Making masterpieces from moments

Text: Derek Rodriguez / Photos: Kevin Lim

The highlight of his personal life is meeting his wife, NTU alumna Neo Xiaobin, in the newsroom. “She is my constant source of inspiration and my pillar of strength. The life-changing part was when I became a father to our two lovely little boys, Kiran and Kayen. They are my constant reminder that we only live once, and I’ll loathe to miss their milestones and moments growing up,” says Kevin.

Even if you don’t recognise Kevin Lim by his name, you would have seen his photos in major publications in Singapore and around the world.

The chief photojournalist of The Straits Times at Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has covered global events such as the aftermath and devastation brought about by Typhoon Haiyan in Tacloban, Philippines, and the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where he captured the swansongs of sporting legends Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, as well as Olympic swimmer Joseph Schooling’s historic win.

Capturing the ebb and flow of an athlete’s career at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Kevin returned with shots of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps in their final competitive races, and of Joseph Schooling (above) picking up Singapore’s first ever Olympic gold medal. (Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction)

He was also the only Singapore photojournalist to cover the Trump-Kim summit at Capella Hotel Singapore in 2018. Not only was one of his photos used on a cover of Time magazine, another one showing the backs of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump was named in Time’s 100 Photos of the Year list.

Kevin’s photo featured on the cover of Time.

The photo taken by Kevin that was in Time’s 100 Photos of the Year in 2018. He says: “This picture summed up the event for me. These two world leaders came to Singapore with the hope of working towards denuclearisation. They came, shook hands but when they left and we saw the back of them, I wondered what had really been achieved.”

In the same year, Kevin created a bit of history for himself by clinching SPH’s Journalist of the Year award, a first for a photojournalist. For Kevin, however, awards are just a bonus. What truly motivates him is the need to produce quality work.

He explains: “I hold journalism ethics close to my heart. To be accountable, ethical and accurate in what I present when it comes to reportage. At the end of the day, both in my career and personal life, I want to be able to look back and know that I have given my all, thoroughly enjoyed the process, and have no regrets.”

NTU through Kevin’s lenses

It has been 14 years since Kevin graduated from NTU. From time to time, his work takes him in the vicinity of the campus, which he takes as opportunities to visit his alma mater.

“I still reminisce about my days as an undergraduate living in hall, and I revisit that by exploring the various food options for a quick meal between assignments. Earlier this year, I dropped by the North Hill halls for mala at A Hot Hideout. It had a long queue, so I had mala at the food court instead. But it’s not about the food, it’s about being back on campus and allowing myself to go back in time a bit, escaping reality for a short while,” says Kevin.

Corridor to the Nanyang Chronicle headquarters

“Joining the now defunct Nanyang Chronicle back in 2005 as a freshman was key to where I am today. I had no experience with a camera prior to that. Even though the learning curve was steep, the process of learning how I can tell stories through visuals piqued my interest enough to want to develop further.”

A familiar view

“The experience with the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information’s Go-Far programme (a journalism module that takes students on assignment overseas) in Karnataka in India, where we reported on issues like farmer suicides, reaffirmed my desire to embark on a career in photojournalism.”

Cultivating creativity

“The new buildings are a breath of fresh air from the perspective of a photographer. The way light falls on them at different times of the day brings out the different facets and aesthetics planned by the architect, and that in turn provides room for creativity when making photographs. As an alumnus, I’m so glad that the cohorts after mine have all these conducive and collaborative spaces where they can exchange and generate new ideas. Or even just to find a corner to free up their minds and allow themselves to reflect and chill.”

 

Related stories:

• Hallmarks of excellence
• Shining light on a chequered path
• A flair for fixing problems
• Trading suits for smiles
• A global citizen

 

This article first appeared in issue 4 of U, the NTU alumni magazine.