special feature | Chasing Light Through the Camera Lens
published in enya Fashion Queen issue 175, find the original interview here
As time slips through our grasp, we are forced to move forward. Perhaps only in the moment when a photo is taken, time stops. For our July issue, enya Fashion Queen is honored to invite three very different Taiwanese photographers—Tzu-Chin Yu, Shin Huang and Lotti—for a special report. From lifestyle, urban to architecture photography, we hope to send a positive message to our readers with the collection of images. Like shadows chasing light, these artists are still trying to capture the beautiful moments amidst this difficult time. Through conversations with the self, they are showing us what it means to be truly alive.
In Search of Purity
People are changing, so is our surroundings. Embodied with the history of different cultures, architecture is also going through the inheritance of old and new. As an architecture and interior photographer, Tzu-Chin Yu sees the interaction between people and the environment through his camera lens. Whether if it’s “Lego House with Yellow Raincoat” that reminds people of the Ancient One in Doctor Strange, or “CUBE #0” that is filled with a dark theatrical visualization, his works convey this dramatically cinematic tone. Not intentionally trying to make his image cinematic, Tzu-Chin is interpreting reality in the way of movies. Using the camera to capture moments, while adding the right colors to accurately depict his emotions, his photography takes his audience into a world in which reality and fantasy overlap. What’s fascinating about Tzu-Chin’s works of art is that the buildings and characters do exist in real life, but simultaneously convey a sense of cinematic reverie.
In the wake of the pandemic, Tzu-Chin believes the collaboration between art and abstract creations will become the new trend. Although inspiration relies on the stimulation of our surroundings, the source of it still stems from the creator’s mind. As if turning his camera into a magnifier, he breaks the limitations of the pandemic and turns his surroundings into a microcosm of the universe that is filled with all kinds of possibilities. “In order to return to the simplest way, we can start by drawing inspiration from the objects around us.” By doing so, Tzu-Chin realizes there are so many things he didn’t pay attention to: the subtle changes of light through the windows, his cat’s surprisingly humane habit of watching sunrises, or the secret garden that has been nurturing life on the roof all this time. He asks the question: we were so used to our busy pre-pandemic life, is it possible that our current lifestyle is what it truly means to live? As we begin to spend more time at home, it shrinks our sensory framework in order for us to discover the beauty of life hidden within the environment, allowing us to find the purest, more primitive way of life.
Peace within Warmth
“Photography is something that requires caution and should be done quietly. In a way, photographers should be invisible.” This was what Bill Cunningham, the late legendary fashion photographer, said that inspired Shin Huang’s tranquil photography style. Inclining towards using yellow color tones that resemble the sun, her photos radiate with a warming sensation that captures the tenderness of human emotions. Through the arrangement of lights and shadows, she hopes to take her audience on an escape from reality. As we enter Shin’s world, we can roam free in our imagination and find the peace in our mind that belongs to no one else.
opportunity of going out as the perfect time to look for inspiration. With the streets being empty, Shin is able to look at the familiar city from a brand new perspective and find that streak of sunlight without the usual hustle and bustle. By slowing down her pace, she realizes that the images she took with her camera are no longer “noisy.” Instead, she might have discovered the tranquility she had been looking for all this time.
“As a creator, no matter how the environment changes, the heart of the creation will not be easily affected.” Shin’s vision for the future is to utilize the power of technology to create images that are more therapeutic and with a humanistic perspective. Perhaps machines are ice cold, but the photography and the person behind the camera are both filled with warmth. Through each and every photo, Shin is spreading her perseverance and positivity to the world, like a warm string tucking at the audience’s world of sensitivity.
Perfection in a Split Second
Through the changes of photography culture, street photography has become a common subject, but also an easy way of making mere documentation. To Lotti, he is always looking to capture the single, most captivating moment that cannot be duplicated. While he was traveling and doing street photography, he’d always ask himself, “what is an angle that only I can see?” By looking at Lotti’s work, we feel the emotions of a resident, but not the partiality and values of the given society. Perceiving the world as a “temporary resident,” he creates this unique sense of liberation that becomes a signature of his photography.
Two years ago, Lotti moved to Osaka alone. Without knowing any Japanese, he chose to communicate through his camera lens. He once visited a shooting location every day for two weeks, just to capture the exact moment when the shadows would cut through the intersection diagonally. “Tai Chi” is just one of many exemplifications of Lotti’s determination when it comes to photography. Through preparation and observation, in order to arrive at the correct prediction of what the character’s next move will be, it requires years of experience and the innate intuition that resides in the photographer. In the works of Lotti, we see how he finds the perfect balance between movement and staticity in the flow of time and turning them into beautiful moments that cannot be repeated.
Having encountered COVID lockdown twice by now—last year in Japan, and now in Taiwan—Lotti believes that adjusting the mentality is important for all artists in this difficult time. Despite not being able to go outside and do shoots physically, he chooses to take a step back and turn his attention to the planning stages of street photography instead. In addition to exploring possible themes in the future through Google Earth 3D, Lotti would also revisit his older works and retouch them with different editing and color schemes. Maybe now is the perfect time for us to re-examine our past, and take this opportunity to grow and evolve into our better self. Even with the limitations of the pandemic, Lotti had already set his vision on the infinite possibilities after this lockdown, let us look forward with excitement to his blaze of creativity in the future.
