Photographer Isabelle Lim offers a unique portrait experience where communication happens entirely through visual cues and gestures, with no spoken words exchanged between photographer and subject. This silent studio session, which will be showcased at Singapore's Enabling Lives Festival on December 6, provides participants with an immersive experience into Deaf culture while challenging conventional assumptions about communication and connection.
For someone accustomed to the rhythms of verbal communication, stepping into Lim's world initially feels disorienting. As a journalist comfortable with different types of silence during interviews, the experience of being photographed without words reveals how much we rely on verbal reassurance and instruction. The familiar anxiety of being in front of a camera becomes amplified when you can't ask questions or receive immediate verbal feedback about positioning or expression.
Born with Nager syndrome, a rare genetic condition characterized by craniofacial and limb abnormalities, 32-year-old Isabelle Lim has been profoundly deaf since birth. Profound deafness means individuals cannot hear ordinary conversation without assistive devices, often making natural speech development challenging since they cannot hear their own voice. Rather than viewing her condition as a limitation, Lim embraces her identity as a Deaf photographer, using the uppercase 'D' to signify her connection to Deaf culture and community.
Lim founded her photography company, issyshoots, in 2015, a year before graduating from LASALLE College of the Arts. She runs the business with her mother Jacqui, who assists with interpretation and other operational tasks. The company specializes in portraits, event photography, and weddings, allowing Lim to build a successful career in visual storytelling despite communication barriers she faces in the hearing world.
During the 30-minute silent portrait session, Lim demonstrates remarkable skill in nonverbal communication and direction. She begins by modeling the behavior she wants to see, helping her subjects relax through gentle downward palm gestures and encouraging smiles. When verbal instructions would typically be used, she instead demonstrates poses herself, showing exactly how to position arms, where to place hands, and how to angle the head for optimal lighting.
The session reveals both the challenges and surprises of silent communication. Simple instructions like crossing arms become puzzles when demonstrated through mirror images, leading to moments of confusion about left versus right positioning. However, Lim's patience and detailed physical demonstrations eventually guide subjects through each pose, creating an unexpectedly intimate and focused environment free from the usual chatter of traditional photo shoots.
Lim's journey into photography began in primary school when her Deaf teacher, a hobbyist photographer, shared slideshows of class activities. This experience revealed the power of visual storytelling and helped her realize that photos could speak for her in ways that words could not. Photography became her bridge to participation and involvement, transforming her from an observer of family gatherings into an active documenter and participant.
Candid photography particularly appeals to Lim because it allows her to capture moments without needing to communicate extensively with subjects. She describes this approach as speaking invisibly, using her camera to tell stories and convey emotions that transcend the need for verbal interaction. Her artistic choice to shoot in black and white helps her focus on subjects' faces and emotions without the distraction of color, while her heightened visual awareness compensates for her inability to hear.
The silent studio experience serves a deeper purpose beyond creating portraits. It reverses typical power dynamics, placing Lim in control of the pace and communication style rather than forcing her to adapt to hearing people's preferences. Participants learn to slow down, pay attention to visual cues, and connect with others on different terms, gaining insight into how people with disabilities navigate a world not designed for them.
Despite her success, Lim acknowledges ongoing challenges in her profession. Predicting what happens next at events requires constant visual vigilance, and missing last-minute announcements from emcees can create complications. However, she notes that the silence that defines her world is actually more challenging for hearing people, who must learn to ignore auditory distractions and focus on visual communication during her sessions.
The silent studio sessions will be available to the public as part of the Enabling Lives Festival, which brings together over 80 partners to champion disability inclusion. Selected participants will experience being photographed while observed by others in the room, encouraging introspection and sensory engagement as attendees immerse themselves in silence and learn to 'listen with their eyes' while experiencing Deaf culture firsthand.
