1,000 Words: Glen Han

In this ongoing series, we go on the road and behind the camera with electronic music scene photographers.

Name: Glen Han
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Occupation: Photographer and Videographer

On assignment in 2014 at events including: Holy Ship!!!, Skrillex’s Takeovers Tour, Winter Music Conference, SXSW, Coachella, 11 dates on the Boys Noize tour, Hangout Music Festival, Sasquatch, EDC New York

First experience with electronic music: Daft Punk’s set at Coachella 2006. With electronic music there was something visual involved. That’s why I liked it; there was something to shoot.

This makes sense because: Growing up I liked robots and all that shit, so this was a visceral, real version of what my childhood fantasies were, in an adult world. It was cool and the music was really good and the visuals were great and it seemed to unite people. I had never seen anything like that, so from that point on I was like, “I’m going to shoot it.”

At which point: I was like “where can I listen to this shit in LA” and it ended up being at places like Cinespace and LAX where DJ AM and Aoki and Mike B would throw a party every Sunday. That’s how I first listened to Ed Banger and Justice and all those guys. I met them because they just strolled in. Through that I kept meeting more people and smoking weed with more people. I met so many people through smoking weed; it created a conversation that was something longer than that conversation…We’d hang out and they’d let me do whatever I wanted because the way it started wasn’t business. It was like, “Shit Glen! You shoot too?”

And then: That world became realer than just the music, and my friendships turned into something real. I babysit Diplo’s kid sometimes, and I hang with these fools because I genuinely like hanging out with these fools. The video and photo stuff is a byproduct of it.

The method: I don’t prompt while I’m working; I just shoot. I know it’s going to be fun for the audience because they want to be a part of that too.

Favorite shot ever: Shooting Thomas Bangalter without his mask on was one of my favorites. Also, and it sucks to say, but I have really good footage of some of my friends that passed away. I have stuff of Mehdi and DJ AM spinning, and they’re not here anymore. I’m really happy I got to film it, because this way I can still remember it, versus some memories you just forget.

Shot most regret missing: If I missed a shot, I missed it because I was living it, so I don’t care. The reason why my stuff is interesting is because I’m actually living it as I shoot it.

Selfies. Love or hate? I take pictures of myself all the time. I take tourist selfies or weird selfies or selfies with friends. I’m about implicit narcissism, not explicit narcissism. You don’t want people to know you’re narcissistic, but of course you want a good photo of yourself out there instead of a bad photo. In my mind, I’m narcissistic for even thinking that, but it’s like implicitly non-explicit narcissism. Selfies are a very gray area between that.