The Fashion Photographer lives in Kuala Lumpur and has shot for all the top magazines including the Malaysian editions of L’Officiel, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and shot for Louis Vuitton and Chanel in Paris for their in-house campaigns and other editorial and advertorial projects over the years.

I started by learning the ropes like any aspiring photographer before moving on to have my own studio where I have also taken on corporate projects for Vespa in Milan and many more. I tend to prefer operating by myself with freelance assistances as needed. This has allowed me to experiment and figure out my own visual flair that I will always impart in my works.

Greatest inspirations or influences?

My personal believe is that I must be adding value beyond my own scope of work. There must be a willingness on my part to contribute more and take the extra initiative to learn in any setting. I love the work of Elliot Erwitt for his sheer capability in capturing very candid images in black and white. Likewise, I adore Robert Frank’s The Americans which I think epitomises how the process of interacting with your subject matter should be.

Tell us about your creative process and what you are looking forward to this year?

I’m most impressed by art directors, stylists and editors who can anticipate questions or issues that I may have raised, and as a result we are collectively prepared with references and suggestions to share. This tells me two especially important things: that this will be a good shoot as I’m working with passionate, creative curators; and that they are resourceful while being intuitive in terms of letting a creative process flow instead of being dictated to. I’m looking forward to our current world situation to improve, I think there is a certain humanity that I can observe in terms of overcoming a pandemic that’s unprecedented.

How has this year changed your creativity?

As mentioned, humanity is at the centre of what we are struggling with. I’ve always been curious about people and could spend hours observing interesting individuals. They way they cope and adapt and even flourish. I would love to capture that essence of striving rather than just surviving.

Icons in your opinion?

Robert De Niro is a living legend and despite what recent news might suggest, he embodies masculinity in it’s most organic form. Forget his Scorsese and Coppola collaborations that we are so familiar with. It’s Bernado Bertolucci’s 1900 that hit me right in the gut in terms of what filmmaking is all about with a captivating performance to match.

Do you think the art world needs to change, if so how can it be improved?

Overall, like any work environment, good work ethics are always recognised. Of course, it is not just the extra effort that can take you to the next level, I believe in effort that enhances my existing capabilities and etch out a niche for myself. We are all becoming digital nomads now in one way or another and I think the art world must cope with that. I mean look at Beeple’s NFTs that uses blockchain technology not just for traceability but to authenticate and serialise artwork. This is amazing, and I am sure beyond the eye-watering prices at auctions, highlights the way the creative visual medium is evolving.

What does wellbeing mean to you?

I am rather private, but I get noticed for what I can accomplish and I’m often one of the first choices for a gig when the time comes. Many think that creative types are often depressed or self-indulgent. Or even obsessive compulsive, selfish human beings. That is not necessary the case, it’s simple: get some exercise, have a healthy diet. Be inspired, but don’t be obtuse to everything else around you. Be self-actualised but not self-centred. Learn to put ourselves into the perspective of others. It is simple – hardly rocket science. I have found my niche and I respect everyone else who has carved out their own.

chintoo