Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Thomas Lie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Thomas , thanks for joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment I had made in terms of time was essentially in the practice of patience which always ends up giving me a different perspective of things. This seems a rather simplistic reference but I it has helped me in so many areas of my photography and also professional work as a Research Microbiologist. And, I have experienced that the lessons learned from patience in both areas cross-pollinate very smoothly between them.

I indulge in photography on whatever subject which pleases my eye, whether it is of landscapes, human portraits, or action photography. At whatever locations, after I had taken what I had felt to be great shots, I would wait further and suddenly, an even better photographic opportunity would materialise . Examples would be a large flock of birds suddenly appearing into the view of a mountain shot (giving it an additional perspective), or even a lone snow goose coming for a landing and ‘photobombing’ my mountain shot (The goose became a nice sharp contrast against the bokeh of the mountain ranges!). As a result, I would then seek for opportunities to evolve these compositions by create variations of these shots in the future! From being patient, and observant, I have had a plethora of opportunities to create multiple variations of the original shot I had intended to create. Patience, in essence, can present many opportunities.

Applying patience in my research has also reaped benefits. In a similar situation, I was seeking specialised Bacteria from contaminated soil and discovered a new species after six months of waiting (this time frame is considered long even for Microbiologists! haha)

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Research Microbiologist by training with focused background in microbes living in diverse environments without oxygen and also high temperature ones. My field seeks to understand how these microbes survive in these different areas and how their activities contribute to global changes in the environment. Thus, most of my work during the day is spent at the research bench conducting experiments to observe and understand various microbial processes. It is indeed an undertaking that involves uncertainties, failures, and an inordinate amount of patience and some successes.

My photography ‘work’ is not a business and I dabble in it often outside of work. However, it is a continued passion that I am slowly developing. I have also dabbled in the idea of providing a service (e.g. teaching photography to specific groups) or at least offer my photos for sale. This is the plan I would use if I decide to transition out of my scientific work and into photography. An alternative is to merge it with photography of the microscopic world.

Most photography scenes would, at first glance, contain a single theme but with thoughtful observation, many elements and perspectives would come out of that single scene. Thus lies my interest in photography. Often times, what we see live by eye goes by too quickly for us to fully appreciate and process every single element. However, if captured at the right time, angles and lighting, a well-composed scene can share many special and topical perspectives from within. And finally, different viewers of that scene will also be able to pull out different perspectives unique to their own life experiences. And if we view the same photos years later, we might yet take away additional perspectives. That is what attracts me to photography and also what I wish to share with others via my instagram account.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I feel that the most rewarding aspect of being an artiest or creative is that you allow yourself to evolve. And in that enjoyable journey, you get to experience new perspectives and personal growth. Not all of the things we create will appeal universally. Not everybody likes the works of Van Gough, or Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, or Ansel Adams.

However, as you evolve and enjoy that journey, there will be a group of people attracted to your work…..and your evolution. During which, their artistic views and creative sides will evolve through you as well. It is the creative journey that you bring your audience through.

I believe an artist has to first appeal to himself/herself. Not to the purveyors of his/her art. If the latter occurs, growth will stunt and potentially stop. So, an artist or creative must first happily push boundaries to discover something new.

I take inspiration from a saying attributed to Albert Szent-Györgyi, a Nobel laureate in medicine, who said: “Discovery consists of looking at the same thing as everyone else and thinking something different.” For me, discovery (and thus, creativity) comes about after patient and thoughtful meanderings from different perspectives.

In short, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the many epiphanies that I experience. It’s never boring!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

For me, holistically, my creative journeys do not necessarily have to have defined goals but more importantly, a defined direction. A goal can at times, cause premature end-points in a creative journey yet to be completed. That, sometimes, is the challenge for me as a creative; Will I have more epiphanies? Will my creative journey blossom even more? But, or the sake of practicality, there will be a stopping point for any particular creative journey.

During a creative journey, however, I will constantly seek global perspectives. Analogously, I seek to understand not just the individual trees, but also to understand the forest and the interrelationship between all the trees within it. Before I take a snapshot at, or of a location, I prefer to observe and soak in the ambiance of that location first; how different elements on that day contribute to the picture. The goal is to capture the mood of the environment at that time. Thus, two shots of the same location at different days can creative superbly contrasting moods.

Thus, not having a pre-defined and specific goal or a mission on a creative journey can be a double edge sword. However, if we use this sword appropriately and moderately, it can bring out creative masterpieces.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dabble_photographer?igsh=MWF1dDBmbHY4bjNhbQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-lie-10873b30
• Twitter: @tomjlie
• Other: Chatter social: @tauroic1
  Clubhouse: @tlychee