INTERVIU Alvin Lau
oleh Ridhwan Saidi
Alvin Lau merupakan salah seorang fotografer tempatan yang saya suka karya-karyanya kerana seringkali kami rakam foto jalanan sekitar kota bersama, jarang saya lihat Alvin kongsikan ia terus ke laman sosial, sebaliknya Alvin amat tekun memilih dan memastikan foto-fotonya berkesan sebagai satu koleksi yang koheren dan peribadi.
Beliau telah memenangi beberapa hadiah fotografi utama dan berikut merupakan interviu kami yang berlangsung di laman sosial:
RIDHWAN
Hi Alvin, kenapa fotografi? Apa yang buat ia spesial?
ALVIN
Because photography is one of the things that could potentially be a new form of language, the kind of language that doesn’t require words or uses words to deliver a deeper meaning to it. Why it’s also special is because on a deeper level, photography mimics a research, where certain amount of knowledge is required to establish an understanding towards a subject or so.
RIDHWAN
Macam mana boleh first encounter fotografi? ada kisah masa kecil atau waktu sekolah?
ALVIN
Actually masa sekolah menengah dah start dah jinak-jinak dengan fotografi, lepas tu beli film camera ngan join weekend outing jer.
RIDHWAN
Antara subjek yang banyak dilukis kat dinding gua (cave paintings) zaman purba dulu ialah binatang. Jadi boleh share apa subjek yang dah diteroka, dan sekarang apa yang anda cuba capture dengan kamera?
ALVIN
Trying to actually capture more with the camera, as in with the same method of practice but with more added perspective in the picture. In a more complex definition it would be, trying to redefine reality. Also venturing into portraits and more stuff that’s photography related.
RIDHWAN
Adakah realiti tak cukup defined? dan mengapa potret? apa yang ada pada wajah manusia yang menarik pada kamu?
ALVIN
Personally I don’t feel that reality is defined enough and it probably needs more depth and still a lot has yet to be explained and explored.
Why I find portraiture interesting is because you establish a certain amount of intimacy between the photographer and the subject/model. And if observed long enough, the human feature is really interesting in a very odd way.
RIDHWAN
Manusia observe dunia guna dua mata, tapi kamera capture imej guna satu mata (lens). Jadi cara manusia melihat dunia berbeza dari kamera. Apa pendapat anda tentang ini?
ALVIN
I think the only difference that separates the human eye/mind and camera is that, we are constantly observing, and the image captured by the camera can be selective depending on the photographer.
RIDHWAN
Sekarang tengah work on apa?
ALVIN
Currently working on something that tries to extend my view on reality, also a challenge for myself to see more than what’s in front of me.
RIDHWAN
Technically dengan kamera bagaimana kamu nak dapatkannya? Adakah secara teknikal ia bebas atau kamu sudah set suatu restriction untuk capai apa yang kamu mahu? Sebagai contoh: ia in color atau black & white etc…
ALVIN
Technical wise, ada freedom tapi pun ada restriction juga, mesti kena dalam colour dan colour tone kena washed out sikit. Tapi subject wise, memang free saja.
RIDHWAN
Saya terbayang Stephen Shore, anda ada particular photographer yang rasa dekat?
ALVIN
Charalampos Kydonakis, Boris Eldagsen, Martin Parr, Carolyn Drake. Walaupun rasa dekat, tapi tak sampai sampai lagi.
RIDHWAN
Sebut Charalampos Kydonakis (dirtyharry) dan Martin Parr ada semacam humor pada foto-foto mereka. bagaimana dengan anda? Apa pendapat anda tentang humor dan adakah ia penting dalam foto-foto anda?
ALVIN
I think there’s a bit of humour too in my own set of photos and I think it’s important because a certain amount of humour can keep the audience’s attention on a set of photos.
RIDHWAN
Ada pendapat tentang Malaysia? Cuaca ke? Orang ke? Dalam proses fotografi, ada apa-apa detail yang rasa menarik atau spesial?
ALVIN
Cuaca especially, sebab susah nak predict cuaca kat Malaysia, dan lighting sangat challenging.
RIDHWAN
Anda suka challenge diri sendiri?
ALVIN
In a way yes, cause in a situation where I can question myself over and over means there are possibilities of different approach towards something.
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