Lam Pok Yin, Jeff

Where are you from/based now?

I was born in Hong Kong and have been staying here ever since.


What is your background in Photography? What got you started?

I used to play with toy cameras when I was in secondary school, but nothing serious. I took Architecture as my major in university, and it was after I left school I started to take photography seriously. I was so absorbed by the way how the city develops and how people could still live in such a crammed and crowded city. I began to develop my ideas and work in series, on my way back home from office, or when I wandered all around Hong Kong during holidays.


What equipment do you use?

Most of my recent works are shot with a Mamiya 7ii, with a 80mm lens. Occasionally I would also use a Pentax 6x7. I like fujifilm 400H a lot.


What is your creative process? 

I wander on the streets a lot, and ideas tend to germinate and develop as I walk around the city. I used to go to every railway / metro station in Hong Kong one by one, and explore the area surrounding it.


What drives you to keep taking pictures?

Taking photos alone in weird suburbs is somewhat addictive in a way, where I would keep walking, thinking at the same time. I would feel satisfied and tired after such walks. Seeing results from the lab is always fun. Last but not least, comments I get on flickr and blogs from all over the world keeps me motivated, too.


What are your plans for Photography in the future?

I would be moving to London for a BA degree in photography, and wish to collaborate with others during the course.


Who or what inspires you?

Stephen Shore and Joel Sternfeld brought me to color photography in the first place. Now and then I would local galleries and be amazed by both ancient and modern Chinese Ink paintings for their use of negative spaces and imagination.


Are you working on a project at the moment?

I am trying to develop a project on tourists and monumental places, and the act of looking into things and places, but it is still in its early stages.

Flickr