introducing: Bernard Lim

Bernard Lim has an Indonesian and Chinese heritage and considers himself a modern nomad. He spent his childhood years in Malaysia and Singapore, studied in Melbourne, Australia, and has worked and lived in London, Amsterdam, and Paris. After going halfway around the world, he finally calls Toronto, Canada home. We found out a bit more about Bernard and what makes him and his photography tick:

“I never, ever wanted to own a camera until rather late in my life. I find photos so boringly realistic, unlike paintings. I’ve always been a dreamer, finding myself sketching. I was surprised at a museum of classical paintings. All the rules of composition were applied: rule of thirds, golden ratio, light and shadow. It was so enlightening and educational. Creating a photo is like an art, combining different movements or combining a few frames to achieve an eye-pleasing result.

I started doing in camera movement last fall and am really enjoying the unexpected. I enjoy the freedom from all the rules, and letting myself go to express my own creativity. That said, I do like how twilight and soft glows create a mood in an image.

I remind myself to stop clicking away without thinking, stop doing impulse shots and just hang around the subject for a moment, watching and analyzing what draws me to the scene and how can I do it differently. I am constantly surprised to find angles and different ways to do it. Do your chimping! See if anything can be improved upon. Don’t be like a bee, hopping from one flower to another.

I’m a believer in the yin and yang in the universe. Everything has balance. Even as humans, we have a complexity of duality in us. There are times I like Zen, minimalist with lots of empty space, and other times l like the hustle and bustle of the city, dark and moody. I embrace the complexity in being. In my photos there is always a little bit of structure or clarity in them, they are not totally abstract.

One of my favorite things to do when travelling, especially in Europe, is sitting on the patio sipping espresso while watching the world go by. This brings to mind Pep Ventosa and the ghosting around an object. Like a voyeur of life.”

Len says: “Bernard enchants us with his delightful flowers. Their intrinsic beauty is bought out with these colourful and imaginative portraits”.

I get lost in those flowers, they are just beautiful. To see more of Bernard’s work, please visit his instagram: https://www.instagram.com/98blim

More of Bernard’s flowers will appear in Len’s Journal Volume 2 Issue 4, due for publication in November 2022. Subscribe to the print edition of Len’s Journal here.

Photograph reproduced with permission. Photograph copyright © Bernard Lim 2022