 WINNING STREAK: Sam Kang Li |
Sam Kang Li came to Kathmandu to work at Nepali Times as a photojournalism intern from Singapore's Nanyang University in December 2007. In the next six months, many of his photographs appeared in this paper. Last week, three of those pictures won awards in the photo-journalism category of the Prix de la Photographie, Paris (Px3). Excerpts of interview:
Nepali Times: Was there a lot of tension taking the pictures? You were often surrounded by riot police.
Kang Li Sam: The pictures of the Tibetan protests pictures were mostly taken outside the United Nations building in Kathmandu. Hundreds of Tibetan refugees had gathered outside to stage a peaceful protest, but tensions ran high. My photos show tension simply because the situation is one of tension. I was more excited than scared because as a Singaporean who had been used to order on the streets, this was something very different.
What camera did you shoot the winning photographs with?
I was using a normal DSLR, like most news photographers. I usually shoot with very wide lenses because I prefer to get close and intimate. I am mostly self-taught. Exposing myself to the works of other people can be
very inspiring. I think it is the thought process that is important, even though photography seems to be very technical.
What was it like working in Nepal during the time of its transition from monarchy to republic?
I felt incredibly lucky to be able to be a witness during such a critical period for Nepal. The political leaders were divided and often disagreed with one another, causing slow implementation of essential policies and frustrating the people. The people had a lot of hope for the new Maoist government after the April 2008 polls, which I covered. I admired Nepalis who continued to smile and go about their daily lives despite the instability, daily 18-hour electricity cuts and diesel queues that snaked for kilometers. One year later, it seems that nothing much has changed.
Was not being able to speak Nepali a problem? 
Actually sometimes it helped because Nepalis tend to be more hospitable to and forgiving of foreigners. The language barrier was easily circumvented because I received the help of many colleagues who have now become very dear friends. I also learned enough of the language to get by.
Any other themes or subjects which you plan to explore?
I feel that the still image can be a very powerful medium to communicate and connect with people. I don't hope a lot about what my pictures can do, other than to be able to connect with people and to move people in some ways. Photojournalism need not be confined to the realm of news pictures.
What next for you?
The nice way to put it is that I am a freelancer. The bad way to put it is that I am jobless. But I'm also not rushing into finding a job. Times are bad and so I am just keeping a look-out for options.
