Featured Photographer – Leonard Chua Fey Jye
Image: Leonard Chua
25th June 2017, Singapore – There’s many “Fashion” Photographers in Singapore however, there is a certain fashion photographer that I had been (secretly) following closely for the last 18 months – who had produced world-class fashion images that takes my breath away – every time. His works are refreshing, concepts are original and from the recent interview, I even came to know that he makes his own props!
Thankfully, Leonard had agreed to an exclusive interview and I even challenged him to shoot me – as a non-professional model who is in my 40s, with a beer belly and with really nothing to talk about & my ordinary looks. Leonard happily took up the challenge. Before we get to the shooting, here’s the exclusive interview!
(Images after the jump)
The Interview:
Image: Editor AL interviewing Leonard before the shoot.
Editor:
Leonard, thanks for agreeing to be interviewed and even taking up the challenge to shoot me with your original concept!
Leonard:
You are most welcome AL!
Editor:
Would you like to share how long have you been a Photographer?
Leonard:
Well, I started learning the art and taking photo proper only in the year of 2011. So that means I’ve been shooting for about 06 years – that makes me a pretty new photographer!
Editor:
New but accomplished! I have been following your work for almost 2 years!
Tell me, which/what genre did you started with?
Leonard:
Strange as it is, I started with portraits and editorial style fashion shoot.
Editor:
Wow! While most photographers started with landscapes, street photography or what I called the mainstream genres, you started with an advanced genre! But why Fashion Photography?
Leonard:
When I was in Secondary school and Polytechnic, I was an avid reader of fashion titles like Bazaar, Vogue & W magazines. I am deeply inspired by how creativity meets styles and further has the ability to combine art & styles together seamlessly.
Editor:
Tell me, Leonard, what inspires you.
Leonard:
Well, Creativity and Style that are timeless or industry-leading always inspires me. In fact, they excites me and makes me think & helps me conjures new concepts or style.
Editor:
I see. Let’s narrow things down, please share what are the 3 main things you love about Fashion Photography.
Leonard:
I will say the room for Creativity. Followed by the ability to express current or future styles with a personal flare of delivery through my own style and lastly, it’s an important medium of expressing myself and my thoughts through photography.
Editor:
Wow! Now how about 3 things that you hated about Fashion Photography?
Leonard:
Logistic planning. This is tough as everything that is needed to bring out the concept and style has to be carefully planned and sometimes even needing to source. Secondly is getting sponsorship or loaning or props, accessories, wardrobe etc and all these takes a lot of time and networking. I remember when I started, there’s a lot of rejections from merchants just because I am new in the scene. Lastly, will be manpower and budget. You will agree with me that these are not only costs, but also hard to get the right crew and some shoots costs a lot more depending on the concept and extent.
Editor:
OK, that sounds really tough. I am sure you had overcome that as you are now much established and well-recognized by the industry. Tell me, what is the boldest shoot/ concept that you had done so far.
Leonard:
The Red Year Series Red Year Series from 2 years ago. For this shoot, I have four hunks and one hot model who are all half-naked in this series.
Image: The Red Year Series. You can view the whole album here.
Editor:
I’ve seen the series and they are awesome & very original! Like every industry, there are bound to be weird or strange people. Have you met any?
Leonard:
Definitely yes! I’ve met some delusional talents who think that they should be the main subject, or some people who contacted me out of nowhere and asked me to collaborate with them when in actual fact, it is really for their own personal interest for their business needs or other related stuff but not willing to pay me.
Image: Editor AL interviewing Leonard before the shoot.
Editor:
Wow! Terrible people! On a lighter note, is there a dream shoot that you had not done?
Leonard:
Sure I do have! My dream shoot will be like Shang Hai Tang, or Annie Lebovitz kind of settings with big sets and exaggerated props one day!
Editor:
Interesting! Hope we get to see that soon! Now, how about some tips for photographers who are going into fashion photography?
Leonard:
Sure! For a start, don’t be a follower, what people are already shooting, please stop shooting in those directions. Secondly, don’t be complacent and follow certain templates of shooting over and over, be bold & try out different themes, story-lines or the method of shooting. Try to include & create your own personal character in the shoot. Lastly, always go the extra miles in preparing your own shoot, prepare props , try unique accessories and your signature pieces. Whatever that is easily available in the market is call “fast fashion”, don’t go there.
Editor:
Those are really good tips! Please share with our readers what are the gear you frequently use for your shoots?
Leonard:
My gear are – a Canon EOS 5D MarkIII, Canon EF 70-200mm F2.8L, Canon EF 24-105mm F4L, and EF 85mm F1.8 plus a few Cononmark strobes.
Editor:
Hmmmm, light, what about light? How do you define light?
Leonard:
Light is a Sculptor. It moulds us & lit us.
Editor:
Ok, here’s something personal, when you are not shooting, what will you be doing?
Leonard:
(*Laughs) I am a gym freak. I am always in the fitness scene
Editor:
Any famous last words for our readers?
Leonard:
Be Creative. Be Yourself. Create Your Own Style.
Editor:
Thank You for granting me this interview!
Leonard:
You are welcome! Let’s get the set ready for you!
***End of interview
As the interview ended, our guest Make Up Artist Sharon Pow started to work on my face and hair while Leonard and his crew gets the set ready to shoot me.
Before that, here’s an image of the ordinary-everyday me.
Image: Editor AL’s original look.
After Leonard had briefed MUA Sharon Pow on his concept for the night and how he is going to shoot me. Sharon started to work on my face. A “Transformation” is taking place.
Image: MUA Sharon Pow working hard to give me the look that Leonard wants.
And here’s some behind-the-scene images while the shoot is going on.
Image: Behind the Scenes images as Leonard is shooting Editor AL.
Image: All my personal instruments for the night’s shoot. Fender Precision Bass, Fender Jazz Bass, Squier Tomomi Edition Jazz Bass, Yamaha BB425 Bass, Modified Epiphone Les Paul Studio, Modified Fender Stratocaster Hello Kitty Edition.
So are you ready to see what Leonard & Sharon had done to (for) me?
Are You Ready to see how Leonard had transformed me?
Here you go!
Image by: Photographer Leonard Chua
Image by: Photographer Leonard Chua
Image by: Photographer Leonard Chua
Image by: Photographer Leonard Chua
Image by: Photographer Leonard Chua
I don’t know about you but I was shocked to see the end results. Every single detail, props, lighting was meticulously planned and executed. It took me a while to accept that these awesome images are actually me – transformed and conceptualized as part of this shoot! I am very impressed beyond words with all the effort put in by Leonard and the crew and I guess the images had spoken for itself what Leonard is capable of.
Special Thanks again to Leonard for the interview and the shoot.
Ourshuttjourney.com wishes you all the bests & may all your dream shoots comes through! – Ed.
Credits:
Photographer: Leonard Chua Fey Jye (Pix.Story Photography)
Make Up Artist: Sharon Pow
Model: AL Lee (Editor Ourshutterjourney.com)
Crew: Calvin Ang, Robin Choo, Steve Focus & Cyndris Neo
Studio: Roy Chuang Productions.
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About Leonard Chua & Pix.Story
Pix.Story is founded by Leonard Chua who has immense passion for photography. As a fine art photographer, he has been consistently exploring new concepts. Together with his talented partner, Yoseph, who is specialise in retouching, they relentlessly challenge themselves to produce brilliant pieces of arts.
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About The Makeup Artist
Sharon Pow is a Singapore based freelance makeup artist with 6 years of experience in the industry. Trained in NAFA and started out as an interior designer, she made her career switch in 2010 with a passion for the beauty industry and became a full-fledged makeup artist with trained background from Makeup Forever Academy and Cosmoprof.
Believing that each and everyone’s is special and unique in their own ways, enhancing and bringing out one natural beauty is her specialty and motto for each and for every client she serves. With her vast knowledge of beauty products in the industry, she has also worked for/with various brands such as Christian Dior, Burberry, Guerlain, Elizabeth Arden, Laura Mercier etc. She specialized in weddings, fashion editorial and cooperate events.
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About Roy Chuang Productions
Roy Chuang Productions is a Singapore based production company. We shoot everything from 360 degree panoramic virtual reality tours, to cityscape and architectural shoots, to professional stylised driven projects like events, weddings, and even corporate and lifestyle films with aerial footage! Offering you flexibility as well as lots of creativity, and each project has an individual approach.
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About Ourshutterjourney.com
Nothing much to say except that you can click on the link above to find out who we are and here’s an image of our Editor AL.
Image: Editor AL
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