Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Kongmeng "Kong" Yang. I hope you enjoy our conversation.


Hello, Kong! Tell readers a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Minneapolis, [Minnesota].

Did you play sports as a kid?

Yes, I played many sports growing up between football, soccer, volley[ball] and baseball. But those sports were just for fun. Basketball was my main sport. I played all four years of high school and AAU.

Where do you live now?

I still live in Minneapolis.

Anything else you’d like readers to know about you?

I’ve always wanted to be a photographer when I was a kid. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience when I was younger. When I was around maybe 12 years old my dad bought a brand-new digital camera for $500. I would take it out and shoot photos with it. My fav thing was to set it to self-timer and capture myself playing basketball. I would try [to] capture myself from so many angles and somehow, I had the reckless idea of placing it on the back of the basketball rim while shooting a jump shot. Welp, my shot fell short and hit the front of the rim, and down came my dad's new camera. I’ve been traumatized since and it wasn’t until the pandemic that I decided to start photography again.

Oh my gosh... I know every kid has had this experience. We do something reckless and then when it all goes wrong, it's like you are watching it happen in slow motion. The entire time you are saying, in your head, "nooooooo!" Ha ha ha. Oh, I'm so sorry that happened. It would have been a very cool photo had it worked out!


How long have you been a photographer? When did you start?

I started photography back in 2020 so going on about 4 years now.

What was your first “pro” camera?

The first camera I had was passed down to me from my brother-in-law, a Sony a7ii.

What camera(s) do you currently shoot with?

My current camera is a Sony a7iv.

What makes a “professional photographer” in your opinion?

A professional photographer is someone who sees the shot before the shot. A person who understands lighting, visual patterns, and composition. Someone who could walk into any room and any situation and have the vision to give it life.


That's a really good answer. What was your first paid photography gig?

First paid photography was a group photo shoot for a friend.

What was your first paid sports photography gig?

First paid sports photography [was for] my friend who coaches high school basketball.

What was one of your favorite events/competitions/games/matches that you shot?

My fav event to shoot at is the Twin Cities Pro-am. It’s a great environment. The players are amazing, the fans are wonderful. I feel proud to be a part of this and contribute to the community with my photos.

I have heard of that basketball tournament. Very cool!


Do you do your own photo editing? If so, do you like photo editing? Why or why not?

Yes, I do my own editing. In the beginning, it was tough because there’s a learning curve to it. So many tools it was overwhelming. But with time I developed a certain style that I really enjoyed. It’s a lot of fun now. Editing is where you get to see where the photos come alive and the opportunity I find ways to be better. Some examples are how could I have better taken this shot, and what would I do differently plus it gives me ideas I wouldn’t have been able to see beforehand.

That, again, is a great answer. Thank you for that!


What photography jobs do you have coming up that you are excited about?

At the moment I have no job offers. I freelance so I just accept them as they come.

What kinds of non-sports-related photo jobs do you take?

Non-sports related jobs that I take are weddings, family portraits, prom, and senior photos.

What is a topic related to photography in general, or more specifically sports photography, that you are passionate about?

So, I enjoy reading both the player's tribune and sports athletic. I’m very interested in the athlete’s journey, the back story, and process of becoming who they are. Very insightful stuff. Also, the concept of combining writing with photos as a way for storytelling is so powerful. I always find the article and the photos to be very inspiring.

I agree! I love learning the stories behind athletes and how they got to where they are.


Who were/are your mentors?

My brother-in-law helps mentor and guides me a lot. I read books and learn a lot from YouTube.

What would be an event/competition/game that you would love to shoot someday?

For sure, I’d love to shoot for the NBA someday. The Olympics and March Madness would be a lot of fun.

What sport have you not shot yet that you would love to shoot?

For sure baseball because the game is so much slower. Basketball is such a fast-paced game it doesn’t give me time to think. With baseball, there’s time in between pitches and batters that I think would help me relax more.

Yes, basketball is so fast. I have only shot a little bit of it, this year, at the Big Ten Tournament.


Thanks so much, Kong. Readers, please follow him on Instagram here. Join me next week for another interview (if you have anyone you'd like me to reach out to, please email me at wendy@wendynielsenphoto.com!

~ Wendy