Chohee Courtois, an Ealing based South Korean native, recently won the People's Choice Award at the prestigious British Photography Awards 2023 for her captivating self-portrait titled 'Mountain Before the Cut.' 

Courtois' journey to becoming a pet photographer has been nothing short of transformative. 

Having moved to London eight years ago, she initially pursued a career in media and communications, feeling a need to be more "realistic" about her future. 

However, the call of her childhood dream to be an artist lingered, and London's diverse culture provided a fresh perspective that fuelled her career change. 

The photographer said: "I always try to stay creative and keep evolving...I think the best way to do that is to practice in all the photography genres."

By trade, Courtois is pet photographer whose focus lies in capturing the unique personalities of animals and the profound bond between pets and their owners. 

Courtois explained: "Each animal has their own charm, so I try to capture the bond between the pets and the owners. 

"If the pet has something unique on their appearance, like a unique marking or a very cute nose or even very white teeth, I'll try and capture that." 

Chohee Courtois specialises in pet photography (credit: Chohee Courtois).

Five years ago, Courtois took the plunge into professional photography, specifically gravitating towards pet photography. 

"I was just naturally drawn to photography, especially pet photography," she explains. 

"There was not a particular reason or event; it was just in my mind for a long time without me knowing." 

'Mountain Before the Cut' is Chohee Courtois award winning self portrait of her breast before a lumpectomy (credit: Chohee Courtois).

The award-winning self-portrait, 'Mountain Before the Cut,' holds a deep significance to Courtois. 

Conceived during a challenging period in her life, marked by a breast cancer diagnosis, the photograph symbolises hope and strength. 

Courtois shares: "I was waiting for surgery. I was at a very low moment and I thought I need to do something about this. 

"Then I thought, I wanted to document my body before the change." 

Her perspective on life shifted, particularly the importance of capturing moments and focusing on what truly matters. 

Chohee Courtois holding her award at the 2023 British Photography Awards gala press wall (credit: Chohee Courtois).

Courtois admitted: "I would say I have clear mind like I know better. Of course, I'm still young and I still don't know much about life, but now I know better about what to focus on. 

"I also realised that the people close to me are important and I should be more compassionate." 

She added: "Photography kept me motivated...it's a tool to capture moments in life."  

Looking ahead, Courtois expresses excitement about opening her new studio in January. 

'Heart Warmer' won a Silver award at the 2023 International Pet Photography Awards and finalist status at the 2023 International Dog Photography Awards (credit: Chohee Courtois).

Beyond pet photography, she envisions delving into fine art-style nude photography and expanding her self-portrait series. 

"When I do shoot sometimes, it depends on the model, of course I can direct them and I can help them to express themselves, but there's a limit. 

"When it's myself I have full control of set, the lighting and the model", she shares. 

As Courtois reflects on the challenges and triumphs of the year, she expresses gratitude for overcoming difficulties and acknowledges the support of her husband and friends – especially her close friend Nahyun.

Courtois said: "My best friend Nahyun, she was there the whole time and she gave me a lot of mental support. 

"She made me feel appreciated and cared for by other people when I was not feeling worthy."  

Apart from photographing pets, Chohee Courtois works with other subjects and genres (credit: Chohee Courtois).

With her new studio on the way, Courtois is poised to continue capturing life through her lens. 

She said: "I'm really excited to be opening my new studio. I have been building it from scratch and it's been a long time coming, but it's finally finishing, and it will officially open in January." 

The photographer finished by saying: "That's my goal whenever I create images for anyone. Immortalising meaningful moments in photographs. Once again, I'm proud of what I do and more importantly, grateful to everyone who appreciates my work."

Chohee Courtois is currently offering a 50% discount on her photography sessions to celebrate upcoming opening of her new studio.  

To find out more about Chohee Courtois and her photography, click here. 

We want to provide Ealing with more and more clickbait-free local news. To do that, we need a loyal newsletter following. Help us survive and sign up for our free weekly newsletter by clicking the link HERE.