styling student: MEET Don Lim. RAW & INSTANT

It's been quite a time since I've done my last 'introduction time' post. I hope you're all gonna forgive me for being so forgetful and busy because I'm making a comeback with this post and this one's a nice and big one!

I found Don Lim on 'instagram' when he liked a photo of my dog sitting on my mum's back (yeah...). I instantly fell in love with his photos! Straight away I thought of interviewing Don for the blog! I suddenly felt the need of introducing him to everyone! You NEED to know who he is! He's such a great photographer!

I have already personally told him that he's on my 'favorite photographers' list. Definitely. I'd love to intern with Don in California! What a dream!

Enough of the talking about me wanting to intern with people in amazing places and lets get to the interview!

1- When did you realize you wanted to be a photographer?

First off, I love all things art. I have been into art since I was a little kid, drawing comics for me and my friends to read during silent reading time in the elementary school days. As for photography, I was introduced to it at a young age as well. My big cousin Arnold was an avid photographer, and I was one of his favorite subjects to shoot. He lived in San Francisco back at that time so he would always want to shoot me when I came there to visit (usually around the holidays). One of his pictures of me actually was put into a gallery, so I thought it was pretty cool. So you can say that first sparked my interest in the world oh photography. I love memories, they are a very important part of life, and what better way to capture those memories than with a camera. I would always carry my Aunt's or my parent's cameras/camcorders around when we would go on trips, draining their batteries and wasting their film lol.

2- What or who influenced the style of your photography?

I have many influences regarding my style. My two primary influences are Terry Richardson and Yonehara Yasumasa, or "Yone" for short. Richardson has this very unique style, it's very simple, disturbing, provocative, very candid and raw. Yone is very well known for shooting very erotic photos of women, his signature was using a Fujifilm Instax instant film camera. My old high school friend Andrew also played a big role in my photography. I was exposed to his work after I graduated college, so it was a while since I heard from him (you now how we all have our separate ways after High School...), so just the fact of seeing great work from someone you know impressed the shit out of me and just made me strive to do something myself as well. On the other hand, my whole "Instant-Film Only" devotion came about after one of my best friends Bill came over my house one day showing me a vintage Polaroid Instant camera from the 1960's that he bought from a thrift shop. After that day, everything changed for me...I had to shoot and do something with that thing!

3- What kind of tips would you give to people wanting to be photographers, especially in film photography.

I'm usually not a very good Tip-Giver, lol, but if I were to give any kind of advice, I would say to just explore all of your options, and find a style that best suits your interests. Don't shoot just to shoot. Give people something unique to look at to make them talk about it, and want more of it. Nothing is new and original anymore, but you can still make something interesting.

p.s. Also make sure to have a good job, because film costs a lot of money!!!! (ESPECIALLY INSTANT FILM!) LOL.

4- What kind of style do you think you have/ how do you see yourself in terms of styling?

My style can be easily described with one word: RAW. Hence the name I made for myself, "Raw & Instant." Simply enough, it is what it implies. "Instant" obviously because I only use instant-film cameras, and "Raw" in terms of the overall style. I call it Raw because it pretty much straight is. I do not use any studio locations or studio equipment, I just use available lighting or whatever is available to use in the location (usually at each model's own place of residence). I also do not do any MAJOR editing (only thing I do after scanning is spot correcting dust marks caught by the scanner and sometimes color correction to match the original instant print as close as possible), but aside from that, no other editing is done. No airbrushing, no blemish removal, NOTHING! There is also no overall theme to my photoshoots, they are mostly just spontaneous. All of those factors combined all contribute to the raw feel of my work. I want my photos to be a real as possible. I guess you can say it is non-glamorizing in a sense, and that is what I feel sparks interest in my work. Beautiful models being shot in a non-glamorous method? I think that is quite interesting, especially in the high fashion world we see dominating presently.

5- Your main theme which I've noticed from looking at your photos are women. Women and very 'womenly' stuff like taking a cake out from the oven. Why this kind of theme and subject? What draws you to it?

Like I stated earlier, there really is no overall theme/subject matter in my shoots. If they are doing womanly things like taking a cake out of the oven, that's because the model wanted to or I just thought it would be interesting on the spot. When I shoot, there is always a great sense of freedom. It's a full collaboration between photographer and model. When I think of something I want models to do, I'll tell them to, but I also give them the same power. The most important thing I want to come out of my photography is that when people look at a photo, I want them to feel like I was, in that moment, with the model. I want them to feel like they are being brought into the model's own personal space/world, like the model has just invited them in to hang out with them just like they did with me, or just simply get a taste of how they are feeling (or want to be seen as).

6- What is it like to be a photographer in the USA? California is one of the top places I'd really love to go to and see! How is the 'photography business' there?

Since I haven't really shot outside of the USA, I have nothing to really compare it to haha, but if I were to say anything about it, then I would say that it is amazing, especially living in Southern California. I live in LA county, so I am surrounded by art and fashion. I can't really talk about the "photography business" since I still regard myself as a sort of amateur, but I have had a taste of it though. I was recently noticed by one of the biggest model agencies here, LA Models, and I have met up with one of their representatives, and I have actually shot one of their models. I got my start shooting models using ModelMayhem.com, which is a social network for models/photographers/make-up artists use to find people to work with, so shooting for an actual agency was very different. Aside from that, I haven't really tried any harder to get myself out there yet, but working with LA Models is a great start!

7- Have you or aspired to work with certain photographers or magazines, etc? Ever?

Yes, I would love to work with many photographers. Obviously Terry and Yone, but there are just a high multitude of others as well, Tyler Shields being of of them that I could think of at this very moment. As for magazines, I can't see how that wouldn't work. I mean, who wouldn't want their work published? A magazine that I see very fit for my style is VICE, and actually a lot of people have told me that as well. But I wouldn't mind being in the pages of GQ haha.