I am sharing a story about “The Ultimate Photobook,” which features selected photos from my travels between 2010 and 2019.

The story begins in North Point, Hong Kong.

This small local district is located on the northern tip of Hong Kong Island. I lived there as a child and teen for more than twenty years.

I come from a modest family.

My father ran a small store selling low-priced leather shoes, my mother was a full-time housewife, and my brother was three years younger than me.

I went to a public school. I learned about different continents and oceans on a world map in class. Sometimes, I heard about my classmates’ experiences outside of Hong Kong.

The speed of the bullet trains in Japan.

The magnificence of the Great Wall of China in Beijing.

The beauty of the seas in the Philippines.

Most of my classmates were not wealthy, either. Thus, their families could only afford trips to neighboring regions. Yet, these stories were sufficient to make me wonder: What would I feel if I could get on a plane and go somewhere else?

Finally, I could fly to Bangkok when I was fourteen. I was super excited.

2005 was a significant year in my life.

I was in my BBA programme in Hong Kong. At that time, I joined a student exchange programme in Shanghai to learn Mandarin Chinese.

When I had no class, I wandered the city for no reason.

On weekends, I took my low-resolution digital camera, got on a train, and explored nearby cities with my classmates.

Eventually, I visited twelve cities in five months.

I took many photos on my trips. The photo quality was low indeed, but I always treasured those photos. They recorded every interesting moment I encountered with local people, and I always feared I would lose them.

Since then, I have loved traveling and photography more than ever. I realized that enhancing my creativity could be a long journey.

First, I have learned to get local insights and make bold decisions.

Initially, every time I traveled, I relied solely on the advice of my peers—recommendations on where to go, what to do, what to buy, what to eat, etc.

Then, I realized that my interests were not mainstream. I did not enjoy shopping at all. I preferred rare destinations. I appreciated the beauty of the nature and architecture. I did not enjoy my first few trips, so I no longer asked my peers for advice.

Later, I chose to consult local experts, such as hostel hosts. Local experts know more than my peers do. Asking the right people for insights, and making bold decisions is critical.

I celebrated Christmas with local villagers in a stadium in Nikko, Japan.

I meditated on a river bank in Stratford-upon-Avon in Southern England.

I visited a local wet market in Lima, Peru, to learn more about Peruvian food.

I made empanadas in a class in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

As a result, I could take photos of more exciting stuff.

Second, I have learned consistently and read books about photography.

As a photography newbie, where should I begin?

In 2012, I visited India with my best friend, Herbert. As usual, I brought a low-resolution camera (already better than the one I used in 2005, but still a cheap one). Herbert brought a DSLR camera. I found his photos stunning. Herbert honestly encouraged me to get a DSLR camera instead of a cheap one.

Later, I chatted with my cousin, Susan. She was an expert in photography, so I sought her advice. She taught me how to take good photos with various functions of the DSLR camera.

Being humble made me very open-minded and allowed me to accept new ideas.

I also read books to learn about basic photography techniques. Then, I sharpened my skills by comparing my photos with the good examples in those books.

Third, I have learned the meaning of “practice makes perfect.”  

I understood I was not a professional photographer and could have taken better photos. That is why I was fearless in making mistakes.

Even now, I usually take several versions of the same photo with different angles, apertures, shutter speeds, and ISO. After carefully reviewing the images, I will select the one I prefer most.

And I take photos of many different topics too.

Practicing is the best learning approach. It helps me remember my mistakes and what I can do better next time.

In 2020, I picked 100 photos of my trips over the previous ten years and put them in a photobook.

Why a photobook?

Before I relocated from Hong Kong to Shanghai in 2014, I found two books in a bookstore: “Humans of New York” and “The Other Hundred.”

These two books are my all-time favourites. They record how people in New York and across the globe lived, their struggles, and their life aspirations. The stories are powerful and insightful. They contain much wisdom for life.

With social media’s growing popularity, everyone finds it too easy to share their thoughts, which tend to be forgotten by others in seconds.

The best way to preserve my memories is to store them somewhere properly—on a bookshelf or a hard drive. Then, I can look at them whenever I wish. That inspired me to create a photobook.

I knew there was no way to skip the basics before becoming an expert.

It was not until 2020 that I made a photobook.

I was always busy at work and had little time to care for other stuff.

One day, Herbert (yes, the guy who went to India with me) gave me a gift: a novel he had written.

Herbert worked even longer hours than I did and was a high achiever. However, he was passionate about writing and committed to writing short stories on Instagram every week. I knew he wanted to become a writer. Eventually, he made his dream come true by publishing his novel.

From him, I learned that “when there is a will, there is a way.” Instead of ongoing planning or dreaming, I must take action.

I looked for different printing companies, asked for their quotes, selected the photos, and typeset my book.

And finally, “The Ultimate Photobook.”

I did not plan to publish the book, so I only printed one copy and put it on my bookshelf.

My learnings from creating “The Ultimate Photobook” have influenced my attitude.

First, I will not limit myself because of my current situation or past experiences.

As a kid in a modest family, flying on a plane was a luxury. I never imagined exploring the other side of the globe.

I did well in Math but extremely poorly in Art at school. (No one in my class got an “F” in Art, and I did it.) I never thought I could be artistic.

However, after many years, I created “The Ultimate Photobook”—something never imagined. I knew my dream may come true if I was willing to learn and work extremely hard for it.

Now I am more open to trying anything new and different.

Second, I prepare to fail when I try something, but I will maintain confidence. 

The 100 photos in “The Ultimate Photobook” were selected from thousands of images on different topics. Many of these thousands of photos were not even up to standard, but I could still pick 100 lovely photos from them.

In addition to photography, I am prepared to fail when trying something else.

There is an old Chinese proverb: “Failure is the mother of all success.” We all learn from mistakes, and mistakes make us stronger.

Thomas Edison had numerous patents before inventing the light bulb. On the other hand, Albert Einstein published innumerable papers before the Theory of Relativity.

Life is never a straight line. There will surely be peaks and valleys. I must believe I will succeed one day, so I have to be patient and never give up on my dreams.

Third, I will treasure every life experience. 

When I worked on “The Ultimate Photobook,” I found an astonishing fact: I could recall the stories behind each of the 100 photos I picked.

I recalled getting lost in Nikko, Japan. While looking for the way back to my hostel, I found a line of Buddhas beside a river. They all gave me tranquility.

I also recalled taking an overnight bus from Cusco, Peru, to La Paz, Bolivia. In the middle of the trip, all passengers were asked to get off the bus and get on a small boat to cross a lake. We all felt like smugglers at midnight.

All these adventures, whether fun or not, have enriched my life and made it interesting. If I had not been brave enough to do bold things, I might have missed many life experiences.

Lastly, on my trips over the past few years, I met some people who were less fortunate and lived in poor conditions. I am always thankful for my good health and happy family.

So, what is next?

I will travel even more and take more photos.

I paused my travels four years ago after my son was born. I have spent much time taking care of him.

If you can recall from the beginning of this story, when I was a kid, I always wondered: What would I feel if I could get on a plane and go somewhere else?

Even though I am a parent now, my curiosity never fades. I always wonder what is happening on the other side of the globe. My ambition is always to get on a plane and travel around. I still have a long list of planned destinations.

Now I should travel again but with my family this time.

There will be new memorable moments as I explore different places with my family for sure.

Vincent

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