SIPF Southeast Asian Workshop
Kimmo Lehtonen showing images from an IPRN commission by Italian photographer Luigi Gariglio
The three-day Southeast Asian workshop kicked off yesterday with contributors such as Pablo Bartholomew, Manit Sriwanichpoom, Robert Blake, Kimmo Lehtonen and Alain Jullien. The aim of the workshop is to guide emerging artists from Southeast Asia towards developing their personal work and professional career as a photographer.
So far, the workshop has been very helpful. It has also been extremely draining as we are taxed mentally and challenged at each step of the way. Yesterday’s topic on developing a personal vision definitely gave me more insights into how different photographers approached their subjects. One take away was that we need to be true to ourselves, listen to our inner voices and think more critically about the work we do.
As talented (ha, don’t we all love being praised) young photographers, we have the power to communicate our ideas through the medium and we need to harness this to create work that is true to ourselves. Many subjects have been done to death. When approaching such a topic, we have to ask ourselves how different can we do it, what our personal view is and how can we express it to the audience. We cannot ignore the power and responsibility of being an artist; boundaries need to be continuously pushed, work needs to get out and be seen by people.
I’m basically tired out after attending the workshop and rushing home to get my school assignments completed (2 tests, 4 projects!). I’m happy for the workshop though, it’s been awhile since my mind has been pried open. I’ve been too lazy for my own photography for the past year leading to the creative slump. I would have to start picking it up again, doing the projects that I like, revisit old ideas, think through new ones and most importantly (my favorite lesson by far), indulge in my work. Pure indulgence at maniac levels would lead to the fullest expression of the soul.
good site yao hong. and nice to meet you too
thanks eiffel, nice to meet u too. watch the space, i’d be showcasing everyone’s work once i’m freed up in the next couple of days!
Hi Yao Hong, its good to see that you enjoyed the SIPF workshop. I would like to announce the launch of the KLPHOTO AWARDS for contemporary portraiture. It would be good to see how photographers would interpret the concept of portraits, a much shot genre. I see from your blog pictures some great interpretation already, although I suspect these are from foreign photographers?
The SIPF workshops were really an eye opener and a good learning activity for photographers. It was nice meeting you there.