攝影旅途的開始 | Start of the Photographing Journey

(圖為 2022 年初，西九龍文化區，現在已經是菲傭們聚集的地方）

(Early 2022 @ West Kowloon Cultural District, Hong Kong)

我的故事要讓時光倒流至 2021 年，當時疫情達到高峰，學校網課長期宅在家裡，本來只對著電腦的我開始對電腦遊戲感到厭倦（因此我現在都沒有接觸電腦遊戲），有機會接觸家中各種迷人的「玩具」，其中包括數年前爸爸買來拍攝我們家庭生活點滴的相機。在過去，我作為攝影學會的成員，雖然常常握著相機，卻只限於在學校舉辦的各種活動中捕捉畫面。然而，不幸（又或者很幸運的）遇上疫情打開了我與自家相機之間的那扇門，開始讓我慢慢深入攝影的世界，跌入攝影的坑。

那些初次拿著相機的日子，我感到相當茫然。大部分地方都因為疫情而關閉，街上的行人戴著口罩匆匆走過，連金鐘和尖沙嘴這些以往熙熙攘攘的熱鬧地區也變得冷清。我記得有一次到黃大仙拍攝，當時的黃大仙伺顯得空寂，這種景象讓我心生莫名的寒酸感。

我從相機的自動模式到慢慢探索全手動模式（沒錯，我從一開始就直接挑戰全手動，沒什麼用過快門優先和光圈優先），我當時像玩遊戲一樣不斷地在快門、光圈和感光度之間嘗試著。起初，我從未閱讀過任何網上文章，但不知怎麼地，我竟然成功地摸索出如何使用全手動模式（雖然至今我對於D-Lighting和測光模式等等仍不太熟悉）。然而，能夠自己成功地摸索出全手動模式的方法，某種程度上可能也是我攝影過程中一個頗成功的成就吧。

從那刻起，我便開始在香港的各個區域漫遊，從北區到南區，可謂無所不至。我記得有一次，為了擺脫網課的枯燥，我毫不猶豫地關上了電腦，帶著相機出門尋找拍攝的靈感。投入攝影領域的故事，其實一切都始於那份無聊的心情、那天真的熱忱與突然的疫情。

My story starts at 2021 when the pandemic was at its peak and schools shifted to online classes. Being confined at home (like sitting in a jail all day long), I grew tired of constantly staring at the computer screen, which led me to distance myself from computer games (so I haven't been playing any computer games since then). It was during this time that I had the opportunity to explore various captivating "toys" in my house, including a camera that my dad had bought years ago to capture our family's grow-up moments. 

Previously, as a member of the photography club, I often held a camera, but it was limited to capturing moments during school events. However, the unfortunate (or perhaps fortunate) encounter with the pandemic opened the door between me and my camera, gradually immersing me in the world of photography and plunging me into the captivating realm of this art form.

In the beginning, I felt quite lost. Most places were closed due to the pandemic, and pedestrians are all wearing masks, even in once-bustling areas like Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui, which now appeared desolate. I remember one time when I went to Wong Tai Sin to take photos, and the usually bustling Wong Tai Sin seemed eerily empty, evoking a sense of inexplicable melancholy within me.

I went from using the camera's automatic mode to slowly exploring the realm of full manual mode (yes, I directly dived into full manual mode without extensively using shutter priority or aperture priority modes). It was like playing a game as I constantly experimented with the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. Initially, I hadn't read any online articles, yet somehow I managed to successfully figure out how to use the camera in full manual mode (although I'm still not very familiar with features like D-Lighting and metering modes to this day). Nonetheless, the ability to independently navigate and understand full manual mode was, to some extent, a significant achievement in my photographic journey.

From that moment on, I began wandering through various districts of Hong Kong, exploring everything from the North to the South district (I almost travelled through every MTR Station! Except the Asia World Expo). I remember one time when I decided to break free from the monotony of online classes and without hesitation, I closed my computer and ventured outside with my camera in search of inspiration (yeah, aka skipping lessons).

Well, so yeah - the story of my foray into the realm of photography originated from a feeling of boredom, a genuine enthusiasm, and the sudden outbreak of the pandemic.

Dickson

4/7/2023