Justin Chung

Lifestyle, Portrait | Last Updated: February 3, 2021

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Hello, my name is Justin Chung and I’m a photographer based in Los Angeles. My personal interests in photography range from portraiture and lifestyle photography, to architecture and design. As a result, I really enjoy trying to blend these interests and incorporate them into my assignments.

Alongside my commercial and editorial work, I have been working on my personal project, Faculty Department. Released in 2014 as a book, Faculty Department is series of photography essays, documenting the lives of people who influenced me on my creative path. The second book is almost done and I’m very excited to get it released later this year.

In regards to my photography kit, I often shoot with various cameras, from digital to analog (see comparison), depending on the job. The kit featured here is my personal kit that I take with me everywhere I go. For my personal work, I’ve found that traveling with as little as possible has been the best for me.

I used to take a good amount of cameras on trips and I found myself spending most of my time shuffling through gear, which can slow the momentum down in taking photographs (for me at least). I found that I wouldn’t even shoot with some cameras!

Now, I try to take as little as possible, limiting my personal kit to two analog cameras: a medium format and 35mm pocket camera. It’s been great to be pretty mobile and be able to just dial in on the moments.

Here’s a quick look at my personal kit below:

Contax 645 – I’ve been shooting with the Contax 645 since early on when I started shooting film and haven’t really switched.

Contax T3 – I love the candid feeling you get from the Contax T3. It’s incredibly lightweight and I’m always surprised to see how tack sharp the scans are.

Filson Camera Bag – This bag was released a few years ago in collaboration with Magnum Photos. This bag has been pretty resilient and has been holding up very well.

Porter Camera Pouch – Got this pouch for my Contax T3 from Porter on a trip to Japan.

Film – Kodak Portra and Tri-X. I shoot with all sorts of film stocks but have been shooting with Kodak quite consistently as it’s been the film stock that I’ve been using for my next Faculty Department book.

Rollbahn Notebook – I’ve been using a Rollbahn notebook for years and are now used to them. It has this sort of academic feeling to it that reminds me of my time in graduate school working on research papers.

Rohto Eye Drops – My assistant got me into these and now I always keep them in my kit. They sting a little at first but are pretty refreshing.

Husky Organization Pouch – Got a set of these pouches from Home Depot. They come in various sizes and have been great for helping store film.

Stanley Coffee Mug – Another one of my Home Depot purchases, this mug works great because it fits in the side pocket of the Filson bag.

justinchungstudio.com | @justinchung