Joseph Ung Hoe Chye

Joseph Ung

Joseph Ung Hoe Chye

Joseph works in Corporate Financial Services and started photography with film eons ago, he said. A keen scuba diver, his first digital camera was an Olympus in an underwater housing which he used to macro document marine life such as nudibranch (sounds like nude branches) and pygmy seahorses. So initially his digital photography was confined to his diving trips.

Recently however, he got wedded to a Nikon D3 and began rediscovering unbridled passion for travel, landscape, portrait and wildlife photography. He’s not keen on post processing, so he says he tries to shoot digital like film, making every shot count.

Joseph says PhotoMalaysia Photography Experience (PMPE) in Siem Reap has been extremely valuable for him, not only in terms of relearning and refreshing long forgotten skills, also in terms of making new friends with a similar passion for photography.

Monk

He left behind lots of kilos of sweat and fat in hot and humid Siem Reap, and what he liked most was the very gracious and friendly local Khmers, and especially their lovely and boisterous children who offered many unique photo opportunities.

He says the critique sessions at night, after a long shooting day, was especially useful, to get the perspectives of others on our own composition of a scene. One’s natural response is to give the “ifs and buts” during the critique of one’s pictures but it’s true when someone looks at a picture, it either has an impact or it doesn’t. It matters not to the person seeing the picture the various explanations on why the picture leaves no impression. If the message was not passed on from the picture to the viewer, then it has failed its purpose.

Joseph says, the PhotoMalaysia Photography Experience in Siem Reap has helped him considerably on his never ending journey of learning.