TALK caught up with the chairman of the Hong Kong Institute of Professional Photographers (HKIPP), Carsten Schael, whose members are currently exhibiting works on Hong Kong, from cityscapes to portraitures, classic to surrealistic, in Shanghai, to ask a few questions.

How did you discover your passion for photography?

When I was 7 years old, I got my first camera from my parents. My dad was very keen on photography at the time. At first, I would admire my dad’s pictures, but then I was able to take my own pictures and never stopped from there. It evolved into more and more of a passion

How did you decide to move to Hong Kong?

I visited in 1989 and the place immediately resonated with me. I met my girlfriend who is also German, but grew up in Hong Kong, so that was the reason for my visit. I fell in love with the girl and at the same time, fell in love with the place. I’d lived my whole life in Germany and was looking to move abroad to get more experience after finishing my studies.

What catches your eye when taking photographs?

My eye is constantly roaming around and when suddenly, something captures my attention, it’s instinctive and my eye rests for a split second longer. That’s when I take a double take- what is going on there? Sometimes I look for certain compositions or things that are just somehow remarkable.

What distinguishes you from other photographers?

Everyone has their own visual sense. For me, I see color, composition, things I find remarkable in some way, shape, or form, and I think that distinguishes my work from the next guy.

What camera do you use?

I use a range of camera systems from very small to very big depending on the subject matter.

How do you go about teaching photography?

I tell my students to learn and study as much as they can to get a very good basic knowledge of the medium and of different approaches by different people. Photography is not just about reading it or learning it, but also practicing. You need to go out and take lots of pictures. The more, the better, and as much as you can. The more time and effort you spend on it, the better you’ll get.

What do you want to do in the future as a photographer?

Now, I do commercial and personal work, so whenever time allows, I work on some personal things. Photography is a life choice, so that’s something I hope to be doing until the end of my days. It’s still very much a passion for me and I want to keep doing it for as long as I can.