Sharp imaginative complex arrangements, that can take your eyes hostage. Setsiri Silpasuwcanchai AKA Lightman1975 who lives and works in Thailand, has joined us to talk about the photographing of things.
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DR: You have worked as a professional photographer since 1995, as a magazine and fashion photographer. Your personal work switched direction to Street photography in 2013, can you tell us how your change in inspiration evolved?
SS: I studied Fine Art and Photography since being a freshman in the university. When graduated, I worked as a photographer. My life involved photography, every day for 15 years. It became boring, I wanted more freedom in my life, so I started planning a way out. Three years later my plan was successful. I quit my job as a photographer and got myself a Leica M. That’s when I learned about HCB’s work and street photography. I am a trader in the stock markets now, Street photography is still my passion.
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DR: You have strong voices, some of my favourite pictures of yours seem to speak quite differently, by that I mean you are able to become different photographers; Can you tell us a bit about any principles you like to follow? Or objectives in style that you want to achieve?
SS: Street Photography is a piece of art for me. Good street photograph should be “good” to every level even someone who doesn’t know the genre should still appreciate it. To be a good street photographer, one must distinguish the different between the good and the bad SP—this also include whether “that” photo is even a SP or not. Every photographer’s photograph reflects their personality, experience, and thought. In order for your work to stand out, you should create your own work. Copying other’s work or idea won’t take you anywhere; your photo won’t be recognised as yours, but theirs. The best way is to start with what you’ve already got; begin from the inside and constantly evolve yourself. You will reach the point where your work does all the saying for you.
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DR: How do you approach your street work? Can you tell us about where and when you like to work most and what it is that draws you to a photograph?
SS: When I started SP, I would often look for a single interesting subject and “gags” to play with. Simple gags are easy to copy and end up as boring cliches. As time past by, I learned to see more complex possibilities in my photography; Layers, composition, colours, decisive moment, juxtaposition, powerful dynamics, mood, emotion; many elements combined in a single frame, not just one interesting subject. I don’t often go for a photo walk, but when I do, if I find an interesting scene I always give my full concentration to it, working on it until the scene has been played out. By the way, one good photo per trip is more than enough for me.
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DR: Like so many photographers today your love of street photography began with Henri Cartier-Bresson. The world of photography is so different now, would you agree? I think it is safe to say that the purity of eye and form achieved by HCB is still the heart of the movement who are your current photographic hero’s would you share with us what it is that makes them special to you?
SS: I love Magnum’s work, especially Alex Webb, Harry Gruyaert, David Alan Harvey. Their photos are perfect, let’s say in every aspect—composition, colour, content, emotion, and whatever you name it. Nowadays I follow many good modern SP work. But Magnum’s work is really strong on its term and it stands out as a good street photograph even though the photographer didn’t considered themselves a street photographer.
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DR: Film or Digital?
SS: I grew up with film. I LOVE film! I’m always fascinated by the beauty found in film. But if I am going to shoot 300 or more shots per day in film, It will cost me a yacht, so that’s why I have to turn to digital. Anyways, I always processed the colour in film style.
DR: Twilight or Sunset?
SS: I preferred golden hour.
DR: Colour or Black & White?
SS: Let me say in this way, when you see things, your brain perceives it and remembers how it feels and looks in colour. And once the colour is seen, it integrated into a part of our experience.
DR: Leicester City or Tottenham Hot Spurs? (Premiership title 2016)
SS: Well I’m not a soccer fan.
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DR: Matt Stuart and Jesse Marlow from In-public (WOW) joined you in Thailand to run a workshop, and if that wasn’t enough Maciej Dacowickz and David Solomon (WOW) joined you for a second workshop. Can you tell us a bit more about how that came about and how it wen’t down?
SS: Nakarin Teerapenun—one of Loopers collective’s founder had many great experiences from attending an international workshop held by leading street photographers. It is important to learn from the master, so he started a project— inviting the world’s leading street photographer to share this invaluable experience to our students in Thailand. Many people might think the workshop is too much that they can do SP by themselves, I offer you to see it this way— the real classroom for SP is out there, not in the books or manual. A one day real world experience can teach you more than years in library, and even better with an experienced teacher. We worked so hard on these workshop and the outcomes are impressive.
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DR: You are a member of the very excellent Loopers collective, can you tell us a little about the collective and how it came about.
SS: Nakarin and I started doing SP together in 2013 and shared concurrent idea and objective about SP—to enhance the industry into international standard. Back in 2013, SP is not that famous in Thailand and also not recognisable on the international level. At that time, Nakarin and I started to pave our way to the international level—side by side. Two years later with some friend who shared the same passion, Loopers collective was officially launched. Well, you might be curious where exactly we are from, it seem to be out of the blue but we’ve been preparing this for 2 years, collecting good works, experience and connection to make this launch a perfect one.
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DR: Inspiration can come from anywhere, through the most unconnected means what other inspirations do you have besides photography?
SS: I like movies and art works, these thing help me in composition, lighting and also a good taste in colours.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge, but practice makes perfect.”
DR: We are going to be adding a new interview named TwentyTwenty. Would you give us the honour of kicking this off?
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