Through a photographer’s eye is the first in a series of interviews featuring Australian photographers. In each interview, we learn about the person behind the camera and how they use Fujifilm X Series cameras to photograph the world around them. Our second interview is with Melbourne based photographer, Alamby Leung.
Alamby, you are well known in photography circles online, but for those who may not have seen your work can you tell us about yourself and why you enjoy taking photos?
I’m a travel/lifestyle photographer, content creator and video producer. My video works are mostly produced for media and creative agencies that I work for, while photography is a passion of my own. I started photography the old school way, like using manual film cameras, developing my own negatives, and making prints in the darkroom. I’ve always liked art and creating things, and photography became my creative outlet as soon as I discovered it. It was a very natural process, and I find myself most creative when taking photos.
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF56mmF1.2 R – 56mm – ISO 400 – F4 – 1/7500 second
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF18mmF2 R – 18mm – ISO 400 – F4 – 1/7500 second
Recently you travelled to New Zealand with the Fujifilm X-Pro2, based on your experience what did you most like about the X Series system and did it assist your photography style?
I’ve been a Fujifilm user for the past few years. I own an X100S myself and loved its design and usability. As someone always travelling, I prefer my gear to be light, easy to access, and discreet. The X-Pro2 fits my criteria, and the lenses I brought along with gave me a lot of flexibility to achieve the images I had in mind. It does everything I would do with a DSLR, only it’s much lighter, and a lot more stylish!
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF18mmF2 R – 18mm – ISO 400 – F2.8 – 1/6000 second
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF35mmF2 R WR – 35mm – ISO 400 – F4 – 1/75 second
Can you name any females in the creative space who inspire you to keep on creating? What do you like most about them?
The first name that comes to mind is Annie Leibovitz. I remember meeting her in person once and was so starstruck! She’s one of the first female photographers I studied and admired since I started in photography, and her work continues to inspire me over the years. She’s always pushing boundaries and finding new ways to shoot, and her photos are beyond just capturing a beautiful person. Her photos tell stories. That’s something I strive to achieve, to create some sort of dialogue through my images.
When photographing with the Fujifilm X-Pro2 what lens did you use to capture your travels and did it perform how you expected it too?
I had three lenses with me over the trips – the XF18mmF2, XF35mmF2, and XF56mmF1.2. My main subjects were landscapes, portraits, and daily snaps, so the three lenses were a perfect combination for me. The focus is fast and on-point in most shooting situations, which helps to ensure my subjects are in focus. l loved the smooth and soft bokeh produced by the XF56mm in particular, it really helps to create some dreamy shots and to define my subject from the background.
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF18mmF2 R – 18mm – ISO 400 – F5.6 – 1/110 second
You regularly post photos to Instagram, do you have any hints or tricks to build a following and did the Fujifilm Camera Remote App assist you when you are travelling away from a computer?
Instagram is a platform for me to showcase my work and connect with my followers, so posting creative and relevant content is important for me. Keeping my content consistent is also a way to build a following and that’s why the Fujifilm Camera Remote App is useful as I can transfer images to my phone for quick edits and post them on the go. It’s especially handy when I’m travelling without my laptop.
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF35mmF2 R WR – 35mm – ISO 200 – F10 – 1/550 second
If you have some advice for someone starting out in photography what would it be?
Social media is a great place for inspiration and to receive feedback, but developing your personal style and be creative with your ideas are important too.
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF35mmF2 R WR – 35mm – ISO 640- F8 – 1/900 second
Having previously worked with well-known YouTubers Kaiman Wong and Lok Cheung, if you were to bump into them on the street, what advice would you give them about reviewing Fujifilm equipment?
I think they can’t review Fujifilm equipment without talking about the retro camera designs and the colours of the images, but they’re both experts in the camera and gear review world so no doubt they would have a lot more to say than I do.
Where can people see more of your work and do you have any current or future projects we should check out?
This year is going to be an exciting one as I’ll be spending the majority of my time in Australia, and producing work locally. I’m also aiming to pick up more travel related projects as travel is my main source of inspiration. For more of my work and personal projects please check out my website and Instagram for regular updates. Would love to hear your feedback!
Fujifilm X-Pro2 with XF56mmF1.2 R – 56mm – ISO 200 – F8 – 1/1500 second
All images copyright Alamby Leung and used with permission. To see more of Alamby’s work visit her website or follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Other interviews in this series
Through A Photographer’s Eye: Drew Hopper
Lovely subtle images.