All images by Heline Lam. Used with permission
Heline Lam does a lot of street photography–and she sources that as the inspiration for her more unconventional ideas. But ultimately, it comes from many avenues. She states that she is always observing the world around her while paying attention to her own inner thoughts and emotions. This, combined with a story line that she has already created, adds to her thought process was to place her subjects from different walks of life in extraordinary circumstances and to help them travel and explore in her images. She tries to communicate a single message in all of her work: No matter what the circumstance is and what life throws at us, we will still carry on and move forward.
If this sounds a lot like storyboarding to you, then you’re spot on. She puts her subjects in extraordinary circumstances.
Heline uses her iPhone 5S to capture many of these scenes. “To me, a photo is only as good as the moment that presents itself. And I always have my iPhone 5s with me, enabling me to capture those candid moments or expressions non-intrusively that would otherwise have been missed.” states Ms. Lam. “Any type of camera, be it a DSLR, point-and-shoot or smartphone camera, has the ability to produce great imagery; it really depends on the kind of photography that one does. I do not believe in taking a ‘perfect’ photo as spontaneity and certain imperfections are beautiful and lend themselves to more character and edge.” Heline says that she keeps an open mind and attributes that to the progression of the art form overall.
Heline told us loves structures, shapes and forms but that creating the right mood for the vision and idea that she wants to portray is equally important. “When it comes to composition, it is often subconscious and reflex-like for me.” states Ms. Lam. “I want to ensure that there is balance in my work, that the eyes are drawn to the subjects (whether it is a pondering look, a gesture, a figure, etc.) then to the target of the subjects, and that composition helps to achieve the overall vision.”
Below are more of Heline’s images.