Chip Lei put all their eggs in one basket when they applied to a single photography program in 2022. Fortunately, the gamble paid off, and they got into Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University).
Lei, originally from Vancouver, moved to Toronto and has spent the past four years expanding their craft at TMU. “I came from Lord Byng Secondary School which had an enriched mini school visual arts program,” they said. “You can like drawing or painting, but if you’re doing it for school, it can take the fun out of it.”
What’s next? “Ideally, I would love to work abroad, seeing new sights in East Asia: China, Singapore, Japan or Korea,” they said. “I’d love to work with actors, singers and others in the entertainment industry.”
There were no specific photography courses, but one teacher encouraged students to join the school yearbook staff as photographers. This experience opened a hunger to learn more so, when it was time to look into postsecondary opportunities, Lei searched online for the best photography program in Canada. “The first one was Ryerson’s,” they said. “So, I applied and got in. I liked being away from home. I’d been thinking about other things like marine biology, psychology or social work. Then I developed a passion for photography. It was the only school I applied to. High risk, high reward.” Lei graduates in June 2026.
What’s next? “Ideally, I would love to work abroad, seeing new sights in East Asia: China, Singapore, Japan or Korea,” they said. “I’d love to work with actors, singers and others in the entertainment industry.” Being fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin would make working in China easy. They’ve also been learning Korean for the past six years. They tried learning Japanese but found it difficult.
“I want to gain more world experience using my current portfolio and connections,” Lei said. “Or I can get some freelance gigs, and work with my mom. She is an events and lifestyle photographer with a huge clientele in Vancouver. She brings me along as a second shooter or videographer sometimes.”
Artistically, Lei’s current work is influenced by two photographers. “There is this Chinese photographer, Zhang Jia Hui whose photos are serene,” they said. “And Korean photographer Cho Gi-seok has done a lot of work in K-pop, flower or dream photography.
All their work requires original thinking and his work has caught attention of Hollywood. It would be great to work with either of them.”