Interview #497: HXO
q: Please give a short introduction of yourselves. How did you meet and why did you decide to work together as a photographer duo? a: HXO is a photographer duo consisting of Hao and Ozon. Hao works at an F&B brand as a brand marketer, and Ozon runs an interior design office.
We met in 2010 through social media that was trending in Korea at that time. We both found each other's film photography uploaded online interesting, and we got along quickly when we talked, so we became friends.
Our HXO duo project began with a playful and simple idea—whose photos will get more hearts on Instagram? We kind of wanted to be in competition with each other by photographing the same models but in a way as different as possible, and the contrast of time, day and night, seemed like an appropriate concept for our game. The project started in the late spring of 2016 and has been going on for over five years.
q: How did you get into photography? Hao: During my undergrad days, a friend of mine in a photography club asked me to be her model. It was a fun experience, and seeing her work made me want to try photographing the images I would picture in my mind. So I bought a used film camera and started taking pictures. At first, I took pictures of friends and scenery around me. Later on, I became interested in shooting staged images, like planning the scene I wanted to capture in advance.
Ozon: I started taking pictures of classmates with my father's film camera in high school. That's how I began. Then when I printed the photos of friends that I liked, those photos felt like treasures to me, so I became attached to photography.
q: On your Instagram, you label your photos as night and day. Is there any idea behind "nights and days"? Hao: As we mentioned when we introduced HXO, the day and night concept was chosen so that the two of us could take the most contrasting images with one model. In line with the concept, I shoot only at night and Ozon only during the day. Of course, there were a few times along the way when I took pictures during the day and Ozon at night, but essentially the part I take on is the nighttime, and Ozon takes the daytime. I only wrote "nights and days" because it is HXO, not OXH.
Ozon: I personally preferred nighttime photos before I started the HXO duo project. But our concept required a person to shoot only during the night, and I wanted to try daytime photography, like shooting only with natural light, without artificial lighting effects.
q: Your photos are often of guys portrayed in an intimate and sensitive way, How did you meet them? a: It varies. Some of them we have contacted through Instagram DMs, and some are acquaintances. Our photography is not fashion photography, so most of the models we photograph are not professional models. It is not that easy to find models since we mostly shoot regular people.
q: What is your process like when making the portraits? Some photo shoots look quite spontaneous while others look more staged. Ozon: I shoot spontaneously. I only use natural daylight to shoot, so it can only be spontaneous. Even if I check the weather in advance, sometimes the weather on the day of the shoot is different from the forecast, cloudy or rainy. On such days I improvise and photograph moods according to the weather. So from time to time, I am jealous of Hao for being able to adjust the lighting. Despite being an improvisational photographer, I don't transfer the model's true essence to the picture. I tend to project myself onto the model when shooting, so most of the model's expressions are mine as well.
Hao: I relatively shoot more staged scenes. I check the model's look before the shoot and develop a story that works well with the model. I usually write down the scenes that could tell that story in advance while often referring to movie stills of my favorite movies. I hope that my pictures look like a scene in a movie. Ozon and I prepare everything by ourselves; all the locations, costumes, and props. On top of all that, preparing the lighting for a night shoot sometimes feels like too much. So in those cases, I'm jealous of Ozon for using natural light.
q: Do you prefer noodles or rice? Any favorite food? Ozon: Pasta, udon, ramen, etc. I really love noodles. But my digestive system is becoming weaker as I age, so I am leaning towards rice more. My favorite food is fried chicken.
Hao: I also like noodles more. It's hard to pick one favorite food, but I usually like food with a lot of spice, like Indian curry or Huo Guo.
q: Upcoming projects or ideas? a: Our work together has been going on for over five years. We've decided that it's about time to organize our work and bring it together. We plan to publish the photos—photos previously released on Instagram, unreleased photos, and newly taken photos—as a book this November. Luckily, we have been invited to Unlimited Edition (an annual art book fair held in Korea), so we plan to unveil our book there for the first time. If we have a chance in the future, it would be great if we could show our photobook in Singapore as well.
Ozon: I don't have any new ideas yet, but going forth, I would like to constantly photograph more people, for ten, twenty years more, as I have done so far. I would like to photograph a very large number of people like Gus Van Sant's photobook "108 Portraits" and do an exhibition.
Hao: I also want to continue with this project. It's fun to see the changes over time in my style of photography and the mood that I like. Before anything, I would like to finish the photobook production that we are releasing this year successfully, and I would like to hold an exhibition in relation to the book if there is such an opportunity.
q: Any music to recommend? Ozon: My Funny Valentine by Chet Baker. Hao probably dislikes it because I play this music all the time wherever and whenever we are together.
Hao: I really love and listen to all kinds of music, but I especially like rock and electronica. The song I've been listening to the most lately is Desert Eagle by Silica Gel. And if I could recommend one more, I would choose A Pure Person by Lim Giong.
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