38 October 2013

The recently formed photography interest group has put the talents of many Institute members on display. Jemelyn Yadao talks to these photography enthusiasts about their passion for images and shows off some of their stunning camera work

CPAs give it their best shot

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October 2013 39

Photograph by Polly Pang

40 October 2013

T ony Wan is used to looking at things from a different perspective. He of-ten finds himself analysing objects from all angles – us-

ing one out of 10 digital cameras he owns. Wan’s flair for photography coincided

with the beginning of his career as an ac-countant: he bought his first digital single-lens reflex camera in 2009 especially for his Qualification Programme graduation ceremony.

“I joined many external photography classes after that and learned from a profes-sional photographer,” says Wan, a member

of the Hong Kong Institute of CPAs and a partner at a medium-sized audit firm.

As Wan found, many Institute members passionately pursue a photography hobby and are dedicated to enhancing their cam-era skills, despite their heavy workloads. Some, like Wan, have even discovered their talent for taking extraordinary photos along the way.

Keen to share his experience and knowl-edge on the art of photography, Wan orga-nized the Institute’s first photography class for members in April 2012. Following sev-eral more workshops, Wan and other Insti-tute members worked together to establish the Institute’s photography interest group in July, with the aim of promoting this artistic

activity to all members.“We have received a good response

so far and have over 100 members,” says Wan, the group’s co-convener, adding that the group’s Facebook page, which includes more than 140 Institute members, is regu-larly used as a platform to share their pho-tos. “We will organize a photo exhibition in the future.”

For Wan, setting up the interest group has helped reduce the stresses of work and put an end to the work-life unbalance he had in the past. “I would always occupy my-self with work and give up family time and weekends just to meet deadlines,” he says. “This isn’t healthy. We should work hard and play hard.”

Photograph by Tony Wan

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October 2013 41

Wan advised those interested in brush-ing up their photography skills to strategi-cally allocate their time. “I highly recom-mend them to also join our photography classes or practice sessions. It’s a good start-ing point.”

Shooting starsWan’s classes have allowed some CPAs to regain their lost creativity. Anntice Lai is one of them, who previously enjoyed taking part in photography lessons at university. Her interest, however, took a back seat as she focused more on becoming a qualified accountant.

“Now, I am completely addicted and take photos nearly every weekend,” says Lai, se-

“We have received a good response so far and have over 100 members. We will organize a photo exhibition in the future.”

Belle Lau

A PLUS

nior manager of technical and regulatory services at Baker Tilly Hong Kong and an Institute member.

According to Lai, the photography inter-est group’s popular sharing sessions cover a range of themes from portraits to nature to sports. “All the topics are facilitated by our organizing committee members,” says Lai, the group’s deputy convener. “We hope to provide a foundation for the participants to understand some basic knowledge in all these disciplines.”

For Lai, taking photos is an enjoyable way to network and build new friendships. “It’s very easy to start a conversation with other photographers by asking questions and sharing knowledge and techniques,”

she says. Since the first session she attended last

year, maintaining her interest in taking pictures has been manageable. “Photogra-phy itself is a very flexible hobby,” says Lai. “Whenever you are free, you can take out your camera and shoot alone or in a group. There is no limitation on the location, time or object.”

In her spare time – and when the weather is right – Lai makes an effort to photograph star trails, which result in dazzling pho-tos that show the apparent passage of stars through the sky due to the Earth’s rotation.

The challenges attached to shooting at night make the experience even more fas-cinating for her. “Nowadays, taking a photo

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42 October 2013

is too easy, whether it’s using an iPhone or a digital camera,” she says. “However, for astronomy photography, you need to spend the whole night – or a few hours at least – to get one successful photo. The whole process is time-consuming but the result is awe-some.”

Lai’s acquisition of experience in taking photos by night has given her a sense of sat-isfaction about the whole process. That, she says, helps her both unwind and tell a story. “For me... a photographer should build up an emotion, no matter if it’s love or hate, in order to take a touching photo.”

A shot of freedomLike Wan, Albert Leung was another CPA introduced to the world of photography through his career. “I went to Beijing with the first audit firm I worked for, so I needed to buy a camera – at that time, an old film

camera,” recalls Leung, also an Institute member.

He attended the Institute’s first photog-raphy class, organized by Wan one year ago, and now works alongside him as co-conve-ner of the interest group.

As a fan of landscape photography, Leung’s hobby takes him away from the hustle and bustle of the city. “If you like tak-ing photos, for example, of the sunset, you will be motivated to go to different places,”

he says. “We [the group] go out mainly on weekends to places such as Lamma Island or Cheung Chau, where it’s very peaceful.”

Leung adds that these photography trips give CPAs the perfect opportunity to fit in some exercise. “Sometimes you need to do some hiking to take the photo at a better an-gle.” He also enjoys taking photos of people. “I normally take photos of ladies as they are easier to shoot than men,” he laughs.

Leung continuously develops his skills by observing how other members in the group use their cameras. “By looking at their pho-tos, you can see how to shoot a landscape, what angle is better and also about the light-ing. Then you can try taking a similar photo to the ones you have seen.”

Meeting other CPAs, who share his love for photography, has been one of the main perks of these activities. “We normally go out and take photos together and decide

Richard Cheng (at front, kneeling)

“A photographer should build up an emotion, no matter if it’s love or hate, in order to take a touching photo.”

Photograph by Anntice Lai

October 2013 43

where to go next over WhatsApp or Face-book,” he says. “Sharing the experience with friends and other people in the group has been really enjoyable.”

Photogenic smiles For some photographers, the desire to take professional-looking photos usually starts with a significant life event. For Andrew Wan, an audit manager at a CPA firm and an Institute member, the photo-worthy mo-ment was the birth of his son in 2011.

Like many new parents, wherever his son goes, Wan and his camera go too. “I want to record his growth, which is very valuable to me,” he says. Wan has previ-ously helped the interest group arrange photography activities.

After being impressed by photos taken by the experienced Tony Wan at one of the classes run by the group, Andrew Wan was

determined to bring his photo-taking to the next level.

His family members, he notes, bring beauty to both his life and his photos. “I mainly like taking photos of my family,” he

says. “I love the photo I took of my son be-cause it shows his lovely smile and I can feel his happiness.” Some weekends, however, are dedicated to spending time alone with his Canon camera. “Luckily, my wife under-stands and knows that this is one way for

me to release myself from work pressure,” he says.

While Wan agrees that reading “how-to” photography books are good references, he believes in the traditional way of be-ing a better photographer. “Practice makes perfect,” he says. “I enjoy the achievement gained through taking good photos.”

Curious shutterbug Polly Pang first discovered the allure of pho-tography as an exchange student at univer-sity in the United States. At that time – and since then – she found herself unable to keep her finger off the shutter button. “I took a lot of photos,” she recalls. “My friends asked, why do you take so many photos of the same view, the same angle?

“However, the photos were not good. So in my mind, I had questions: what is a good photo? What elements make up a

“Practice makes perfect. I enjoy the achievement gained through taking good photos.”

Photograph by Albert Leung

44 October 2013

Work-life balance

good photo?” she says. Her curiosity was satisfied with the help of a CPA friend and photographer, who shared with her the an-swers to her questions and even helped her buy her first camera. “He taught me how to compose a photo as the first step for under-standing what a good photo is. My interest in photography and our friendship started since then.”

Pang, a manager at a commercial firm and an Institute member, believes that tak-ing photos can help hard-working CPAs slow down as getting the right shot, she says, takes patience. “For example, when taking photos of birds, you may have to wait and observe what they do before they fly, in order to take a good photo [of the birds flying].”

As well as nature, Pang has experience

in wedding and portrait photography. She cites macro photography – the art of tak-ing extreme close-up photos – as the genre she likes the most. “The use of a macro lens helps you discover that there’s, for example, a leaf in a water drop. I think this is very in-teresting for discovering things you don't normally see.”

Timing and a good eye for detail, Pang notes, make head-turning photos.

Her passion for taking artistic photos pushes her not to miss out on the beauty of Hong Kong. “It’s a good way for you to use the camera and observe the place you are living in,” she says, urging other CPAs to do the same. “Feel the place you’re living, interact with people around you, and then you will find that your life is actually very beautiful.”

Photograph by Andrew Wan

SESSIONS TO HELP MEMBERSFURTHER THEIR TECHNIQUES

The photography interest group organizes many practice sessions and other activities.

Participants go on field trips and are, in some cases, provided with a model for practising their photography skills. Last month, members participated in sessions on how to take photographs of butterflies, a popular subject in Hong Kong.

“We have arranged different themed sessions for participants, sharing with them basic knowledge to help them enhance their skills,” explains Anntice Lai, senior manager of technical and regulatory services at Baker Tilly Hong Kong and deputy convener of the group. “We have [previously] organized a sunset practice session and a portraiture session in Ma Wan village [near Tsing Yi].”

These activities, she adds, are conveniently held on weekends or after office-hours on weekdays.

In addition, a series of photography sharing sessions, in which the group share with members their photo-taking tips and experience, will be held in the last quarter of the year.

Inspired by what he had learned from external photography classes and a professional photographer, Tony Wan, a partner at an audit firm and co-convener of the group, held the first series of sessions for Institute members in April 2012.

“I learned a lot,” he says. “It is quite complex and comprehensive – these are no less complex than our technical knowledge of accounting standards,” he says. “Both understanding the theory [behind photography] and practice are important.”

Institute members recognize their involvement in such sessions as being the best way to maintain their photography hobby despite their hectic schedules. “Learning with and from others play an important role in excelling photo-taking techniques,” says Lai. “Our members and organizing committee are all willing to share the [camera] settings and techniques used for their photos, so members can feel free to ask.”

Group members are reminded to bring digital single-lens reflex cameras to the sessions, which include:• Sunsets on 26 October, near Hong Kong

International Airport;• Plants on 3 November at the Kadoorie

Farm and Botanic Garden in the New Territories;

• Pre-wedding portraits on 9 November at the Inspiration Lake on Lantau;

• Monochrome photography on 16 November at Tai O, also on Lantau; and

• Evening shots on 21-22 November in Central.

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