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SCMP Reporter

A photography course has helped a group of Form Two students to develop their creative talents and enjoy the fruits of their hard work.

'Through Our Eyes - A Photographic View of Hong Kong by its Youth' was organised by The Robert

H. N. Ho Family Foundation.

The participants, most of whom were new to the visual art, attended a two-day workshop conducted by 18 professional photographers and artists last October.

They were also each given a digital camera to take pictures.

The programme was inspired by the Shooting Back project  in Washington DC, US, where homeless children expressed their views about life through photographs.

'It's the first time we've organised such a programme and we're pleased with the outcome,' said the foundation's programme manager, Mandy Chow.

'Some of these students may not do well in school, but they have shown great interest in photography.

'Form Two students were chosen because they are young enough to be open to new experiences and to see the world in different ways.

'On the other hand, they are old enough to handle the responsibility of fulfilling assignments.'

Of the 65,000 photos submitted by the participants, 172 are on display at a public exhibition in Diamond Hill.

A photo book, Through Our Eyes, will also be launched later this month in recognition of the  students' hard work.

Lindzay Wong Ka-hei of CNEC Lau Wing Sang Secondary School has become a photography fan after taking part in the project. She has even asked her father, a commercial photographer, to buy her a camera so that she can polish her skills.

'I learned a lot about photography through the programme and I can better appreciate pictures as a result,' said Lindzay, 14. 'I now to pay more attention to artistic details, such as the structure and colours.'

Tai Kam-lok of Ning Po College likes to experiment with the different functions of his camera. His best work is a combination of two photos - the one on top sees his friend taking pictures and the one below shows a display window of a shop in Central. His friend's head fits onto the  mannequin in the bottom photo.

'I've learned how to look at things from different angles.

It doesn't only apply in photography but in daily life too,' he said.

Katie Wong Ka-ki has learned to express her emotions through the visual art.

'I like to take pictures of things, people or even animals around me. I'm familiar with them and can express myself better through them,' said the Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School student.

Instructors Simon Wan and Robert Tran praised the students' efforts.

Wan, a documentary photographic artist, said teenagers express themselves more freely than adults.

'They don't care too much about photo-taking rules. They just shoot whatever, whenever and wherever they like. We are surprised that some of their works are so real and solid and express their feelings,' he said.

'Each of them has at least one photo in the exhibition and the photo book. We'd like to give them the message that their hard work will eventually be recognised and appreciated.

'The education system lacks this kind of programme to help students develop their creativity.'

Tran said: 'Hong Kong students can be as creative as their peers in the west. They just need opportunities to develop their  talent.'

Ms Chow said they might expand the programme to cover primary and university students.

The exhibition kicks off at  Plaza Hollywood, Diamond Hill, today and runs until  Wednesday. Opening hours are 11am to 8pm. It will then move to the SportX multi-purpose court in Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, from February 17-27. Opening hours are 11am to 9pm. Admission to both venues is free.



Creative shots of daily life