I didn’t own a camera.
Didn’t take photos.
Didn’t even know what ISO meant.

Then in 2015, after coming back from Nepal, something sparked.
I suddenly wanted to learn how to take proper photos.

That’s when two teachers walked into my life.

Mr Chew was the first.
He introduced me to the camera. Aperture. Shutter speed. ISO.
The exposure triangle that every newbie messes up.
He taught me how to use a camera, not just hold one.

Then came Mr Ho, the lighting sifu.
He showed me the world of studio light. Loop. Butterfly. Rembrandt. Rim. Split. Short.
Every shadow had a purpose.
Every light had intention.

Thanks to both of them, I moved from clueless beginner to hobby shooter.
Back then, I joined every workshop and outing.
At one point, I probably knew half the photographers in town.

Eventually, I became the in-house photographer at my company.
From headshots to dinner events, training to team photos, I was the guy with the camera.

Then came my first headshot shoot for my company.

One light. From the top. Super harsh.
My poor colleague looked like 罗兰 from a 90s Hong Kong ghost film.
Sunken eyes. Scary shadows. Black and white horror vibes.
I still keep that photo on my PC. Just to remind myself how I started.

Then MCO hit.

I stopped shooting.
Camera stayed in the bag.
Photoshop and Lightroom jadi decoration on my desktop.
Lazy. No mojo.
Honestly, I felt I let both my teachers down.

This week, I stepped into Mr Ho’s solo exhibition
光影游侠 太子何摄影作品展

Live model. Real time lighting demo.
Fifty years of passion on display.

Yes, I brought my camera.
No, I didn’t use it.
Just took a few shots with my phone.
Too lazy to export RAW into Photoshop.
Old habits in front of my master.
Shameful

But watching Mr Ho teach again, something stirred.
His energy, his passion, it reignited something inside me.

To Mr Chew and Mr Ho, thank you.
You showed me the world of photography.
Even when I went quiet, your lessons stayed.

Maybe it’s time to start again.
Not for perfection.
Just for the joy of seeing, the way they taught me to.
找回我以前的初心