Not all pictures speak a thousand words. Some say nothing at all while a rare collection tugs at your heartstrings and delivers strong emotions. For photojournalist Neo Xiaobin, her ability to convey powerful narratives through photographic visuals has garnered her numerous accolades, with the most recent honour being the ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu Prize.
A journalism major, she believes that good photojournalism has the ability to reach and communicate, to move and connect people. Her submission of works to the competition included the series Shattered Dreams, 9/11: Ten Years On, Lights and Moments, Last Outfits, Malaysia Decides and Singapore Seconds. Shattered Dreams was in particular highly praised by the Jury for its strong narrative conveyed through the visual language Xiaobin employed, her aesthetic treatment of the subject and the personal perspective she has brought to a news story.
“The ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu prize was awarded to Neo Xiaobin for her great narrative ability in telling stories … To summarize her work, we can say that she has the gift of a photojournalist working with the vocabulary of an artist,” said Madam Agnes de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, photography curator and President of the Jury.
Xiaobin has photographed in countries like Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Indonesia and China. Her work has garnered international awards such as a Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for Excellence in Feature Photography (Honorable Mention), and a silver award for Best in Photojournalism (Feature Photography) at the WAN-IFRA Asia Media Awards.
Nookmag (N): Tell us your photography story – your photography style, when you first experimented with the camera, your journey as a photojournalist or photography enthusiast etc.
Xiaobin (X): I have always been drawn to visuals since young, although I thought that I’d probably end up in advertising and design some day. The desire in telling stories visually really grew when I decided to major in journalism and publishing in my third year of university (Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information), took up photojournalism classes, and got the opportunity to be selected for an advanced reporting module overseas in Nepal in 2006, also known as GOFAR (Going Overseas for Advanced Reporting). Walking in the streets of Nepal back then and documenting the street children I met was a first-hand experience of visual journalism and what it really felt like a photojournalist working the ground on foreign land. I was dealing with real life people, their stories, and got to share them with the images I made to people back in Singapore. It hits you, that power of visuals and their ability to educate and create awareness in society. That’s when I realised I wanted to be a visual storyteller.
N: Your winning pictures were able to capture raw emotions such as grief. What do you find most difficult when capturing emotions to tell a story?
X: When it comes to death and grief, dealing with these raw emotions are always challenging. You have to handle these situations with sensitivity and respect. There are times when I have to play the role of an observer and listener more than a photographer. It’s really hard not to be overwhelmed by emotions as well, as much as you try to stay neutral and professional. But I think my journalistic background keeps me in check, and while I can have my own opinion when it comes to issues, I am not allowed to manipulate my images to change reality. I photograph and document what I see.
N: Other than photography skills, what else do you think is essential in capturing a great photograph?
X: Powerful visuals evoke emotions in people. They can disturb or intrigue you, make you laugh or cry and generally want to know more about the story. Techniques like composition and lighting aside, I feel people connect with genuine and candid moments that they can identify with. As a photographer, in order to tell a powerful story visually, you have to really care about what you’re shooting.
N: Do you think luck or chance has anything to do with a good picture? Why or why not?
X: Luck and chance play a part on certain assignments when photographers have to gamble on photo positions at events. Where we decide to stand and being at the right place and right time to capture the right moment is important. That said, we can’t blame everything on luck. Experience counts in making strategic decisions on anticipating moments from events and people. Research plays a huge part during the initial process of any project. You have to know the background and details of the story you are trying to tell.
N: What are your favourite things to shoot?
X: I enjoy spontaneous candid moments in people and I try to capture that in my daily work while experimenting with light and shadows, colours and lines. I love it when I have the time to work on in-depth photo stories on social issues, talk to people and find out their stories. Also, I enjoy being creative in portraiture photography and the motion and emotion that comes from photographing sports and games.
N: You are a Straits Times journalist, and your work takes you to photo-worthy places. How do you develop your skill or explore your art outside of work?
X: Have no fear and do personal projects on issues that you care for because I believe powerful work stem from passion. Keep an open mind and be aware of the changing trends of our industry and explore different ways of visual storytelling. Travel and keep shooting. I am thankful I have great colleagues at The Straits Times picture desk whom I can bounce ideas off and have them critique your work as it goes along because there are times when you get so involved in the story that it really helps to get an outsider’s neutral perspective on what works for the narrative.
N: Share with us one or two of the most trying times you’ve faced as a photographer.
X: As a newspaper photographer, you have to enjoy the unpredictability of situations, the adrenalin and occupational hazards that come along with the job. Every assignment brings along different challenges, but the current emphasis on delivering fast and accurate news for the digital platform is something I’m trying to learn and manage. I remember being on assignment in Kuala Lumpur for the coverage of the missing MH370 – a press conference by Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak. Press conferences are pretty straightforward visually, but I remember it was crazy having to juggle multiple gadgets – I had my iPhone in one hand to get the first picture of the conference tweeted out for social media, another hand steadying a monopod that I had between my legs that was doing videography. When I was done with the tweeting, I took up the DSLR lying by my feet to get still shots for print and online. And then at the end of everything, get the shots and videos sent as quickly as possible. It can be quite schizophrenic.
Another unforgettable moment was when I went to Heilongjiang in China alone on assignment for “Shattered Dreams”. It was a story of how the family of a Chinese woman from Heilongjiang (in northeast China) who had come to Singapore to work, coped with the news of their daughter’s death after she was found floating in the pool of a bungalow at Sentosa Cove in 2010. The incident was later classified a year later as a case of misadventure by the coroner’s court. I followed the family – daughter’s ashes in hand – back to China to document their lives and how they coped with the grief. I fell very ill towards the end of the 10-day trip, dehydrated and half conscious from non-stop vomiting and diarrhoea, and it was a bizarre experience being brought to a local “witch doctor” who treated me traditionally by pricking my fingers and cupping my chest, letting bad blood out of me. I was surprised at how quickly I recovered after her treatment.
