Rachel Loh

Embark on a journey through the lens of image makers, as they capture our bags in everyday life and the cities they move through. These snapshots present a visual narrative that offers insight into their craft, as well as an exploration of how design comes to life amidst the rhythms of living and travelling.

Across diverse mediums from film and digital photography to print and immersive installations, Rachel Loh has produced a body of work that transcends borders. Through the moments and ideas she captures, she invites her audience on a journey of philosophical depth, transforming the intangible into the material. In this conversation, Rachel sheds light on the deep connection she shares with her craft, and presents self-portraits with the HOBO bag—diptych compositions that merge her own image with evocative, elemental moments from her travels.

[start:#808080]CAN YOU SHARE A MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU FELT TRULY CONNECTED TO YOUR CRAFT?[end:#808080]

I don't think it's been a singular moment for me. Every time I'm behind the camera and I act as one with my camera, it becomes an extension of myself. This allows me to connect with my subject—whether that’s the people or landscapes in front of me. When it feels intuitive and I lean into it with my soul, that's the moment I feel truly connected.

[start:#808080]HOW DO YOU THINK PHOTOGRAPHY CAN TELL THE STORY OF A PIECE OF DESIGN?[end:#808080]

Design is something that is so prevalent in our lives, from what we wear to where we live. It shapes our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. The most beautiful designs, to me, are captured by the way people are feeling in them and how they are living in them. And photography is a tool that has now become quite similar in that respect; capturing these feelings is where my intuition tells me to go with photography. 

[start:#808080]WHAT INSPIRES YOU MOST ABOUT CAPTURING SHARED MOMENTS CLOSE TO YOU?[end:#808080]

Beautiful moments are often the ones that really move me to capture them. When they're so touching and I know it's something I don't want to forget, I lean into that. Creating beauty through images by capturing beauty and tenderness—that's what inspires me. 

[start:#808080]HOW DO PERSONAL CONNECTIONS INFLUENCE THE WAY YOU APPROACH PHOTOGRAPHY?[end:#808080]

Photography, to me, is all about connection. Not in the business sense but rather, through a human sense. Connecting and being present, observing and waiting—these are constant themes for me as a photographer. If I can't connect with what or who is in front of the camera, I don’t find the images compelling. When intentions are genuine, everything else follows.

[start:#808080]WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO CREATE WORK THAT FEELS TIMELESS, YET ROOTED IN THE PRESENT?[end:#808080]

When I started photography, I'd always been moved by the way it helped me to observe the quiet everyday moments. It helped me to observe what was around me and be present. Now, with it as my career, what I seek to create is always to bring that theme back—a sense of waiting in the present, an appreciation of small moments that are actually so important. 

[start:#808080]WHAT THREE THINGS ARE ALWAYS IN YOUR BAG, AND WHY?[end:#808080]

I wish I could say a camera is one of my three things, haha! But no, they are: hand cream, my vintage hair clip and an umbrella. As a photographer, my hands are so important—I can't have nice nails in my line of work but I can have soft skin. My vintage hair clip to tie my hair back during a photoshoot (and also because it looks good), and an umbrella, because we’re in Singapore.