All posts filed under: Community

Blurring realities with Carlijn Jacobs

Carlijn Jacobs is a renowned photographer and director based in Paris, known for her distinctive flair and vibrant style. She tells unique stories through her sharp visual imagery, blending observations of mass culture with her artistic influences ranging from Surrealism to Camp. Carlijn’s creative journey began at 14, taking pictures of flowers in her garden. Over the past decade, she has worked for several magazines, including AnOther, i-D, and Dazed, and had her exhibition Sleeping Beauty shown at Foam in 2023. On top of countless fashion campaigns, Carlijn has also released an eponymous photobook. And notably photographed Beyoncé’s Renaissance album artwork. The voice in her work feels intuitive and unusually real despite touching upon the absurd. A face peeking through a wine glass filled with goldfish and an eyeball superimposed on glossy red lips—the visual paradox in her compositions plays with the viewer’s sense of reality. Her work’s blurred lines, geometric shapes, and playful textures sit in the mind as she transforms the ordinary into something extraordinary. During our conversation, we discussed her creative process, …

Unmasking the stigma of autism spectrum disorder

We recently attended the postgraduate photography show at LCC to present our RAW Talent Award to three creatives. During the event, we met Benjimen Green and presented him with one of the awards. His photography mainly focuses on people, telling stories that are often overlooked. He believes everyone has a unique story to tell, even if it is not the most prominent one in the room. With his project, he shared his personal story of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Benjimen’s portrayal of masks in his images aims to break mainstream autism stereotypes and encourages individuals to embrace their unique identities without fear or shame. How did you first get into photography? In my early years, I stumbled upon my dad’s hidden film camera, which I wasn’t supposed to play with. Spending hours absorbed in its dials and buttons, I found it the coolest thing. However, my serious plunge into photography only happened later. In 2018, I purchased a small Fujifilm camera before relocating to Southeast Asia for work. Initially, it was about …

An intimate portrait of my grandmother

Recently, we had the chance to join the photography postgraduate show at the London College of Communication (LCC). On the hunt to award three creatives with our RAW Talent Award, we were blown away by An Liu, whose project was inspired by her grandma’s life experiences at 87 years old. We got the chance to talk more with An – like how she approached capturing intimate moments of her elderly family members, developing her dreamy storytelling style, to how LCC helped her grow as a photographer and combine empathy with artistry. How did you first get into photography?  Because I majored in computer science during my undergraduate studies, I didn’t have formal and systematic training in photography before coming to LCC. Aside from using a camera to document life during my teenage years, my first proper encounter with photography was during a university student union event. I needed to capture a series of photos showcasing the daily work life of an award-winning teacher. Since then, I have fallen in love with the storytelling aspect of …

The paradox project: spirituality meets technology

We attended the postgraduate photography show at LCC to present our RAW Talent Award to three creatives. Goda Kraštinaitytė stood out with her surreal and tech-driven imagery. Journeying from advertising and tech to photography, she showcased a project challenging the connection between spirituality and technology — a paradoxical relationship, according to herself. We spoke with Goda about her willingness to keep experimenting and drawing inspiration from surrealist sources like Twin Peaks. She also underlines the importance of persevering – never letting go, even if unsatisfied. Consistency, practice, and hard work are the key to breaking through. How did you first get into photography?  I got my first point-and-shoot camera when I was 13. Since then, I have experienced all my vacations looking through the camera viewfinder because I just couldn’t put my camera down. After I got my first job at an advertising agency as a Content Creator, photography never left my life professionally.  What type of photography do you like to shoot the most?    I like working with objects and creating sets in the …