Speaking Through Images
Even before language was formed and speech was shaped into our standard form of communication, people used images to communicate simply. The image still remains to be the most powerful form of expression, with a universality bridging ethnicities, national borders and spoken or written languages. Janith Lekamwasam who is a young visual communication designer and a photographer, is a believer and a practitioner of exercising the power of visuals to express ideas.
His two arts are not too disconnected and this allows him to move between them fluidly and even have each inspire, influence and better the other. Speaking to the Sunday Leader, Janith discussed how he first found his interest in photography and then ventured into visual communication design as a means to make a deeper sense of exercising the power of the image.
How did you first get drawn to photography?
It really wasn’t just one incident that lead me into this path. But, the very first factor that drove me towards photography was my brother giving me his old point and shoot camera and showing me the photographs that he has taken with it. After that, I met some very creative and helpful group of people when I was studying multimedia.
There were some professional photographers and filmmakers who inspired me to move forward with photography and cinematography.
You are also a visual communication designer. Does that affect your work in photography too? If so, how?
I can’t really tell which is affecting what, but I know for a fact that my photography and design work nurtures each other. I frequently change my sources of inspiration and I have a very similar processes to generate ideas for VC design, photography and cinematography. I find it very convenient being able to toss around my ideas between the areas of my expertise to produce content.
How do you curate a shot- do you have the exact piece in mind when you start or do you experiment a lot?
Most of the time I get an idea when a client explains a brief to me. The reason for that is I do a lot of experiments almost all the time and I keep the good stuff under my sleeve; just to make sure that I don’t have to waste my time experimenting something completely new every single time I get a job.
How powerful do you think photography is, and why?
As person who has a family background of writers, poets, journalists, musicians and tons of friends and family in film and photography industry, I can confidently say that photography is just as powerful as any visual communication form. I really think it’s not the form that is important but how you communicate it. “It’s like sex. You’re always headed to the same place, but you have to find new and dangerous way of getting there.” (Burnt – 2015)
Where can someone find out more about your work?
You can find me and my work in Behance and Instagram. Since I’m active in both of these websites, you can contact me through them as well.
www.behance.net/JaTor_LekSam
instagram.com/jator_leksam
