As an inspiration to anyone who might want to become a photographer one day, here’s my story of how I got here...
I came to England from Hong Kong when I was 12 years old. At first, I couldn’t speak English or understand the language very well at all. I had great difficulty learning in class and was always trying to catch up. However, one thing I found myself capable of doing was drawing and painting in Art.
My love for photography first started when I was at school in 1977. I joined the school’s camera club at Sir Charles Lucas in Colchester and was fascinated by the very first black-and-white picture I ever printed in a darkroom.

It was amazing to see an image appearing before your very eyes as it developed in the tray. From that magical moment, I fell in love with photography and wanted to explore it further. Because of my difficulties with the English language, I never fully caught up academically and was failing my examinations badly. In 1978, I decided that I wanted to pursue photography as a future career, so I enrolled at Colchester Institute to study photography for two years and broaden my horizons while gaining further experience.

To cut a long story short, the plan was to find a job after leaving college, but this proved very difficult because no one was prepared to give me a chance. Every time I applied, I was rejected because I had no experience. But how could I gain experience if nobody was willing to give me that first opportunity?.

Eventually, I ran out of money travelling to London looking for work, and I ended up working in a restaurant because I desperately needed money to survive. For the time being, my dream was shattered, but I never thought of giving up.

In 1981, I left the job in London because I didn’t really enjoy it, and I started working at my father’s takeaway business, eventually becoming the manager there. I continued with my photography while I was working, and in my spare time I would go out taking pictures — sometimes during the day, and often late at night after work. I started buying photography magazines and entering the competitions they advertised. Usually, they set a theme or subject matter with a specific deadline, and at the time I thought it would be a good way to learn and improve my skills. In the beginning, I received many rejection letters from editors telling me I hadn’t won. Admittedly, it was very disappointing, but it only spurred me on even more. I wanted to succeed, so with every failure I tried harder and looked at where I might have gone wrong.

In 1982, after trying for over a year, I finally won my first major award. I will never forget the sense of hope it gave me, as I felt my efforts had finally been rewarded. It gave me renewed confidence, energy, and determination to carry on. It was a fantastic beginning to pursuing my dream and passion. I wanted so badly to become a professional photographer.

By 1986, my name was appearing regularly in national photography magazines because I was winning competitions across the country. During that period, I managed to achieve more than 40 accolades and awards, including 11 first places in major competitions.The turning point in my life came when I won Britain’s most prestigious photography award: the Kodak/Amateur Photographer of the Year Award in 1986. The prize was a holiday for two to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At that moment, I felt I had achieved so much and had proved to myself — and to others — that I was good enough to become a professional photographer. Despite nobody giving me the opportunity to succeed, I made it on my own.

By 1990, I had built up a small but regular client base, so I decided to become a part-time professional photographer and rented my first studio space. I didn’t give up the takeaway business at that time because I still wasn’t earning enough from photography to make a living.

In 1995, my parents decided to retire after working hard all their lives. My father offered me the business if I wanted it, but in the end I decided to dedicate myself to photography full-time. It was the biggest and hardest decision I had ever made, and to this day I am so glad that I made the right choice. I must admit, though, that everything was not easy in the beginning. It was certainly tough and a real struggle to build the business. But I persevered and ventually came through it.
Today, I’m proud to say that I run a successful business doing something I truly love and enjoy. My work varies so much, and I feel I can photograph almost anything. Every day is different, fresh, and challenging — but the challenge comes with enjoyment and satisfaction.All the techniques and knowledge that I learned during my college years have remained invaluable throughout my career.

Special thanks to a few people:

My Dad: God bless my Dad, who is no longer with us. I am grateful for his love and support even through very difficult time in our lives.
John Potter: My Best School friend who had inspired and helped me with my portfolio to get into college.
Bob Cathmoir : My College Tutor who gave me the opportunity to study at Colchester Institute, despite of my qualifications
Candy Wong : My dear wife for the caring, support, hard work and understanding over the years.