About Me

 
 

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 I am 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 amateur 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 reason 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 every year); some things I’ve noticed are 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 2020, I took a step back and reanalyzed 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 space, it can 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 back in high school, and it just stuck.

 
A Dearest