World Traveler: Lao Mo

If you are wondering how people choose their career as a world traveler, this is the post you need to read. Haoquan Mo is a professional photographer in China. He publishes his photos under the alias of “Lao Mo”. Lao Mo graduated with an Interior Design major; however, he had always been interested in Photography. He was an active member of a photography club in college, and once in a while he would get paid to do portrait photo shoots for other people. He travels around the world when he has some money saved up. I honored to be introduced to him through a photographer friend. I interviewed Lao Mo through RenRen (Chinese version of Facebook). Our interview conversation is translated from Chinese.

Q: I know that you've always loved photography, but what was the turning point that made you choose to be a full time photographer?
A: I got a chance to work in my aunt’s photography studio when I was a junior. It was amazing to use those professional equipment and work with professional photographers. My job was to take street shots of people in fashionable clothes. I did what I loved to do and it was interactive; I met many interesting people while working. So I thought taking photos is what I do in most of my spare time anyways, so why not make it full time!
 
Q: How did you start doing travel photography?
A: My aunt’s studio was doing a project for a travel magazine so we traveled to Taiwan for that. That trip really got me into travel photography. It’s such an awesome combination of what I love to do!

 Q: Do you usually travel with a travel agency or do you plan your own trip and travel alone?
A: I prefer traveling alone or with few close friends, but not with travel agencies and a big group though.

Q: Why is that?
A: Well… travel agency makes everything a lot easier, but I would like to have the freedom to manage my time and do what I enjoy doing. With a big group, I need to go visit places where I’m not interested in. And one time when I was in Italy, I saw a beautiful architecture and wanted to take a few shots of it so I told the tour guide to wait for me for 5 minutes. I don’t remember how long I took because I always get lost in time when taking photos, and when I got back to where the bus was, there was no one. I had to take a taxi back to our hotel and it cost me a lot of money. That was when I realized photographers like me should not go with a group. So I told my tour guide that I won’t be with the group in the remaining of the trip and that worked out.

Q: That was interesting! What’s your favorite country among all the countries you’ve been to?
A: I have to say that every country is unique in its own way. I enjoy most of my trips because I get to learn new cultures and try new food… I love dining in local restaurants! My favorite one is the trip to Thailand. It was an awesome experience. Thailand is a country full of the influence of traditional culture, so everywhere I go I hear stories about that place. And also I love Thai food. I spend a whole day in a street market eating local snacks and buying souvenirs. Of course I also took many amazing pictures. Thailand is a beautiful country.

Q: That sounds fun! Last question… what do you think is the most important thing to keep in mind while planning a trip?
A: I would say knowing the season of your destination is very important. Some countries like Thailand can get pretty hot in April, so if you aren't use to the heat you will not have a enjoyable trip. Some places might still be cold in June and you want to make sure you are ready for it. Try to visit the country during its best season I would suggest.
It was great to chat with a world traveler and hear his experience in traveling. Hope his suggestions are useful to you all.