Singapore based Nico Lim is currently in his second year of study in Animation at the LASALLE College of the Arts. Framing images has formed a part of his ritual since he received his first iPhone at 14 documenting the world around him wherever he went. Subdued tones. Soft lighting. A frame conceptualized before the shutter goes down. He traverses between traditional and non-traditional cropping. It is near unbelievable to think that Nico has only been working on a digital camera for a year which I suppose can be attributed to the prestigious school he attends where he took photography classes.
“I guess my comprehensive artistic background has helped me push my boundaries in photography more.” Animation bleeds from his fingertips and expands into the way in which he approaches photography, painting images with light. Besides from the fundamentals taught in class Nico honed his photographic prowess through self-learning and online tutorials which includes his editing and retouching abilities.
His lens is drawn to fashion and fine art as he explains, “Throughout my art education, I have developed a strong commitment to fashion and [a] conceptual approach to fashion photography along with portraiture.”
His process expresses a lot about his approach to the medium, interweaving drawing within his workings. He begins by coming up with a concept that is translated into mood board. From here sketches emerge as guidelines, digital lines that act as a cognitive composition template. However, rules act only as a guide and the young image maker chooses to go astray exploring by impulse to create unplanned and more authentic depictions.
Technically his work is rather sophisticated and tastefully expressed when considering that Nico shoots on an entry level camera. As it has often been expressed… the camera does not make the photographer which I agree with to some extent, but the camera sure does make a difference.
“I very much enjoy the journey that comes along with photography. It’s satisfying and self-rewarding to witness my conceptual visions develop into collections of still images. I also love the process of directing my shoot and styling my models along with my vision.”
Not fixated with a particular message Nico prefers for his onlookers to interpret his work from their own perspectives and to find their own meaning. In the future Nico would like to move into the field of fashion media and expresses a wish to work with brands.
To keep up with his work follow him on Instagram
