About Me
A former News Wire Photographer with Agence France-Presse (AFP), Jimin Lai began taking pictures when he was 12 years old. His professional photography career began in 1993, starting out in a small publishing company covering business angles and personalities, he then joined the local daily newspaper The Star where he received most of his photojournalism training. Later, he became a stringer with Reuters News Agency before returning to The Star as a senior photographer. He later joined AFP as the Chief Photographer in Kuala Lumpur.
His first international assignment as a photographer was documenting political visits to the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. He has photographed historical events in East Timor, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Brunei, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. His assignments include a wide range of topics including aftermath of wars, conflicts, riots and demonstrations, kidnappings, politics, sports and daily life.
Following the 9/11 disaster that happened in 2001, he spent a total of three months in Pakistan and Afghanistan, documenting the struggles of the Afghan people during the War Against Terrorism. He also covered the 26 December 2004 historical Tsunami disaster, where he was dropped by helicopter into the heart of the devastation. Also, as a passionate sports photographer, he has covered six Formula One races, three Australian Open Tennis tournaments, the 2002 FIFA Football World Cup, the 1998 Commonwealth Games, SEA Games, Moto GPs, and many other sports events including golf, badminton, hockey, table tennis, and rugby.
His work has been published in major publications throughout the world including TIME magazine, Asiaweek, Newsweek, Business Times, The International Herald Tribune, The New York Times, USA Today, The London Times, The Star, New Straits Times, The Sun and many others. His images can also be found in online publications, news providers, and also stock photo agencies.
He has been invited to conduct talks on photography & photojournalism to various groups and organizations. In his spare time, he prefers spending time in peaceful and quiet surroundings.
