The burning passion behind Time Magazine’s fiery cover
MALAYSIANSKINI | Just like the flames from 50,000 burning matchsticks which she shot for the memorable Time Magazine April 26 cover image, 28-year-old Annice Lyn reignited her passion for the craft and is on a quest to empower more women photographers.
Working with Malaysian contemporary artist Red Hong Yi on a project basis, Annice said she was one of two photographers commissioned to shoot the Sabahan artist’s final design of a 2.3m x 3m world map covered by 50,000 green-tipped matchsticks set alight to highlight how climate change can affect and destroy the world.
Even with a string of accomplishments to her name, including being listed among seven Malaysians on the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2021 list, Annice insisted that she was just one part of an entire project led by Red, along with 13 other team members.
She also described Red, whose past works have been on display at various international platforms, as a talented and humble individual who credited their accomplishment to the efforts of the whole team...
MALAYSIANSKINI | Just like the flames from 50,000 burning matchsticks which she shot for the memorable Time Magazine April 26 cover image, 28-year-old Annice Lyn reignited her passion for the craft and is on a quest to empower more women photographers.
Working with Malaysian contemporary artist Red Hong Yi on a project basis, Annice (above) said she was one of two photographers commissioned to shoot the Sabahan artist’s final design of a 2.3m x 3m world map covered by 50,000 green-tipped matchsticks set alight to highlight how climate change can affect and destroy the world.
Even with a string of accomplishments to her name, including being listed among seven Malaysians on the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia 2021 list, Annice insisted that she was just one part of an entire project led by Red, along with 13 other team members.
She also described Red, whose past works have been on display at various international platforms, as a talented and humble individual who credited their accomplishment to the efforts of the whole team.
Red designed the dimensions and positions for the matchsticks on a computer, laser cut the holes onto a board and then began the painstaking task of inserting each one by hand.
The team also sprayed layers of fire-retardant paint on both sides of the board to make sure the fire didn’t take over the entire piece. The green matchsticks which were placed at varying heights for topographic effect served as a metaphor for trees.
“The team worked non-stop for two weeks, eight hours every day, to a point that, as a photographer, I saw them and I didn’t think they can finish it, so I ended up helping them.
“We worked to place every single matchstick and we played music by Queen, Elton John, The Beatles and others until finally, we did it. At one point all of us sang Bohemian Rhapsody together,” recalled the KL-born who is a current Canon EOS Youth Ambassador and co-founder of Women Photographers Malaysia (WPM).
According to Time’s own story about the cover shoot - in nearly 100 years of Time covers, never was a work of art so drastically transformed during the shooting process!
Over the course of our interview held at The Zhongshan Building art collective in Kuala Lumpur, which also currently houses an exhibition of personal projects by the team, Annice opened up about her photography journey which had a pivotal moment due to the passing of a close friend in 2014.
At the time, it has been several years since the eldest of four siblings made a major decision to retire as a national figure skater and pursue a degree in architecture, a field of study that introduced her not only to basic photography skills but also shaped her ability to walk into a space with an eye for elements to a good photograph.
Upon graduation, Annice spent time working as an architect’s assistant before reuniting with her former coach to be the national ice-skating team’s official photographer for the 2017 KL SEA Games.
She also went to shoot the 2018 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei and was the first Malaysian female photographer to be accredited for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Since then, her work as a news photographer for several international agencies has gained regional recognition and she was one of three Malaysians listed on the ‘Women of the Future’ Awards Southeast Asia last year.
Here is Annice’s story in her own words:
THE SOLE REASON I GOT INTO PHOTOGRAPHY AND REALLY PUSHED MYSELF WAS WHEN A FRIEND IN THE UK PASSED AWAY. She was the only female photographer friend that I knew of at that time and I really looked up to her.
She passed away due to unknown circumstances in 2014, and I asked God (about it) saying this is unfair.
But I realise that even when someone has the talent, they don't necessarily have the opportunities to pursue it.
So if I have the opportunities, even though I may not have the same talent, as long as I can - I want to pursue it.
FROM AN ARCHITECTURE PERSPECTIVE, we walk into a space and we look at the height, lighting, shadows, windows.
Even when working as an architect’s assistant, I was always the person taking photographs of the unfinished buildings or other projects. I also heard many good wedding photographers came from an engineering background.
In 2018, I actually wanted to get a scholarship to pursue a masters in architecture in Germany.
BUT AFTER COMING BACK FROM PYEONGCHANG, I realised it would be a waste if I had gone somewhere prominent but came back and didn’t continue.
So I made a promise to myself while on the plane on the way back from Korea, either I want to be a juara kampung (village champion) or I take the risk of being the worst person on the world stage but still continue to learn.
AT FIRST, DISCRIMINATION WHILE ON THE FIELD CAME AS A SHOCK. But at the end of the day, you have two choices.
Either you allow discrimination to take over and you keep thinking about it, or you control how you take the discrimination.
That is really what led to starting Women Photographers Malaysia. It is not specifically for females.
THE CORE VALUE OF WPM IS NOT BASED ON A FEMINISM MOVEMENT. It is a platform to target more women representation in photography because sometimes I think there are a lot of talents but not many opportunities.
But not all of our workshops are for females. Sometimes we will open up unisex sessions, but the speaker is female because we want to empower female photographers.
We also hope to have all-female workshops with a male speaker in the future.
FOR ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS, IF THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY, MAKE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITY. Of course, there will be people saying ‘easy for you to say, you have papa mama ATM’ but you really have to find a way no matter how.
If you really want something, then make it happen. Doesn’t matter, maybe you have to take up a second job, a third job ... that happened to me as well.
I love photography, especially photojournalism and sports. But before that, I took a lot of other photography jobs, covering weddings, corporate functions, product shoots, just to fund my passion.
I always believe in framing opportunities. Many people think that to work for AP or the foreign wires is unattainable, but actually, if you really want something then you should just ask.
OUR JOB AS PHOTOGRAPHERS, I ALWAYS SAY IT IS NEVER ABOUT US. When we photograph Covid-19 subjects, we photograph the truth at the front. We just want to project the truth to the people.
The same goes for shooting Olympic athletes. If you’re the person who boasts, ‘I shot at the Olympics’ then that is very wrong.
Your job is not to go there to claim your glory. Your job is to go there, photograph the athlete who took many years to prove their blood, sweat and tears. Your job is to go there and capture the end result.
In terms of ethical concerns, the first thing you have to do is be a good person for the subject.
AS FOR FELLOW COLLEAGUES, IT IS ABOUT RESPECT. Knowing how you treat others will affect them.
For women photographers, don’t just make (negative) assumptions about their photography skills. Some photographers I encountered asked me ‘can you do it?’ ‘Do you know which buttons to press?’
I feel like when it comes to photography, knowledge is unlimited and you can always learn skills. But if your character is not there, that’s it - you're finished.
IN 2019, I WAS BURNT OUT AND I NEARLY QUIT. It was a lot of stress, but after that, I found the spark again.
It was just one weekend, two days apart. I photographed the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week where there were so many celebrity profiles.
After two days, I got posted to Gerik, Perak, to photograph the Orang Asli community. In between that time, I fell in love.
Because I realised as a photographer with a camera, there is no social boundary.
WHO DO I LIKE TO SHOOT? People in general with the idea that there is no social hierarchy, no boundaries.
At the end of the day, everyone has a story to tell. Even if they don’t say it, people always want people to care about them.
So, when the camera points at them, I actually really want to know their story.
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