Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)
Every week, seven-year-old Yumi Li Tsz-yan spends a few hours roaming Hong Kong’s streets with a camera in hand, looking for subjects to capture through her lens.
From stylish tourists to elderly people playing games outside and dance groups performing on the street, Yumi approaches each stranger with the same polite request: “Excuse me, can I take a photo for you?”
Then, she posts the picture on Instagram. Since Yumi’s mother started her photography account a year ago, it has gained over 700,000 followers.
How her interest started
The Primary Two pupil’s journey as a photographer began last summer during a visit to Che Kung Temple.
“I helped my mum take a photo, and she said it looked good,” Yumi recalled.
Yumi’s mother, surnamed Ng, added: “Originally, I was asking her to pose for me, but she told me, ‘Mummy, you stand here. I’ll help you.’”
Encouraged by her mother’s praise, Yumi began asking more friends to model for photos, even suggesting different poses for them to try.
“For me, taking pictures is meaningful,” Yumi said.
Building courage
Before Yumi started photographing strangers, she was quite shy and afraid of talking to people.
Her mother, who also enjoys taking pictures, saw Yumi’s interest in photography as a stepping stone towards building her bravery and gave her a camera to nurture her interest.
The youngster has since photographed people in spots all around Hong Kong, infusing her beautiful portraits with a touch of whimsy.
Yumi has become much more outgoing, even working with other creators behind popular Hong Kong photography accounts on Instagram.
Her mother said: “Sometimes when she sees interesting people online that she wants to collaborate with, she’ll ask me to help her connect with them.”
An ongoing adventure
Through her short journey, Yumi has taken photos of many different people in Hong Kong and on her travels, but one person’s advice has stuck with her.
Yumi once met an ink painting artist who encouraged her to never stop taking photos.
He told her, “Once you hold that camera, don’t put that down.”
Still, Yumi knows she has many more years before she needs to decide on a career path.
“Photography is just one of my interests,” she explained. “I also have other interests, such as playing the cello, swimming and dancing to K-pop.”
For now, the budding photographer will continue snapping shots as she explores the world around her.
“I like to take pictures of people and animals, especially dogs,” she shared. “It can look more lively in a photo.”
If given the chance to shoot anywhere in Hong Kong, Yumi would choose a place with animals.
“For example, Tai Po. There are pink dolphins I would love to photograph from a boat,” she shared.
