos. Um Photoshop too much. And not with uh in regards with uh sports photography, you don't have enough time. You take a shot, we take uh, let's say a baseball game, it's a series of four guns, it's where two days three days late on those sports images. Yeah. It's what's next, right? Yeah. For me, I do enjoy trying to get my photos out as fast as I can. Um the adjustment on the camera helps a lot with that uh that vision.
SPEAKER_01Wow, that's amazing because I've never thought about that. It's like, oh, you can always touch it up in the uh editing or whatever. But if you're shooting something so well and you know it's how to do it so well, your raw could be your your art right there. It's like you don't need to edit. That's that's that is photography, that's skill. Because now with AI, anybody can touch some shit up and m make it look cool, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02I thought I'd try to uh curious scenery or the individuals, the families, the way that stuff that I keep. And of course it sometimes it's nothing very just right. Yeah. So with that, yeah, you do have to edit a little bit, but as far as uh most majority of my work, majority of my product stocks or clientele parts, I cannot pedal too.
SPEAKER_01That's different, bro. That's really cool. I didn't know that. Like I'm only hearing this the first time. That's that's pretty cool because your stuff looks super high class. Uh, you have a lot of models working for you, which could be fun or could be annoying. I don't know. Girls are hard to work with, bruh. Especially if they're uh, I guarantee you you'll take a picture and they'll want to see it immediately, right?
SPEAKER_02Like whoever I'm taking photos for, even if it's a family, I'm showing that. Yeah. And making sure it's just the angle that she won or the lighting that she likes. Um and that's part of it. And that's partly part of working with a lot of people and understanding what they're what they're looking for, um, and to adjust those quickly. And to adjust those maybe exchange.
SPEAKER_01That's super cool. That crap annoys me, man. Like, I'll my daughter will want some pictures and I'm like taking, like, no, I don't like that. No, yeah.
SPEAKER_02I saw multiple stories.
Building Trust With Clients
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Like, it's like, girl, like I can't tell the difference. And what do you do? Post it on your Instagram. You got like 40 followers, like, it's not that important. Super funny. Um, I talked to you earlier and you explained to me uh something that was kind of unique, and I never thought about like you sit down with your clients and make a connection with them prior to even pulling out your camera, or that I thought was like, oh, like you're actually getting input from your clients versus like I'm the photographer, I know it looks good, this is what I want you guys to do. It's like you're receptive to their ideas and their uh creativity. And and for me, I was like blown away because that to me was kind of different than whenever I work with photographers. I'm like, okay, what do you want me to do? And they never once asked me what would you like to do? And for you to tell me that, I was like, wow, this guy is different, bro, like in how he does his work. How you're always that like that? I think it got more comfortable talking with clouds and seeing what eventually what they want, I guess.
SPEAKER_02Um everybody has their own eye, everybody uh uh appreciates certain art and style. And for me, it's you're yeah, a certain individual is coming to me, they want photos, or I'm reaching out, let's I have this concept, let's create this concept.
SPEAKER_03And I want them to have a say in style, location, hair and makeup, all that matters.
SPEAKER_02Even asking what side they prefer to shoot on, that can help me understand uh uh the images that will over. That might be half of the images that won't even be used or won't even touch the surface of um being able to uh put that and uh exist to showcase that.
SPEAKER_03So definitely the connections I always ask questions. It's not it it's not uh um yeah, it does not hurt to ask enough questions.
SPEAKER_02Especially with my art, with my photography, and especially working with other people too, is just everybody on the same page. And what's your vision? What's my vision? How can we connect to each other and and create that into one space for all of us to be able to that's super cool.
SPEAKER_01I uh I would assume your clients get even more excited knowing that they were being a part of the creative process. It's it's like they collaborated with you not just being the the person in the picture but their ideas. I I would think that would mean a lot more to to your clients.
SPEAKER_02That's right. It and it means more, but also they enjoy the photos more because it's exactly what they're looking for.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Right.
SPEAKER_02And uh I try to factor their their vision and their style and just everything together and also just networking and making them feel comfortable and uh a lot of times they might not have that confidence. They've never been in front of the camera and they don't know what to do. So my little directions, shoulders, chin, all those little details makes them feel more confident um with each shoot that I pick on.
SPEAKER_01That's super cool.
SPEAKER_02And you ever ha get into it with any of these models, like that they're not happy or um as as far as not too often because by showing them and talking with them and asking exactly what uh they're looking for and I'm showing them throughout the scene, it's really they know what to expect.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Nothing nothing popping them out and hey, do this, do that. But it's more of like staying up here, saying this is what we uh signed up. It's like your job just like any type of job. Um, you're signing up for okay, this is what uh how can I do the best of my ability at that, but also uh just let them go. That's super cool.
Sponsor Shoutout iRip Detail Supply
Hotel Clients Privacy And Marketing
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, that's that's cool. And I've seen some of the pictures you posted, and oh, like some of these girls, they're just uh gorgeous, and you capture how their images in a certain way, and it's like it's like calendar kind, you know what I mean? Like postcards or something. Okay, I want to take the short break to shout out our sponsor, iRip Detail Supply. They're your one-stop shop or superstore for everything you need to detail your vehicle. They have a store, Temple Valley Shopping Center. They all also have one in Las Vegas. They're opening a new shop soon. Um, Kaiko will let you know where, but go down to their shop. They have a great staff, they're very knowledgeable. If not, go to iRepdetailsupply.com, promo code ATBPod upon checkout, and you'll get 15% off your entire purchase order. Aloha. You said you work at the hotel and you do photography as well. Do you still do that at the hotels and stuff?
SPEAKER_02Yes, I still do connect to it. I used to work at the Rural One Hotel, which is just two crowns who need to chart and want to start Friday. So I still have uh clientele that come through at the hotels or concierge, front desks to get contact out to uh the town desks or even read us that are looking for package. Oh, that's super cool.
SPEAKER_01Well, with all like like say your Instagram, it has a lot of pretty girls and models. Do you get like some kind of misconception by people like, oh, he's an Instagram model shoot or something like that? Do you get m misconceived in that aspect? Not to my face, of course. I don't I don't connect to my story.
SPEAKER_02So uh people might talk shit behind your back, but uh I I I sign out to just have that affect me. Um I'm still gonna be who I am and committed to to just whoever I'm taking photos of that most professional uh quality and style and just hard because I love the love love what I do every day and enjoy my photography and photographed growth as well. So just spreading that community around, not so much oh what is only taking photos of or uh coaxing about. It's it's not bad. It's more of the just overall. Sometimes I can't post certain events or things like that because it's on the area. Oh things like that. So yeah, one-signed contacts or things like that. So um but and then also hotel guests, they might not want to pull those posted on social media. Yeah. It's it's more private and just core enjoyment.
SPEAKER_01Has social media played a big factor in growing as a photographer, especially marketing-wise?
SPEAKER_02I believe it it has. Of course, social media has a lot of balancing both and positive and but for my case I feel like it has grown. Uh, especially with my photography and my jewelry. Um it's it's really an advertising, right?
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. How can I keep that platform of uh just continuing to grow with that? But also it's the networking and the connections that you build during each shoot, during each event, networking with those clients and really building building off of that. So of course showcase, showcase on Instagram, my shoots, but also it's pretty number four. You can only know by looking at the photos, but what's the backstory about each of those events or each of those uh the corners that I'm working with?
SPEAKER_01What is in your opinion would be the like your favorite to shoot? Like what do you like to shoot? What would be your favorite?
Favorite Shoots And Pro Mindset
SPEAKER_03I still love sports minority.
SPEAKER_02Getting to shoot with the Raiders. Oh yeah, there's the Battle of the Bay with the Miners, Raiders, at three calm park, kind of. Oh yeah, right.
SPEAKER_01It was just uh amazing video. You gotta send me some of those pictures, man. But I will work for them. Oh man, that's kind of cool. Like that, you must have been on a like a high after that, like just being there on the field, let alone capturing those moments. Like I'd be blown away.
SPEAKER_02But still maintaining that professionalism.
SPEAKER_01It's it's not trying to fanboy out, Ali.
SPEAKER_02No matter if you're at home and change, you're doing all things, you have to in that moment. And uh really helped resonate my whole career and how the how I approach presents or individuals.
SPEAKER_01You must have like you must have like a ton of cameras and equipment, huh?
SPEAKER_02And it it it's not stopping, it's just like new new and cruise equipment coming out and technology. Yeah. Um, and that's one thing too, is yes, I've gotten a lot of different chemical gear, chemicals, body, but how can you produce that same quality images without having always to buy the diamond? Whether it's five years old, versus ten years old, or two years old. How how can you still manage to create those images? And that's more of the eye on a lot of times it's good to do that.
SPEAKER_01That's cool. I always like, oh, what do I always say? Like um someone with a um that plays an instrument. Like you can have this old buzz-up guitar or brand new one, but the person playing it is where the where the skill comes, you know what I mean? Like they can make that old guitar sound great, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02Give me an old camera, give me old equipment and and see what I can do. That's my challenge. I like silence. Just like silence, you know, and and see how I can work with that equipment.
SPEAKER_01So it's like your photography is not only an artistic skill, it's a technical skill as well, then.
SPEAKER_02Well, like that's an technical a lot of understanding, competing, lighting, and and uh population of that's super cool.
SPEAKER_01I think uh photography's evolving and um now there's a lot of people thinking they're photographers because they got iPhones with the cool shit and I think uh the artistic value you bring separates you from a lot of those people. Has it been easy to get jobs or harder to get jobs now that uh people are getting access to good cameras with AI to fix them up and stuff like that, or like just your quality is just that much better where it doesn't affect your business?
Hustle Teaching And Storytelling
SPEAKER_02I believe just like when it works. There's that hustle. You gotta keep working, it's not just let points come to you. Well, and that's where, yeah, maybe some weeks I'll be six or seven prototype, and other weeks I'll be two or three. But is that gonna stop me in in uh affect how I my mindset and my work effort? If I don't have as many pedites and one, no, I'm gonna how can I agree? How can I reach out or uh what can I do differently to different approach to the more time to pedestrians? But also, there are a lot of photographers. There's a lot of students and the the young world or the still photography world. But how can you be just like my doing, go to Papa Major, how can I do that style, just kind of people and purpose. It's not compared to anybody else. Yeah. And you're gonna take uh what you do best and the quality that you put up for the building. Because there's always gonna be somebody higher. There's always somebody gonna be growing to the bottom and doing that. I as far as I'm not any type of art, but also especially with technology. Uh equipment to be so easy to uh radical and uh yeah, really type of art also. It uh it it's involved in task, especially with a lot and technology and um how can how can I help out with the teaching of the photography? That's one thing that I want to do uh so continue to kind of hope. I want to help and teach what I was taught by my time photography and just revision. Um it's also storytelling.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It's uh a client that I work with, recording a story, recruiting a memo. And how can we keep notes? How can we look at a photograph and tell that stuff instead of doing all this technical work on a live? Yeah. Um in front of you.
Bay Area Trips And Niners Plans
SPEAKER_01That's super cool, man. And I mean, that's that's the thing. You're only trying to be better than you were yesterday, and that's that's why I think I I had a great conversation with you. I got to understand you're in your own lane, like you're trying to be better, you then not worried about what other people are doing. What I did like to hear was that you're trying to give back and teach, because that's what aloha is, and that's how I always think is that if I know something I can help someone else, that's super cool. And if they develop skills and and get better than me, that that does no feeling of time from me. That's good for you, and I'm you're not gonna take anything from me by you growing bigger and better than me because I helped you, and and that's always the goal. And and I think that's what a lot of people are starting to kind of misconstrue. It's like crabs in a bucket, like, oh, I don't want to see you succeed, or I want to see you succeed, but not more than I am. Like, that's not how I think. And for you to want to give back and see, like you said, like people that are above you, and there's people that below you, and you you're always learning and trying to evolve and help the people that are trying to do the same thing. Like, to me, that's what aloha is. And being that you're from the Bay, I always thought like a lot of Bay Area people that I know have that same kind of mentality and aloha, and it it's cool to see, bro. It's super refreshing. The um travel, you travel a lot, huh? A little bit. You travel a little bit, especially since all my family's back in the bay.
SPEAKER_02I got my nieces, my past, so that's tobacco each girl, birth each side, quite a bit, maybe five, six times a year.
SPEAKER_01That's super cool. We gotta go to a game because I usually go to one or two every year. This year I didn't get a chance to, but it's probably a good thing. Our team was hurt all all year, but um, I love the bay. We did a a few events over there, and um we're always we're always there for something. So we gotta plan something out.
SPEAKER_02San Francisco.
SPEAKER_01We did San Francisco, we did uh shoot, Hoppa did uh Supper Club, was it Arena? We did um I forget the names of it. We did a boat party one time, yeah, and that was cool. We went around the uh the bay and and went up behind the uh San Francisco Giant Stadium and then took Golden Gate Bridge. Yeah, it was that was cool. But uh we worked with a bunch of guys, they owned uh Clubworks, and that was an old school promotion company, and we kind of collaborated with them. This guy Yams and uh King James was a DJ. Yeah, yeah, it was like a uh Bay Area Asian kind of kind of crowd, Filipino crowd. Yeah, it was was cool. Yeah, I've been always trying to see if Hoppa can uh DJ for the Niners. Romeo is out there DJing DJ Romeo, and he like he has it on lock. I'm just like bro, I just gotta get spot. Yeah, but we definitely gotta go, man. We'll uh plan it out. I've been I've been telling a lot of people, like what we all gotta just go to a lot of Niner fans and we'll just all show up at a certain time and maybe do something and then go to a game and and kinda just just have some fun in the bay. And being that you're from it, you probably know all the cool stuff to do. It's so much soon going to a lot of a lot of fun places to go to. Uh do you miss living there or you you find yourself being cool because you go back and forth? It's more a family element.
SPEAKER_02Uh that's why I do go back quite often. But I've been around the island for 14 years. Not a lot of people. So it felt felt like homebrew and his family's taking me in. How my family am I fine? Yeah. And it's uh truly uh a beautiful place to live. And how can I bring that energy and accruciation, showcase that energy from accruation to uh the wild one?
SPEAKER_01That's super cool, and you're sharing your art, and I think that's super cool because now you're showcasing our our island with a lot of people. I could definitely understand how how people would take you in. You're that guy, you're you have that personality that you're just cool. Um, was it hard to kind of connect once you got down here or was if you found it easy? It definitely took some time.
SPEAKER_02It was uh first because I moved away from home. Um but connect with boss, whether UH sports or like new age and was even within the community, I think. Um still want uh looking on the doors uh built a quote a good networking uh system out there. And um working at the hotels and doing a bunch of people to have the kind of ways that uh just continue to grow and networking how the people that I move on is how can I sort so that we're other people and that uh individual individuals together. So that's how I crucial opportunities, but also
SPEAKER_01What do you do for fun?
SPEAKER_02Like when you're off when I'm off, I I do enjoy running. I like working out and just going on for a five-mile run.
SPEAKER_03Holy shit, I'm gonna vacuum to it.
Sponsor Shoutout Medicinal Mushrooms
Hawaii Nightlife Versus The Bay
SPEAKER_01Bruh. They used to have to microscope. Yeah. Okay, let's take a break because I want to tell you about medicinal mushrooms Hawaii. They're my sponsor, and this is not the psychedelic mushrooms, these are medicinal mushrooms. We have uh extracted into tinchers. We have lion's mane, chaga, red reach, turkey toe, and the north one quartips. And all these mushrooms have a medicinal property and they do wonders for your body. I take all five religious every single day. Uh go to their website, medmushroomhigh.com, and it'll explain to you exactly the medical benefits of each and every one of these mushrooms. Uh I stand by it, I take it every day, I can't go without it. It's definitely done a lot of crazy, uh crazy and amazing things for me. So check them out, medmushroomhigh.com. If you use promo code ATBPodapon, check out all capital letters, you'll get 45% off your first tincture of extracted mushrooms. Medmushroomhigh.com. Aloha. You've been going to a lot of clubs and stuff on in Hawaii, right? I am. Uh is it is it kind of similar to the Bay? Like what like Bay, when I go to the clubs in the Bay, I'm just like, bruh, this is next level. Like, we're we're nowhere near this. How do you feel like how the club scene in Hawaii is compared to like other places you've been, especially the Bay?
SPEAKER_02Well, it's funny because before born out here, I wasn't a club, club type person.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_02I was I was doing my photo series because I was going back and forth, and I I did not in the club scene. So I know everything that was going on in Oakland, that's the fish for all the last clubs and the crazy club, but I I never experienced that much over that. Okay. And I think that's just personal growth, I think that's living on my own and experience and that as well. Uh building my own production from uh moving to somewhere that I didn't have any clubs.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Is that how you met Hopper in the clubs?
SPEAKER_02Well like a lot of me to I'm part of a lot of those groups on islands. I I've met I've met a lot of people within those communities and same part of world surrounds or uh um advanced the words uh yep, I've uh met a lot of people through those too.
SPEAKER_01Hawaii creators, yep, all that stuff. And I I I meet some cool people and everybody has a cool story, and I I get fortunate enough to talk about them to sometimes on on the show. I think um Hawaii has a good unique way to link people together and and show love for each other. I think selfishly I like to think it's only here, but I'm sure it's other places too. But um I feel like our our vibe in Hawaii, I feel like a lot of most people want to see each other succeed. Would you ever think about moving back to the Bay or this is your home, this is it? It's always it's always in the back of my mind.
SPEAKER_02It's always one of those things I would think about as far as the right now. Can I continue working here and continuing to celebrate my photography and my day and my course not working with next things on I I enjoy because even when family or friends come out to it up and five spots, have some restaurants, a lot of different spots on island and uh just soda.
Top Food Spots And Steakhouses
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I see your stories, you're eating like a champ every other what okay. Top three favorite spots you like to go to to eat.
SPEAKER_02Okay, check out who goes.
SPEAKER_01Been there, yeah. Had the paella or what for yeah, it was paella, yeah. And the hot bowl was yeah.
SPEAKER_02Right. Rose top. Okay. Lamb's cooking. Chinatown. They make the fresh noodles, like our chop on, like the beef, sunbreak, over rice, amazing.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I never even heard of that. Lamb's Kitchen. Alright. Let's see.
SPEAKER_02That'll be Rose Ryan Mai Thai Bar. Oh! Rose Ryan, Mai Thai Bar, all the boys over there, Salah on the beach, invited to run that spot, great place to just hang out and bring some of the club.
SPEAKER_01Okay. That's okay, that's cool, man. Uh I I never went there either. Or maybe I have. I'm not on the rig for sure. That's cool. My wife's birthday is next week. I gotta figure some shit out.
SPEAKER_03All right on. When a ring restaurant.
SPEAKER_01Oh, problem. Mine, I like steak. So for some reason, high's is one of my favorite. I would say high's signature, they're probably probably my top. High's I really like the the ambiance because it's like you're in a library and you you can watch the guy cook it. Yeah, you can get hints of Kiave smell, and yeah, it I think because uh when I was young, when I was little, my mom then would bring me there for my birthday. So it was always like, oh, we gotta dress nice and and go to this spot. I think that's kind of why I like that spot. But the food is great too.
SPEAKER_02Highs, I um highs reminds me very much like House of Grammar, for example this yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, you know, dark, uh looking rooms. Shoot. Somebody just told me about that place. House of they said you gotta put in a like a reservation months in advance or something, huh? Okay, okay, okay. I believe you, bruh. You're from there. Okay, house of prime rib. Next time when I freaking plan to go, I'm gonna put in a reservation. Okay, that's been that there you're there's more than one person that told me it, but you you you are from there, so I gotta I gotta check that out. Let's see, what else would be orange chino? Orancino. Have you been orange chino?
SPEAKER_02Well, orange, palan food, the palampood.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and they put like this big thing of cheese, and they it kind of it's like a hollow. Yeah, and they mix it up in there. I was like, oh, that is fire. Like that's one of my favorite stuffs. Because I'm from Kaneoy and I've grew up there, and it it's always been a special place for me, and I really enjoy their food and ambiance is Holliva Joe's in Kaneoye.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, solid clothes, yeah. The ambiance, the view, yeah. Yeah, mountains like them in a two-pound prime road.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they bring you half a cow every time. Yeah. I've been um kind of liking they reopened Crouching Lion within the last year and a half, and it's a little pricey, but yeah, it's oh I haven't started yet. Yeah, the food is good. It's kind of a a local Asian kind of kind of theme, and um little pricey, but it it's the the view is amazing. You're just looking right into the ocean, and it it's a cool vibe. I I've I've been there a few times and yeah, I'm I'm a fan of that place. I'm that place is growing on me. And I I always like driving that way to go to go to dinner, you know what I mean? It's it's somewhere way off the where we're the normal. And yeah, Crouchy Lion, bro. That'll that'll be a place for you to check out if you're ever on this side of the island. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, one of my favorite places just to stop and do it. But yeah. I know the water is al always murky, but just yeah. But uh you're surrounded by the mountains and uh lost, and it's it's quite yeah, it's uh artistic spot, bro.
SPEAKER_01Of course you like that spot. My uh I can say it is now, but my wife pretty much made us get married in Waimea Valley. This was this past July, and like I'm thankful. It was it was amazing. I wish I knew you back then and you would have you would have like had that artistic vision because that place was beautiful. And I remember when I got off the bus, we you gotta catch a bus to where we um had these little small buses to bring us to the wedding site, and I stepped off the bus and I was like, oh man, I I had to be thankful for the vibe that I felt. Like I thanked the mana around me because I also uh asked them for it not to rain, but uh it was like it was a strong feeling, and and oh, it was cool to be in that area. Like uh a lot of a lot of people do a lot of photo shoots there, and that's probably you probably have, if not will, you know what I mean? That place is super beautiful.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, a child of wedding over there. Um it's like it's it's it's uh you see when they uh the beach and then you go all up to the right and get immersed McDonald and Rush and it's like even if you walk all the way up to the waterfall, it's it's the crap, like yeah.
SPEAKER_01What um where would be your favorite places to shoot? Uh at least on Oahu. Beautiful, yeah. Yeah. You ever shot in the sandbar in Canyoids? I've done a couple seats sandbar.
SPEAKER_02Um maybe two two seats last last year. That was the first time I ever been big sandbar last year.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah? Oh wow, okay.
SPEAKER_02Um with my uh oh yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, couple of drinks and then you forget we've had plenty days. Yeah, that's one thing about the sambar, it brings the inner alcoholicness because I feel like I could drink more out there than I could on land for some reason.
SPEAKER_02A journey out to the sambar too. Yeah.
Advice Dream Shoots And Farewell
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Um, shoes, we've been going for over an hour. I wanted to ask you, what would your advice be to give someone who's trying to do what you're you're doing, someone young trying to aspire to be a photographer like yourself? What advice would you give them just starting out? Corruptions.
SPEAKER_02Well, um showcasing the cross. Um, understand that there are a lot of photographers who want to be a lot of people about trusting yourself. Yeah. And and really talking, talking and educating others, why you like photography. What makes you enjoy certain sorts of uh everybody has uh a voice to art? Um what's your voice in photography? And how can you just have them like uh some appropriation, but also how can you not just keep it to yourself, uh your work in uh you know being an artist, uh you're gonna join you what to enjoy your crowd being confident, trying to confident positive and uh that's super cool.
SPEAKER_01Um if you could pick like your top person to shoot, who would it be? Top person to shoot. Like if if you had a wish list, like uh if you could shoot these people who this person, who would it be?
SPEAKER_04Oh okay.
SPEAKER_02What about celebrity? Celebrity. One of my gods with Google's happy a golf, um, something good passion too, was a really nice. Okay, um, I think I would have been an amazing, very tiny type of photo shoot if I have a chance to take photos of Renamaze. Um, what we brought into the baseball community, what he did with the dance organization. Um, yes, if I love baseball. Um, I think I would have been an amazing type photo shoot if I have a chance.
SPEAKER_01That's super cool. I would never have guessed that, bro. That's a that's a cool, that's a cool one, bro. That's super cool. That's respect. Yep. Well, um, I appreciate you taking time out of your day to come talk with me. Uh I would definitely like to have you back on to eventually in the future to see how far you come and see what you got going on because you're different, bro. You're not like you're an outlier, and um people like you are infectious. I think uh talking to you, my listeners will kind of kind of gravitate toward to what you're doing and saying. Um Instagram, social media, where can people find you if they're trying to find you on Instagram or hire you for a shoot?
SPEAKER_02So photography side is J F Photography. Or dream side, J Pong J Well.
SPEAKER_01Right on. Well, um, shaka's for the cameras. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Thank you for much welcome to watch on the Yeah, this is good fun, bruh.
SPEAKER_00We're out. Shout out to the artist group network. Aloha.
