Celebrating our people - Anthony Loh

Deloitte SEA has many amazing people!  As we commemorate our 175^th Anniversary this year, we want to celebrate our people and feature some of them including those who are passionate about their hobbies.  Here, we spotlight Anthony Loh, Deloitte Thailand Tax Partner, who has an eye for photography and Jiu Jitsu! 

1. When did you pick up photography and Jiu Jitsu?

I started photography in 2008 when I was in New York (NY), and I started [Brazilian] Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) in 2017.

2. How did you pick up both of these interest?

I was in NY in 2008 on a three-year secondment, and a buddy of mine, who is also a colleague, was there at the same time. He was a very good photographer and I thought I should take the opportunity to learn from him. He helped me with my first digital single-lens reflex camera, and shared knowledge of basic composition, the interplay of aperture, shutter speed and ISO, and creative ways of using white balance. Soon after, I enrolled in a course with New York Institute of Photography to further advance my knowledge in this area.

When I was in NY, I also started training in Mixed Martial Art (MMA). I did that for three years on top of the 11-years I did for other traditional martial arts namely Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing and Muay Thai. Upon returning to Thailand, I was introduced to a MMA instructor, who himself was still an active fighter. While I did well in the striking areas due to the prior martial art background, I did very poorly in the grappling area, especially when the fight was taken to the ground. To help me to be a well-rounded MMA practitioner, the instructor focused more on my ground games, which mainly involved in training BJJ, Judo and wrestling. Gradually, my interest shifted towards BJJ and I started doing BJJ more than MMA, and have been solely focusing on BJJ since 2017.

3. What do you like about photography and Jiu Jitsu?

Photography and BJJ are both some form of “art”.  ​

Photography allows me to travel to many exotic locations with a group of like-minded friends. When I was behind the camera, my focus was the camera setting, and the composition to get the best photos. 

BJJ is a type of human chess. It is very cerebral while requiring the practitioner to be fit to get a “checkmate”. On top of that, I get to spend time with many Deloitte professionals, who join me to train this sport on a weekly basis, outside of the office.

Both arts allow me to have my own interpretation and expression; they allow me to take my mind off work and focus on the moment. 

4. What do you usually like to photograph?

I am a landscape photographer.