Bob Lee is a well-known award winning photographer and founder of the creative company called The Fat Farmer.
He won the highest award in the “Behind the Scenes” category of ClickArt: World Photojournalists Meet in the year 2003.
Before his claim to fame however, Mr. Lee was a photojournalist under the local Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao. He says that he cherishes his ten years that he spent with the publication.
Without any prior Mass Communication background, he recalls how he was more of a graphic person and had less news sense when he first started.
Since then, he has learnt a lot during his stint with this newspaper. In fact, he credits his job at Lianhe Zaobao for teaching him “what to capture and when to click”.
He recalls how as an amateur photographer in his early days, he would simply complete shooting an event mechanically by clicking in a similar pattern – speakers, audience, podium, decoration – done!
However, working as a journalist taught him to pay attention to what a particular speaker is saying during an event. That helped him predict audience reactions and click better pictures.
“If the speaker was saying something funny, I know that in the next few seconds, the audience is going to laugh.”
How Autism Changed Mr. Lee’s Life
Things were going great for Mr. Lee at the Chinese daily. His work as a photojournalist was not only getting recognized but he was also winning awards for it. However, he decided to quit.
He explains why.
“When we found out that our son had autism, we did not know what to do. The initial years were extremely difficult.”
“My wife, who had a regular job, had quit and started working part time. Eventually, I also realized that I needed to give more time to my family. ”
Mr. Lee’s son was of a young age when they discovered that he had autism. Initially, both Mr and Mrs Lee were not much aware about the disorder or the challenges that came with it.
After a lot of research and personal experiences, they both decided to quit their jobs. They had realized that their son had to be their first priority and that would not have been possible if they both had full time regular jobs.
Mrs. Lee, a journalist, also started freelancing and Mr. Lee followed.
Teaching Photography to The Differently-Abled
Mr. Lee realized that how challenging it can be to parent a kid suffering from autism. He had been teaching in art schools and polytechnics since his photojournalism days but after taking care of his son at home he felt the need to meet more of such kids.
What better way than to teach photography in schools for the differently-abled?
He says that as much as he gives to the autism community, he receives that back in equal amounts. He says meeting people with special needs and interacting with parents of such kids not only gives him satisfaction but also helps him understand things better.
He recalls an incident that left an impression on him.
“He started crying suddenly. When I asked him what the matter with him was, he said he was crying because he was sad. And when I asked why he was sad, he said he was sad because he was crying. Sometimes, it gets so difficult to understand.”
Dedicated Social Activist
This photographer has been concerned and aware about social issues since the very beginning of his career. It is true that after his son was diagnosed with autism, his work in this regard became more focused.
However, Mr. Lee has been a social activist since his days as a photojournalist.
His work spoke about relevant social issues and he always tried to create awareness through his photography. His first individual project was called “Have A Little Faith”. This published project spoke about racial harmony and awareness in Singapore.
He did another project in the year 2004, called “One Room Flat”. This project was inspired by real life events.
Lee fondly recalls how he was in an HDB flat for some news gathering with a few colleagues when he met an old woman whose money had been stolen.
He tells me how he and his friends had contributed to pay the lady some money. It’s clear that this incident had impacted him a lot.
However, they could not visit every single one room flat in Singapore to help the needy. Thus, he decided to portray their problems through this exhibition, which eventually won him awards and accolades.
The Fat Farmer
It is never easy to quit a full time job and start something of your own. Mr. Lee says that income as a freelancer is not always stable but when times are tough, he leaves everything to God.
With the same spirit of faith and nobility, Mr. Lee started his own venture in the year 2011 – a company called “The Fat Farmer” .
Standing at over seven years, The Fat Farmer has built quite a rapport in the Singaporean industry. From celebrities to big brands and magazines to art festivals – they all want “The Fat Farmer” to capture them through his vision.
Mr. Lee continues to do community work through The Fat Farmer as well.
However, as the photographer says despite all the glamorous work he does outside, his favorite photo sessions are back at home with his son.
See More of Bob Lee’s Work here.