Capturing the timeless allure of photography at Pixels Exhibition 1.0

The Photography Society of UTAR organised “Pixels Exhibition 1.0” at the Multipurpose Hall of UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 12 and 13 August 2024. Themed ‘The Timeless Allure of Photography’, the exhibition aimed to showcase the stunning photography of participating students and spark interest in the art among the attendees.

UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat gave a speech at the event, saying, “Photography is about capturing moments. Like people, every photograph tells a story, holding significant value in conveying and exploring emotions and perspectives.” He then praised the organising committee and the society for their commitment and hard work in making the event a success.

The event also saw Photography Society Advisor Puan Suhaila binti Ahmad Zaki and Organising Chairperson Lim Zi Jun delivering their speeches.

Clockwise from top left: Prof Dato’ Ewe, Puan Suhaila and Lim

After the speech, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, followed by a performance by the UTAR Music Club.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony

From left: Mr Edward Chang of Canon, Ms Oh Ai Ting of N4, Ms Suhaila, Prof Dato’ Ewe, Organising Chairperson Lim, Mr Jeffrey of FUJIFILM, and Mr Edmund Woo of DJI

Entertaining performance by UTAR Music Club

At the exhibition, attendees marvelled at the amazing photographs put on display. Five consolation prizes and three winning prizes were also given to winners in the student and open categories, who submitted their photographs for the exhibition to build their journey of becoming professional photographers. The attendees also got to check out the different photography-related gadgets at the booths, getting to know the different types of equipment and how they aid photographers with their work.

Student category winners (left), Open category winners (right)

Attendees thronging through the gallery and booths

Besides the photo gallery and the booths, the exhibition also featured a symposium and a series of workshops for attendees to learn about photography and other related topics. The symposium, on the first day, was moderated by Dr King Yeong Jin. Guest speakers Mr Lim Kim Boon, FUJIFILM X-Photographer, and Mr Andrew Koh, Founder of Number One Studio, discussed the evolving landscape of photography in the AI era and the ethical use of these technologies.

From left: Dr King Yeong Jin, Mr Lim Kim Boon and Mr Andrew Koh

Mr Koh said, “Photography is an experience. You are recording history with every click of the shutter. You can use AI to create a photograph, but the experience of travelling and seeing the place with your own eyes is lost. This is why using AI to create photos loses the human touch to it.” 

Mr Lim also shared his opinions on AI, saying, “AI has many benefits to it but I don’t want to use AI programmes like Midjourney to create photos. I want the experience of doing what I love. I may use AI to filter out photos I don’t want, but I do not want it to replace me.”

Following the symposium, Mr Lim led the first workshop. He demonstrated the versatility of photography, highlighting its use in recording history and storytelling. He also discussed the elements of an extraordinary photo, noting that it doesn’t have to be an award-winner, but rather, it’s about making the most of the resources at hand to create something remarkable.

Mr Lim sharing his journey through photography

The second workshop was conducted by Mr Dick Chua, a graduate of The One Academy. Mr Chua shared his love for filming and how he got into filming despite starting out as a wedding photographer. He also explained the challenges of filming that take into consideration the weather, the timing, and the environment. Mr Chua offered a valuable tip for filming, saying, “Before filming, you must visualize the idea and concepts in your mind. That way what you have filmed will be more accurate and precise when shooting.”

Mr Chua

During his workshop, Mr Koh discussed how he successfully turned his photography hobby into a profitable career. He mentioned that he began by photographing weddings but expanded his portfolio by exploring other areas. “In addition to weddings, take on events, food, commercials, portraits, and various types of photography to build your portfolio. Also, focus on networking by connecting with other photographers and attending events, and always keep learning,” he advised.

Mr Koh

On the second day of the event, three other workshops were held. The first workshop was conducted by Ms Andralis Abdul Rahman, a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA. She shared her personal journey in photography, emphasising that photography is not just about capturing pictures but creating art. A good photographer does not only take photos but creates them with thought process and creativity.”

Ms Andralis

The second workshop was titled “Foundations of Videography: A Beginner’s Guide”. It was conducted by Mr CJ Tan, Founder of CJ Bug Production. He shared videos of events that he had covered at the workshop and explained how videos are a good medium to tell a story. He also offered a tip for those interested in starting videography. He said, “Begin with simple 10-second clips, then move on to 30-second clips, and eventually 1-minute videos. Start small before you move on to creating full-length videos.”

Mr Tan

The final workshop was conducted by Ms Sarah Yen, Training and Development Manager from DJI Malaysia, who shared an introduction about drones. Ms Yen introduced the types of drones by DJI and explained the laws of drones and how drones are used in different fields. She stated that drones aren’t just for photos and videos, but they can also be used for other purposes such as tracking speeding vehicles as used by the police, bringing out a smarter, more efficient, and safer future for the government and the public. Ms Yen also brought the workshop outside to demonstrate how drones are controlled. Students also got the opportunity to man the drone, giving them a new perspective of the world around them.

Ms Yen

Ms Yen demonstrating how to control a drone

The exhibition was a fun and memorable experience for attendees, who not only gained more knowledge than expected from the symposium and various workshops but also enjoyed viewing the stunning photographs in the gallery.

Poster of the exhibition