In a talk entitled “Shooting from the heart”, prolific local photographer and Hasselblad Master Tay Kay Chin shared about his passion for photography.
Hasselblad Master Photographer Tay Kay Chin (Photo from SingTel, cropped by me)
More than 50 photography enthusiasts turned up for the talk and took a peek at the thought processes behind the creation of Tay’s photos, as he walked us through some of his prized shots.
“When I looked at that picture, I wanted to be a father. That to me, is how powerful photography is and it became one of my goal in life — to make people want to do something,” said Kay Chin of a photo he once took of a newborn infant.Kay Chin first felt a desire for photographing Singapore as his home when he was leaving his home country for Missouri.
Planning to emigrate to the US, Kay Chin ventured around Singapore taking photos of people and places he wanted to keep as memories.
The series of photos which he took of Singapore — “Panoramic Singapore” — were of the most ordinary things that he felt we often took for granted.
“Panoramic Singapore’”went on to win him the prestigious “Hasselblad Master” award.
Kay Chin brought the attendees through the “Home” series of photos. These were sensitive shots he had taken of family and friends in their most tender moments — including the bereavement of his own father.
Kay Chin had wanted to capture milestone family events as memories, even as he struggled learning how to be objective behind the lens, whilst wondering if he was being too intrusive into his subjects’ private moments.
Kay Chin’s rationale is that he has a genuine intention to capture stories which he can pass down to the younger generation as a form of documentation.
Now, he takes photos of people and things that are important to him, and is less concerned about the commercial value and technical aspects of the photos.
To him, these photographs tell a story that is worth more than what money can buy.
Kay Chin believes that photography should not be just about winning awards or copying trending styles, but to explore what is close to the heart for the photographer and to capture stories with visual impact to move people.
“Taking photographs of my family, has proven to be the most difficult thing,” shared Kay Chin.A photographer who does not blindly follow in the footsteps of others will therefore have a better chance of developing an original style.
As one of the judges of SingTel’s “Home Without Walls” photo contest, Kay Chin will be looking for a photograph which powerfully conveys a real and honest expression of the family.
