Singapore LomoKino LomoAmigo: Kevin Lester

Hailing from Singapore, Kevin Lester aka TheLionCityBoy is our latest LomoKino LomoAmigo. He’d already been shooting with the Diana Mini, utilizing the half-frame to expand storytelling capabilities, and was excited to shoot with our first 35mm movie camera. After the jump, check out his movie-turned documentary!

Name: Kevin Lester
Location: Singapore
Field: Rapper/Songwriter/Producer

How was your experience shooting with the LomoKino?
It was amazing! I’m quite a fan of the Diana, so when you guys armed me with the LomoKino, it got me really excited. I love that it feels so personal. After shooting, even the end product translates that.

Tell us about your LomoKino piece.
I’d love to give you a super indie-intellectual explanation but it was pretty random. There was always so much scenery to use as material though. Though Hurricane Sandy made it somewhat difficult to explore New York, I lived in quite an interesting area. Bedsty was my host. It’s a tough neighborhood with a lot of history.

My family might not approve of this part of the story but while Sandy was just kickin’ in, I stepped out of my house to try to capture the winds with my LomoKino. It was a little scary to be honest but I didn’t overdo it.
I’m hoping all these shots will make a good piece.

How did the half-frame and square formats of the Diana Mini aid you in story telling in the Big Apple?
I loved it! It made experimenting with shots fun! I’m quite used to capturing moments with my camera phone but the half frame shots tell a deeper story that a one shot camera can’t. I think I went trigger happy because of that idea. There’s so many stories to capture in NYC, I tried my best to capture them while being in awe.

Your music truly represents who you are – how do your photos represent you?
I believe visuals are the best representation of who you are. I’ve got friends that tend to use their Diana minis to capture expressions more than the space around them. I think I’m more of a in the moment photographer. I’ll be in a focused conversation and only start snapping when I’m deep in to discussion. Syaheed my manager has even told me that at times I miss capturing moments because I’m so engrossed while I’m in it. That’s me I guess.

Which is your favorite photograph, and what was going on in the photo?

It was the night before Hurricane Sandy and I was on my way to catch the big Chelsea vs Manchester United game at a bar in Manhattan. The J is my transport from Bedsty out to most of my outings. I love how the New York subway is infused into the city’s life. If these trains could speak they’d tell amazing stories.

The J train is also half the reason why Shawn Carter calls himself Jay-Z. The J and Z trains commute to and from his home when he was growing up.

We know TheLionCityBoy’s international EP is debuting this March. Tell us about the significance of it.
The EP titled “Everything You Love, You Hate” will be my first push in to the US and Canadian market. It’s my big introduction to this new market and it sees me have a sonic departure from my previous work. This EP is a lot more darker and electronic. The lyrics discuss more personal stories, things close to my heart. Songs like Danger will leave me vulnerable to the listener. I’m a little nervous but I believe it’s some of my best work yet.

What’s one constant source of inspiration for you?
Tumblr. I’m always on it. When I write I’m usually locked in my room with laptop cabled up to another screen so that I can write and have all my favorite tumblr sites for visual inspirations. As tumblr is more of a pictorial blog, it’s the best place to act as my imaginary world. If I’m writing love songs, I’ll pull up pictures of girls.. things like that. You can find me pulling up pictures that NASA has taken of the universe, and that could be a source of inspiration. I love the idea that travelling is made easy that way.

As a rapper, I’d think you’d have ample opportunity to travel and live abroad. In this case, what’s special about Singapore?
This is home. Singapore is like a mother to me. Sometimes I don’t get why she does the things she does or why she acts the way she does but she gave birth to me you know? She made me who I am today. I owe her everything.

I want to travel and tour like every other artiste out there but at the end of the day I’d like to come home to the family and friends that love me. I’m sensitive like that.

Any tips for budding Artists – Photographers, Thespians, Painters, Musicians, Filmmakers?
This shit isn’t easy and there will be tears but if you want it like there is no other option to life, you’ll get it.

Follow Kevin on Twitter and check his stuff out, and stay tuned for his new EP, on his official page!

Enter a new analogue dimension with the LomoKino. Lomography’s own 35mm analogue movie camera allows you to capture action and immortalize your story on film! Shoot 144 frames on any 35mm film and create your own cinematic masterpieces. Want to watch your movie the old-school way? We also offer the LomoKino and LomoKinoscope package!

written by soundfoodaround on 2013-01-09 #people #videos #singapore #artist #series #new-york #diana-mini #feature #lomoamigo #lomokino #kevin-lester