The Curators Project: Benny Lim
Next up in The Curators Project is Jakarta’s talented photographer and entrepreneur, Benny Lim.
Capturing precious memories through his camera lens, Benny always surrounds himself with picture perfect moments. A family man with a son, Benny’s passion for photography lies in the capturing of people’s best moments in life, making him one of the most sought after photographers in Jakarta.
Not only does he have an eye for picturesque moments - he also has entrepreneurial vision. This wedding and family photographer of @Nominapics and @Juniapics also has his own lifestyle online business called @Nijistore, which started in January 2014.
Check out behind the scenes with Benny Lim, while we invited him for an interview and photo shoot;
When did you realize you wanted to be a photographer and business owner?
B: I realized that I wanted to be a photographer at the end of 2009. I recognized the fact that no matter how many wedding photographer there is in Indonesia, people will still look for one. The key is you have to be a different kind of wedding photographer to get hired.
As for having my own business, I already thought of it around June 2010. I was in a printing company then, and one day it struck me that I have to do something different. I immediately give myself a try, a little bit hasty action. But yeah, here I am.
When did you know you had a passion for wedding photography?
B: I used to have this habit to take pictures of quirky things around me. Then, during that end of June 2009, I realized that I have this calling to capture people’s best moments. One of it is, of course, wedding.
Giving my best to capture their precious moment in life so they can remember it for a lifetime. That is my passion.
Benny is wearing: Ludger Top 88 (Black), Cheap Monday Men Tight Jeans (Poly Rinse), and Nike Men Rabona
Mister Mr. X SN Cross Camp Hat (Black)
How would you describe your lifestyle?
B: Easygoing and relax.
And from professional point-of-view, I enjoy art. This gives me the ability to express myself just the way I am and to go beyond whatever trend that had existed.
Do you travel a lot?
B: I do a lot of traveling because of my work. Sometimes I like to extend the days when I travel, just to go around and explore new things.
What are you inspired by?
B: What inspires me is not based on “who” and “what”, but whatever things we are doing right now and also our surroundings. Anything around us can be our inspiration!
For example is what I did for #handsinframe. It started just for fun when I wanted to share the stories about my daily life with my hands inside of the picture. But who knows? It becomes a trend of taking pictures in Instagram now.
What attracts you first; design or feature?
B: It has to be the design, but feature is also important for me. No point if it has great design but is useless.
Benny is wearing: Apparel After Dark Crew Tshirt (White), Thorocraft Porter Slate Coated Leather Suede Wool Shoes (Slate)
AIAIAI Tracks Headphone Kitsune w/mic
What are your favourite 3 items from Shopdeca.com?
B: So many interesting stuff at Shopdeca! If I have to pick three, it would be: Herschel bags, Void watches, and Nike Shoes.
Herschel Ravine Duffle Poly Bag (Black)
Void Watch V03D-GOBLBL (Gold/Black)
Nike Men Rabona (Black)
What is something about you no one would ever expect?
B: A lot of people feel surprised when I say I’m a family man blessed with a 10-month-old son, Jovan. People would think that I’m too young for that.
But yeah, I really love my family life.
Benny is wearing: Cheap Monday Torex Shirt (Remake Red)
Favourite thing about your job?
B: For me, photography is not only about taking good quality pictures, but it also means forcing your-self to go out there and talk to people. Every time I see new clients, I get to have different conversations.
This is one of my favourite aspects in my work, because I’m not the kind of people who can communicate well with people, but I really have to do it in order to succeed in my job.
And by being an entrepreneur, I learn to think outside of myself. I need to think about the welfare of my team and how to treasure them. It really challenges me every day.
What are your upcoming projects?
B: We are planning to open up a different kind of photo studio. It is still top secret!
As for social media projects, we are planning to take #handsinframe seriously since more and more brands are coming to collaborate with us.
