Raymond Tan embraces himself in one of the toughest industry

Malaysian born Raymond Tan started travelling to places with his father at a very young age. During this trips, he was impressed by the diverse fashion styles, cultures and attitudes in different countries.

With such influence, Raymond is now a fashion photographer based in London. “In 2008, I moved to London and studied at the London College of Communication, then Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and finally completed my Master’s Degree at London College of Fashion,” he said.

He completed his graduate diploma of Print Production and Photography at London College of Communication and moved to Limkokwing London to pursue a BA (Hons) in Creative Multimedia to polish his photography style and his academic understanding of that particular medium in Europe.

Fashion photography is the only place I can create a different version of the real world.

“Limkokwing London gave me a lot of flexibility in terms of selecting my own major, and the ways to research it. I was lucky to have mentors like Max Schleser and Daniel Vidal, one teaching me the importance of innovation in art and one installs innumerable confidence in me and inspired me to always go a step further in creating my works,” he said.

Raymond describes Limkokwing London as his inspiration which never fails to inspire him being situated at the central London and beside the Royal Academy of Art.

Raymond began his career by collaborating with young fashion designers, artists and writers in London. That gave him the opportunity to shoot multiple for fashion campaigns and editorials. He worked on photography by exploring image and time-based media through subliminal narratives.

Talking about his interest in photography, Raymond shared that, “When I reached my teens, I became a fond of photography and eventually enrolled into Limkokwing University at Kuala Lumpur. During my time there, I tried various ways to convey my message, from paintings to motion graphics and 3D but they never satisfied me like how a photograph could. The curiosity and the weight I felt in every photograph is what made them unique and real.”

Besides photography, Raymond has also ventured his skills into writing and illustration. “My first two books are more poetic and I see them as my pictorial records of my photography process. The third one is very fashion orientated, a collection of editorials I did,” he says.

My dream is to be an icon of fashion photography in my country, Malaysia and help the younger generations to be courageous in pursuing their art and craft. I also love running around the world shooting and giving talks/lectures to encourage young people,” said Raymond.

Along his journey working with established fashion brands, Raymond shared his experience saying, “It was crazy. The fashion world is harder or shall I say, way tougher than any other industry I have ever heard of. Everything details and actions have to be considered thoroughly. Being an art director, I get to learn and experience the design process, presentation and production of a designer label. We hardly sleep more than 4 hours in fashion business.”

When asked about his favourite client, Raymond chose a fashion consultancy company named ‘Anatome’. He believes that ‘Anatome’ understands the need to grow as a brand together with the photographer and the rest of the team. He appreciates the organization for not being afraid to admit mistakes and are always willing to discuss and treat everyone with respect.

His photographic works are always driven by his own curiosity of ways a camera produces representations of human beings and the world around it. Raymond explains that his inspirations comes from anything he sees.

He added that, “Everything in the industry involves creativity, from pitching your ideas to clients to budgeting your shoot, to how to talk to certain people. Limkokwing University encourages students to be independent and confident in their crafts, and that produces innovation. Without a little courage, there will be no desire to change or to create.”

Raymond advises young beginners in fashion photography; “Shoot as much as you can. Never be discouraged by anyone or anything.”

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