It is not a common occurrence to witness Malaysians’ work showcased at the famous One Times Square Billboard in New York. However, meet Evan Lim Wei, a law graduate turned photographer who had his photograph of Aishah Retno exhibited on One Times Square Billboard this year.
Let’s get to know Evan Lim Wei.
The Life Of Evan Lim Wei
Image via @iamthewei_
Evan Lim Wei is a commercial and fashion photographer based in Kuala Lumpur. He is often recognized for his beautiful work of human portraits. Believe it or not, Evan Lim Wei did not come from a photography background. Instead, he is actually a law graduate.
A Tug Of War Between Law & Photography
Image via @iamthewei_
Evan’s interest in photography sparked in 2017 when he was still attending law school at the University of London. His passion kicked off as a small routine of taking photos using his mobile phone. He fell in deeper when his friend lent him a camera.
After graduating, Evan started working as a freelance, unable to push away the growing love he has for photography. In an interview with Weirdkaya, Evan expressed his hardships in choosing between law and photography.
He stated,
At the time, I was seriously considering to turn to photography as a career choice. But knowing that it was no simple decision, I prayed to God and asked Him to give me a sign on what I should do.
Evan Lim Wei, Professional Photographer
As he left the legal world and embarked on his journey as photography, Evan can’t help but felt worried for letting his family down. Fortunately, Evan’s mother gave him her fullest support.
Telling Story Behind Lenses
Images via Evan Lim
Similar to numerous Malaysian photographers, Evan commenced his path by delving into fairy light photography. He draws inspiration from Brandon Woelfel, a photographer based in New York known for his Pinterest-y and Tumblr-ish photos.
From there, he branched out and started to learn methods of photography from other talents. This includes Annie Leibovitz, Platon Antoniou, Sails Chong and Chen Man.
Evan’s works are a compilation of commercial portraitures such as artists’ profiles, album covers, music covers, and EP covers. Since entering the field, storytelling has consistently been his primary passion and continues to serve as the motivating factor to this very moment.
The Challenges As A Photographer
Images via @iamthewei_
As Evan is working in the creative department, experiencing burnout is inevitable. Some projects could drain him out in terms of creativity and mental fortitude. The decision of something nice or bad can be subjective in his eyes.
In the event of burning out, Evan will take a step back from work and focus on things to refresh himself. For example, he would visit art galleries to calm down.
Read too about Annice Lyn, a skater turned photographer who shares the same passion like Evan.
Evan In Making His Dream A Reality
Images via @iamthewei_
Evan found his Billboard dream through the achievements of his friend who had his photo group Dolla displayed in New York. Since then, Evan Lim Wei started to make his way towards the Billboard dream.
Who would have known his dream became a reality a year later. His photograph of Aishah Retno made it the eighth Malaysian act to be featured. His second billboard appearance was four months later, featuring Liesl-Mae this time.
What’s Next For Evan Lim Wei
Images via @iamthewei_
Evan’s upcoming aspiration involves elevating his photography expertise to new heights, focusing on narrating the stories of significant yet often overlooked figures, like cardiac specialists.
In the realm of commercial endeavors, his objective is to uphold the quality of his work. He would also want to foster chances to collaborate with prominent brands. He envisions these brands bestowing complete confidence in his team’s capabilities to deliver precisely what they seek.
We hope Evan Lim Wei’s story inspires you to do what you love and always trust the process. Sometimes, we just have to take that leap of faith and only then we can see what the future holds. Starting something new can be challenging. If it’s what the heart wants, then go for it.
