The Challenging Childhood of Photography - Master Lim Tian Seng

During the seventh dinner of the Resilience Dinner Gathering, we had the privilege of inviting Sony's Photography Ambassador, Mr Lim Tian Seng, to share his life story with us.

This particular Resilience Dinner Gathering became an unforgettable night, as the Medical & Health Station suddenly experienced a power outage in the midst of a storm. We dined in the dimly lit place during thunder and rain, while Lim Tian Seng used a small loudspeaker to narrate his challenging experiences.

Lim Tian Seng was born in Kelantan, the fifth of seven siblings, with two younger sisters. The youngest sister was adopted due to their family's poverty, as his parents couldn't afford to support her.

His childhood was marked by extreme poverty, and their family lived in a storage room of a wealthy individual. His father worked as a motorcycle assembly worker, making a meager living by taking odd jobs. The dinner at the Resilience Gathering, featuring a simple bowl of plain congee with fermented black beans, was a common meal from his childhood.

"As a child, we only had dishes like fermented black beans; we couldn't afford canned vegetables. So, tonight, I'm sorry for serving you just fermented black beans, and I've added some pickled lettuce. The congee we ate was very watery, sometimes with not enough rice... When we were young, we never had formula milk; we could only drink evaporated milk. We didn't even have baby bottles; there was only one water bottle, and we drank evaporated milk directly from it. My mother used to go around collecting empty glass bottles every day, putting them in large sacks and bringing them back to sell. I would follow her with the cart as a young child, collecting glass bottles."

In junior high school, he learned to ride a bicycle and helped wash floors at the homes of wealthier people.

"I cleaned rough cement floors, scrubbing them with a wire brush. Those floors were covered in moss, and they were slippery. I would squat down and scrub hard. I earned RM 2 for cleaning one house. Besides, Kelantan's wooden houses had their lower floors used for livestock, full of chicken and cat dung, so I had to sweep and clean using a coconut husk broom."

During his junior high years, as his mother bore the heavy financial burden of his education, they had to work to support the family. His two older sisters worked as domestic helpers, while he took on odd jobs.

"I had to make paper bags from cement bags by cleaning them near the drains, and then dismantle and glue them, fold them into bags, and make flour bags. I could even make pants. My mother was very skilled; she could do anything. We helped wash other people's clothes, and it was like two small hills of clothes to wash."

Lim Tian Seng recalled that at that time, those who came to work in Kelantan were mostly from outside the state and mainly did heavy jobs like bricklaying and plumbing. Their clothes were often dirty, so he had to assist his mother in washing their laundry. Washing required soaking in soda water, then rinsing, and clothes needed to be beaten with sticks. Every other day, they would deliver cleaned clothes to customers and receive another batch to wash.

"As I grew slightly older, I started riding a bicycle to deliver newspapers, work at a bakery, deliver bread, do plumbing work, be a lorry assistant, and even help remove onion roots at the onion seller's place. My hands turned red from the spicy onions and were completely black. I did all kinds of jobs."

His older sister and second sister only completed primary education and worked as domestic helpers. The third sister had the opportunity to go to school and later became a nurse, while his elder brother continued his higher education in Kuala Lumpur and did not experience much hardship. But when Lim Tian Seng entered Form One, his mother told him to stop going to school and start working to pay for his elder brother's education in Kuala Lumpur. By then, his father was over 60 and unemployed. So, Lim Tian Seng began working at a bakery, but it closed down in less than a year.

"I suddenly had no job, and the future looked uncertain. Later, I thought about going back to school, but my mother couldn't afford my tuition. So, I went to work at a plastic factory and earned my tuition fees. I worked from 5 pm to 2 am, and the boss set up a loft for us to watch over the machines. It was very hot. After work at 2 am, I had to take a shower and rush to school. School finished around 1 pm, and I was back at the factory to work around 5 pm. I was very thin, my body was small, and my head was big. People used to call me 'Big Head' when I was young."

This constant commuting and working led to a significant drop in his results in the Form Three Lower Certificate of Education (LCE) exams, and he had to repeat a year. Consequently, he had to juggle work and education, continuing until Form Six. Though his Malaysian Certificate of Education (MCE) results were decent, it was challenging to gain entry to a local university and get into Form Six. After finishing Form Five, he decided to enter the workforce and learn a trade.

"I saw a painting of a cow by artist Chung Chen Sun in the Kuen Cheng art catalog. My cousin told me that the cow was drawn in one stroke, and I became very interested. When I saw a newspaper report about Chung Chen Sun opening an art school that included a Commercial Art and Fine Art department, I decided to enroll in the Commercial Art program. However, when I arrived in Kuala Lumpur a few days late, I walked into the classroom wearing my only long-sleeved shirt, and everyone stood up and said, 'Good Morning, Sir!' Apparently, I looked much older and didn't appear to be a 19-year-old student, and they mistook me for a teacher."

During school, he had to buy various art supplies for his courses, and the high cost of art supplies was unexpected and a significant financial burden.

"In secondary school, 16 colors cost only 4.5 ringgit, but the paint used for advertising cost 5 ringgit per color! A paintbrush was over 20 ringgit, which shocked me! My monthly rent was 60 ringgit, and just buying art materials cost over 100 ringgit!"

He described how, when he moved from Kelantan to Kuala Lumpur to study, he seemed like a "rustic" who was unfamiliar with everything and brought only a woven mat with him. The room he rented was a two-person room with bunk beds, and he slept on the top bunk with a mat below it. He couldn't afford a mattress, so every night, he slept on the top bunk and gazed at the ceiling with tears in his eyes.

He eventually realized that studying art required a lot of money and seemed like a choice for the rich. Yet, he was already "climbing high."

"I showed my father the Chinese paintings I brought home, but he said, 'If you pursue this, you won't even be able to afford plain congee!'"

His father was worried that his son wouldn't be able to support himself as an artist, so Lim Tian Seng had to work hard to earn his tuition. Fortunately, he met some artists who introduced him to odd jobs that involved helping with art exhibitions and moving work.

"I lived in Bukit Bintang, across from the President Hotel, which often held furniture exhibitions. I would help with moving work, disassembling and assembling furniture. I could earn 50 ringgit in a day. ” In order to complete his three-year studies, he worked diligently, lived frugally, and endured challenging days.

"A loaf of bread cost only 60 cents, and I would make it last for several days. Sometimes, I'd buy 40-cent plain rice and add a little gravy. If the hawker accidentally scooped up a piece of meat for me, I'd be overjoyed! When I had a bit more, I'd splurge on a salted egg, spending an extra 15 cents. On better days, I'd have mixed rice, choosing vegetables that didn't spoil easily. I'd eat half the vegetables with one meal and save the rest for the evening, pairing them with a bowl of rice for another meal. I had to budget and plan each meal carefully. I worked very hard to earn money; I even taught children to draw at the Chin Woo Association in KL, charging each student 15 ringgit. I also taught children at Desa School how to draw, and on weekends, I taught at kindergartens. On Fridays, I learned to draw chicks with Chung Chen Sun, who had a busy schedule at the time. I painted outside his office and asked him to give me some guidance when he finished teaching. On Saturdays, I taught adults how to paint chicks, and on Wednesdays, I taught students to draw in someone else's house. Because I knew some calligraphy and had strong wrists, So there are still people who want to learn painting from me."

In the early years, he couldn't afford photography equipment, so he had to borrow from others to complete his assignments. He faced a lot of mockery, but only he understood the hardships behind it. Every time he went to work at an art exhibition, he walked there, all the way from Bukit Bintang to Chin Woo Mountain. He would watch over the workers and painters and, in return, they would repay him with artwork. These encounters greatly benefited him. After two years of hard work, he finally saved enough money to purchase a camera. Later, his photography work frequently won awards and was finally recognized.

"After enduring three years, I worked for three months in an advertising company as a secretary. Back then, we had to cut and paste manually; it was all done by hand, unlike now with computer layout and design. Everything was done manually. I felt unsuited to office work, so I interned in a photography studio. I once met a Malay photographer who advised me not to study under him because he was an advertising photographer mainly shooting simple subjects. He encouraged me to venture into the field as an apprentice to learn different techniques and gain experience."

Thus, Lim Tian Seng decided to explore the world of photography and worked as an apprentice for two years, saving money to invest in his photography equipment and eventually starting his independent photography career. Because he was born into a poor family, he worked diligently and even refused to accept overtime pay while working. To pursue his dream of photography, he put in more effort and sacrifices than others.

"In this industry, you need to invest a lot of money in equipment. I worked day and night without stopping. I even stayed behind after work to learn from my seniors. I didn't ask for overtime pay. Every night, I would ride my motorcycle to a friend's rented photography studio to learn photography techniques, starting with buying second-hand equipment and gradually increasing my collection. After four years, I had more photography equipment than my boss, and occasionally, he would borrow from me."

Later, the boss proposed a partnership, but Lim Tian Seng thought it would be challenging and that he had already established his own client base. He decided to venture into business on his own.

"Back then, it was very difficult to become a photographer within just five years. Unlike now, photography wasn't digital, so you couldn't see the results immediately after taking a photo. There were no tools like Photoshop for editing. You needed solid photography skills. Back then, the market didn't offer enough subjects for you to photograph; you couldn't say you only wanted to shoot food. You had to shoot everything you got. That's how I worked day and night. My company was behind where I lived, so I worked every day, accepting several jobs and not going home to sleep. I slept at the office every night, working so much that after a year, I went back home and found that my bed sheets and pillows had gone mouldy and had to be thrown away!"

Engaging in advertising photography meant tremendous pressure, as clients often expected to see results immediately. The work pressure was immense, and he even suffered from depression, taking medication for over 20 years.

He said, "Although I stopped medication for six or seven years, I started taking antidepressants again two weeks ago. I often sleep during the day, and at night, I can't fall asleep, reversing my sleep schedule. During depressive episodes, I can't even drive. My body stiffens, and I have difficulty breathing. Sometimes, it happens suddenly on the highway, and I become very anxious, breathing heavily. I have to park on the side of the road and then get taken to the hospital. Now, after taking medication, the pain in my muscles has lessened, and my overall physical condition has improved a lot. I always carry sedatives in my pocket to use when I feel nervous or fearful while driving. After taking a sedative, I feel better after about 20 minutes. Otherwise, I'm afraid to drive."

Lim Tian Seng said that in his early years, he invested over one million ringgit in photography equipment. If he had not chosen photography, he might have become a millionaire. His current wish is to retire early and travel to take lifestyle photos and shoot his beloved subjects.

This is a life story full of resilience and perseverance. Lim Tian Seng pursued his dreams despite challenging circumstances and overcame various setbacks and hardships to achieve his current success. However, behind the glamorous title of photography master lies the untold story of his struggles and sacrifices.

On the evening he returned home, I sent him a text message: "Thank you for taking the time to share your life story with us, despite your busy schedule. I was deeply moved! I felt heartache for the challenges you faced during your youth. I hope you find comfort. Remember to reach out to me for a meal when you're feeling down."

I placed my care and concern into the final sentence because I didn't know what else I could do for him. I hope he will be okay and remains strong and safe.