4 minute read
SWEET VICKY LAM
PHOTOGRAPHER VICKY LAM HAS A PRETTY SWEET JOB CREATING EYE CANDY FOR CLIENTS
BY BRIAR CHAPUT
PHOTOGRAPHER VICKY LAM’S work can easily be identified by its carefully crafted, detail-oriented, and graphic style. From large corporate advertising campaigns to colourful creative projects, Vicky creates images that have an impact on a national audience, all from her Toronto studio.
“This image was shot for a University of Toronto Magazine article about making bad decisions. The kid in me was overjoyed to buy all the candy my heart desired!”
Early on, Vicky considered photography “a cool way to travel the world and meet new people.” But, once she began creating images in studio, the meditative nature of the work, as well as the control she had over her environment and subjects, helped her discover her love for a more illustrative form of photography.
Although she now focuses on still-life subjects, it was people who originally sparked her love for photography. As a young teenager, she became the official photographer on family vacations, before continuing on to the school newspaper and yearbook committee. Vicky’s stubbornness, determination, and passion led her to study photography at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary.
This image was created for Precedent JD magazine. Part of a series of images accompanying the article, “Are there too many lawyers?” A graphic representation of a variety of lawyers using different coffee mugs.
As a commercial photographer, Vicky must produce work that satisfies not only her but, more importantly, her clients. When speaking about the challenges that come with this type of work, Vicky says that the clients are usually great to work with once the project’s concept is settled on. Most “demands” are only small things, such as a client wanting an excessive number of props in a shot or additional shots that weren’t initially agreed on. If any larger issues arise, Vicky takes comfort in the fact that she can reach out to the team at Westside Studio, her home base, to discuss ways to solve the issue — one of the perks of working in a shared studio space. In Vicky’s words, “commercial photography is a lot of problem solving, but it’s worth it to see my efforts out in the real world in a tangible form that I can share.”
Image for Globe and Mail Style. Red-hot gifts for your Valentine.
One of her largest accomplishments was creating images for a Google product launch. Vicky’s photos were featured in a public campaign that included images taking over Toronto’s Yonge–Bloor subway station and the stories-high digital screens at Yonge–Dundas Square. Contributing to a billboard was one of Vicky’s goals when starting out, and accomplishing that goal means that her work is truly out there for the world to see.
Vicky stands next to her images at Toronto’s Yonge–Bloor subway station.
An image for U of T Magazine for an article about Canada’s Next Top Writer. Using a combination of symbolism, a sash, and confetti, Vicky was able to convey that this competition was the pageant equivalent in the writing world.
From a series for the Canadian Food Truck Festival. A combination of food and car parts represent the two ideas together. Creative retouching was involved in order to further convey believability.
Other recent work she’s proud of includes a book project called “You Care Too Much,” featuring various female artists depicting their take on what self-care means. “I’m proud to have worked on this because I was able to collaborate with friends to portray personal stories that mean a lot to us.”
To produce these and other projects, Vicky used a Hasselblad H1 body and a Phase One 1Q80 back. For her everyday studio use, she typically employs her Canon 5DS R.
Vicky loves what she does but also acknowledges the challenges: “there are so many things that you don’t realize going into photography school. You learn so much more on the job, especially about how advertising works. Marketing yourself is difficult. So is time management: being ready and able to drop whatever you’re doing to accommodate deadlines and recognizing a lot is out of your control — a lot of unknown elements can really tighten deadlines.” rewarding.” She thinks of her work as a challenge: “it’s kind of like a game of survivor; you just keep working, tackling the hurdles as needed, and eventually making it through to the other side.”
The cover of Cosmetics magazine for their “Innovation” issue. A graphic and abstract rendition of different types of mascara wands.
When asked about what advice she would give to new and emerging photographers, Vicky says, “hang on! There will be moments where work is slow, where you might feel isolated (especially working in a studio), but keep going. Get outside, meet new people, explore artists and different types of art from your own, be persistent, and be patient. The work will come.”
Vicky especially loves art gallery experiences and illustration work, and it shows. For inspiration, she often looks to artists outside photography, such as large-scale installation artist Olafur Eliasson. This Icelandic–Danish artist creates work that suspends audience attention by using simple elements to produce spatial experiences for all the senses.
Shot for Globe and Mail Style, “Man vs. Marshmallow.”
Innit chairs shot for Toronto Life magazine.
Looking ahead, Vicky is experimenting with stop-motion animation and is excited to keep giving everyday objects a new and exciting life, crafted in her Toronto studio, before being ready for the world to see.
An image for Report on Business show- casing products made in Canada.
westsidestudio.com/#artists/vicky-lam
