384 - Patrick Michael Chin

Patrick Michael Chin has been a full time photographer since 2014. He has since worked with many well-known brands like Chevrolet, Etsy, lululemon, Hilton, GAP, Seagram's, and many more.

When he isn't busy capturing these moments he is also teaching his craft to others through workshops.

Twitter (X) → twitter.com/iampatrickchin
Threads → threads.net/@iampatrickchin
Instagram → instagram.com/iampatrickchin

Inside Patrick Michael Chin's Workspace

I'm a photographer so I use two LG 27GN950-B monitors because I wanted a solution that could work for both gaming at nights and for working during the day. I work from a 16" Macbook Pro (M1 Max, 64GB Memory, 2TB Storage) that is on a vertical stand hidden alongside my gaming PC. Can't really see it in the pictures but it's a very clean setup for my needs. I just change inputs on my monitors when I'm switching between the two. I have to use custom calibrations for my Macbook, saved as display profiles, to make sure I'm color accurate with my photo editing otherwise editing would be impossible on these monitors. I use a Keychron K6 keyboard because I love mechanic keyboard but needed something that could easily switch between Mac and Windows compatibility. It's hardwired into my Macbook and I swap to bluetooth when using the gaming PC. The speakers are Joey Roth and they're paired with an Audio Engine subwoofer below the desk. When I need to be more quiet I use a pair of Master & Dynamic MH60 headphones and, even though I don't do any streaming or anything, my mic for video calls is an Elgato streaming mic. The filing cabinet is from CB2 and helps me stay more organized on top of my desk. My chair is a Herman Miller Embody Gaming Chair.

Outside of all of my desk things, my office is basically just a home for all of my hobbies. Beyond the gaming PC, there's my music equipment (pedalboard, amps, guitars), my shelf full of all of my books and whiskey, and all of my photo gear lives in my office closet.

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

I love my gaming PC. It's so nerdy and unnecessary but I just have had a lot of fun getting back into gaming with friends ever since Covid. It's probably a tie between that and my vintage Fender Rhodes keyboard. Though I don't play it nearly as much as I should, it's my favorite instrument by far. I picked it up in college for cheap and now they're next to impossible to come by. My kids play it more than I do, which is why I set it back up in the first place.

How do you spark creativity?

I'm not great with having a solid routine and I struggle with pretty crippling ADHD so for me I have to get lucky to really find a creative groove. I can't just sit down and start being creative. Getting started is always what's hard for me. Typically if I'm wanting to work on something creative for myself it doesn't happen until really late at night. I get a lot more done when the world is all quieted down, so I'll stay up really late most nights and that's really the only time I feel like I can "strike gold" creatively.

How do you manage work-life balance?

I'm not a pro at this by any means but I do feel like my family and I have a great thing going. My wife is a full time mom to our three kids and when I'm not traveling for a shoot I'm working from home with them all, so I get lots of time at home with them. My office space is in our of our spare bedrooms. Then more often than not my family travels with me for work as well so we get to experience a lot of fun things together. I love our set up.

What do you think is the main benefit of remote work?

The flexibility of remote work far outweighs the cons for me, but I personally miss being around people. I often think it would benefit me to be a part of a co-working space or something if I can ever find one that's a good fit for me. I'm a people person - it's what I love most about the photoshoots themselves, but I do miss being around people in a more everyday way. That said, I don't think there's a way to overvalue the extra time I get in the day with my kids. So many hours I'd miss with them if I were in a 9-5 in an office plus a commute. I'm so thankful to be doing what I'm doing and that it allows me this level of freedom.