Photographer and Art Director Annie Ye on Mastering Advertising and Smartphone Photography

Both of my award-winning pieces were born from very different, yet equally powerful moments.

My Platinum-winning jewelry photograph, Stars Of Midnight, came from pure frustration. I wasn’t seeing the kind of dark, moody aesthetic I knew was possible in jewelry photography, so I created it myself. I gathered everything in my living room and built the world I wanted to see.

My Silver-winning piece, Before It Turns, was inspired by a quiet moment on Governors Island in the fall. The beauty of autumn felt fleeting, as though it were slipping away in real time. I knew I had to capture it before it vanished, and that sense of urgency became the heart of the image.

Winning these awards feels surreal. It is both a validation of how far I have come and a reminder to keep trusting my instincts.

I keep it simple. I trust my eye and the feeling a photograph gives me. If it lingers, if it speaks without words, that’s the one.

My grandfather! He made photography seem effortless and magical. Watching him sparked something in me, and it meant even more when he gifted me my first camera.

Landscape and nature photography will always have my heart. With my background in horticulture, I feel deeply connected to the natural world. There is something grounding and almost spiritual about capturing nature at its most beautiful—it feels like answering a calling.

I’m always on the move, so I don’t stick to a fixed setup. However, I almost always carry a tripod—it gives me stability, flexibility, and the freedom to slow down and thoughtfully compose my shots.

A sense of softness and serenity.

It was my first time exploring macro photography, so lighting became my biggest challenge. Learning how light behaves at such a close range pushed me to think more creatively and approach photography in new ways.

The New York City skyline overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge. There is an energy there that never fades.

Nature, always. It is my constant teacher and an endless source of inspiration.

Take a chance on yourself. Trust your eye. Your work deserves to be seen—it should not remain hidden in your camera roll. If you do not take the chance, you will never know what is possible.

Photograph everything. Through practice, you will discover what truly excites you, and that is where your voice begins.

Editing is important, but I believe a strong photograph should already stand on its own. As my teacher once said, a beautiful image should require little to no enhancement to reveal its beauty.

AI is a powerful tool for generating ideas, but it cannot replicate the magic of capturing a real, fleeting moment. There is something irreplaceable about being present in the world and freezing time through your own lens.

I would capture a moment with my grandfather, standing together in front of a glowing sunset. That would mean everything to me.