It might be a lifetime dream for all photographers, professional or amateur, to have their works exhibited at a museum and admired by tens of thousands of visitors. For Detective Senior Police Constable Leung Shun-wai of Kowloon East Regional Crime Unit, a fervent amateur photographer, his dream has finally come true.

One of his works, "Fisherman", is on display at Museu Internacional de Fotografia, a photography museum in Spain. The picture features a fisherman casting a net in a carefree and leisurely manner. It became part of the museum's collection after a Spanish photographic club, deeply impressed by the beautifully composed and magnificently conceived photo, had made a donation request to PC Leung.

PC Leung first started with his photographic hobby in 1999 and soon climbed to a top position in photography circles. In 2003 the famous Photographic Society of America announced that he ranked 17th in the world after 91 pieces of his photographic works were accepted by various international salons that year. His name was subsequently listed in the worldwide Who's Who in Photography.

In view of PC Leung's achievement in amateur photography, OffBeat invited him to share with readers the joy and pleasure of his hobby.

Photo-taking trips

Before seriously picking up the camera, PC Leung had little knowledge of photo-taking. And when he found his works were not as good as those of his friends - dull and insipid - even though he had used the same camera to shoot the same objects at the same spots, he enrolled for an elementary course in photography. Since then, he has become "hooked" to photography.

"I am so lucky to have many friends who share the same interest with me. We meet regularly for photo-taking and sharing experiences. We are so happy when we discuss things related to photography, including looking at the flaws of each photo and finding ways to improve it," said PC Leung.

Through failures and experience sharing, PC Leung has gradually improved his photographic skill. To gain more practice, he organised many photo-taking trips with friends to capture the many aspects of nature, different cultures and customs with their lenses. Among the trips, the experience in Tibet is most unforgettable.

"That was a 16-day trip to Tibet. Since we had a very tight schedule, we didn't have enough time to stay at each place to adapt to highland climate, and eventually I got mountain sickness. For about eight days, I had serious headache and was almost out of breath when walking up the plateau. We had to walk very slowly and take a rest after several steps," recalled PC Leung.

Ever thought of danger? "No, what was in my mind was all about photography, such as which aspects of the natural phenomenon I should capture and which technique would suit best. Other than these, there was nothing else in my mind.

"Though it was a tough trip and we didn't have a bath for 12 days, I gained a good deal of enlightenment of life from that trip. Most of the places we visited were very remote and barren, where people were leading a difficult life, without what we regard as "basic necessities" nowadays, such as refrigerator, TV set, etc. Their only preoccupation was getting enough to eat and wear. If I'm not crazy about photography, I would not have the chance to go to these places which are not tourist destinations, and, of course, would not have these experiences," noted PC Leung.

Failure is also a good experience

Though having mastered his photographic skill, PC Leung still relies on certain factors, such as waiting for the best moment to take shots for getting good photos, especially those for salons. Sometimes he came across setbacks, but was never too disappointed.

"For me, failure or setback is also a good experience. What concerns me most is the process, not the end-result. If the photo is not good enough, I will find out the reasons. Only this can make me improve!

"It has taken me a lot of lessons before getting a good photo. For example, just for taking shots of a dragonfly perching on a flower with its wings fully stretched, I had gone to Hong Kong Park for not less than 30 to 40 times. You know dragonflies will never pose gracefully on a flower for your camera, so I have to seize the best moment, which usually vanishes in a flash. After a long observation, I found out that dragonflies usually open their wings fully at around 11 am to noon when the temperature is at the highest in a day, so as to dissipate heat. These are interesting and practical experiences for me, though I had to get through failures at first," PC Leung noted.

Photography not only has brought PC Leung awards and honours in international salons and fame in renowned photographic journals, but also helped him get rid of bad habits.

"I dropped smoking during the trip to Tibet. On the mountain top, it was difficult to breath because of the thin air, let alone smoking. I have quitted smoking ever since coming back to Hong Kong. I have also stopped gambling, which was my only interest in the past. Now I'm devoting all my leisure to photography. In addition, I did some good work when I went to remote areas for photo-taking. On these trips, I brought along some stationery for children there who could not afford these things," explained PC Leung.

At the end of the interview, PC Leung offered some tips to OffBeat readers on how to look more photogenic: "If you don't want your double chins appear, that's easy. Just raise your head a bit and try not to look down. For looking slim, never put on clothes with horizontal stripes!"

PC Leung has made many trips to Hong Kong Park in order to take this snap shot