UXbyDesign.org

An interview with fashion photographer, Leo Lam

Posted on 28. Jan, 2009 by Bradley Hebdon in Interviews

As an on-going feature, I’ll be chatting with colleagues within the larger ecology of “User Experience”. Through this, I hope to broaden the reader’s perception of what “User Experience” truly implies, and that this is not a term reserved exclusively for labs and virtual spaces.  

To kick this off, I sat down with fashion photographer Leo Lam.  We go back a good 10 years now, back to when our photographic paths crossed. I’ve seen his skills blossom and there’s not many photographers out there who understand the viewer as well as Leo.  In such a technical craft, it’s easy to get caught up in gadgets and settings - and in doing so – forget about the viewer’s experience.

Q: How did you get into photography?

My father taught me how to use a camera when I was young, film and mechanical cameras. It was mostly for fun and I never thought it would become anything serious. Things changed when I made the first dollar doing teenagers’ portrait when I became a teenager. That’s many moons ago, and I became very serious about this about eight years ago, mostly out of serendipity. I think fashion photography in a way sought me out, while I was (and am) pursuing a more science-related career

Q: What do you typically shoot?

I shoot fashion and beauty work when I am in Seattle. I am quite open to shooting other things, like the Bhutan photographs that I did in early 2008. It is good to have variety. In my spare time, I also volunteer to shoot for Soulumination, a non-profit that provides free photo service to terminally ill children. It’s good for the soul.

Q: Where do you typically shoot?

It depends on the context. The studio is good for certain work, but I do prefer to shoot on location where it adds context to the story and gives the subject characters what a grey background doesn’t. No one lives in front of a grey background. 

Q: How do you compare shooting in the studio to on location – any preference?

I don’t have a preference, it depends on context and whether one serves the purpose better than the other. Location gives specific elements and character to a story, while the studio provides focus and control. The studio is more challenging in a way, because while it provides control, it also has restrictions, and one has to constantly innovate to give it a fresh and new approach. The moment one gets lazy with the studio, the work becomes boring and stagnant. 

Q: How would you describe your shooting style? 

Poetic, romantic, intimate and human-centric. While I appreciate and can produce high level of post-production, I am now focusing more on context and the human elements. Fashion is supposed to inspire, to bring people to places normally ones could never be. To bring about that, I think we should care more about the people beyond the surface. There is already enough work where the models in the images are almost interchangeable with a plastic mannequin. And while a lot of them are visually spectacular, my goal is to go beyond that, and back to basics. 

Q: What’s the most spectacular place you’ve ever been? 

Bhutan. Pretty much hands-down the most interesting, peaceful and beautiful country I have ever been to, and I have been “around the block” a few times. It is an inspiring country in so many ways. The forward thinking, the anti-thesis to many things that we have been taught to believe in. It reminds me of a Daniel Quinn saying, “there is more than one right way to live.” Bhutan is the best example for that, for most western-educated people anyway. 

Q: Are there any particular themes that weave through your work?

The most obvious ones are romance and interactions. I always strive to bring interesting subjects to the viewers so they have a want to know the person photographed, beyond just “she’s hot”, that’s too obvious. The response I hope for is “she has a story to tell, I wonder what it is.” There are also times when I bring in social issues and make that a basis for a story. 

Q: What equipment do you use?

All kinds, from medium format digital to a plastic Polaroid 600 camera. It really is not that important for me to think about what I use, but to use all of them proficiently. 

Q: When did you make the decision to move to digital and what was the tipping point?

About 2002. My engineering background in semiconductors gave me the unique insight into the inner working of digital imaging, from the chip to the DSP algorithms to color management. These are second nature to me, and it was very clear to me that it is the future of imaging. The possibility of digital is also infinite, without much constraints at this point. The moment I noticed that the theory had become reality in practice to a quality level that was acceptable to my eyes, I dived in. 

Q: How do you feel about digitally enhancing photos?

I don’t think I would have any specific feeling about whether a photo is digitally enhanced or not. The only question I would ask is whether the image is compelling, and whether it has context, or whether it has served the purpose of the creator’s original intent. If the photo serves any one of these purposes, it is a success. If not, it does not, then no matter how overly produced it is, it is still a failure. Photographs have never been truthful, the moment a photographer decides on a crop, truth is lost. Adding to the fact that manipulations have been done in the dark room for years, it is not a consideration for me at all. 

Q: What drives your choice between black & white, and color as a medium?

If colors do not serve any purpose for a specific idea, and the styling works for black and white, then black and white it is. Colors sometimes act to distract from the message, but sometimes it is absolutely necessary, especially when the color is the theme for a fashion story. 

Q: How would you like viewers to react when they see your images?

Overall, I want them to feel good, beyond a “wow, this is beautiful”. That, I think is what all fashion photographers want to strive for. Does it make someone “feel” something. I don’t want to dictate how they feel, I only want to induce some thoughts in their minds. Better yet, a smile. 

Q: When you show your work in a gallery, do you have any particular strategy to how you select and arrange the photos?

The arrangements are done as stories. I prefer it to look like it is almost a continuous magazine editorial that does not need page flips. The selections are completely story-based, or theme-based. 

Q: Now days, it’s so easy to show your work on-line. Why do you think it’s worth showing your work in-person?

Two main reasons. First of all, the quality of onlinepresentation is still incomparable to a physical print. No one has a 3-foot tall monitor, and worse yet, most people do not have calibrated monitors. Most people have forgotten the power of seeing something tangible, and I think it is important to remind people that lives exist beyond the Internet.

This also brings back to the original purpose for creating photographs, for me anyway. It is about interactions, context, bringing out thoughts and sharing them. Is it not more interesting if I can hear right away what thoughts people have? Seattle already has a reputation for its standoffishness, so I really hope putting a show up can bring people together, with a shared viewpoint, break down barriers and have some interactions with eachother. And it is fun, why not? If this show can bring just one new friend for one person, it is all worth it. 

Q: Where and when can we see your work?

You can obviously see my work on-line at my website: LeoLam.com. I am also putting on a gallery show, called “Being Captured“ at the studio in February. The opening night will be February 5th. 

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1. Interview: Amy Buckner on Mobile Usability
2. An interview with Dave Connelly, President of Coresoft: Makers of Super Sniper 2

Tags: Bhutan, Fashion, Leo Lam, Photography