Color Keung Tsz-lam
She may not be a household name but Color Keung Tsz-lam has her own fan club. Her devoted supporters organise birthday parties and make banners to cheer her on. The 24-year-old is a sought after figure in an unusual niche - as a model for the city's growing army of photography buffs.
"Some treat me like their idol and ask for my autographs as if I were a celebrity," says Keung.
The rise of "star" models like her rests largely on an explosion in amateur photography fuelled by access to cheap digital cameras. Local amateurs have long pooled resources to hire models for an outdoor shoot, paying several hundred dollars for their fees and transport. But the number of hobbyists has shot up substantially in recent years as the equipment becomes increasingly inexpensive, with teenagers wielding professional SLR digital cameras. This surge has led in turn to greater demand for photography models - and higher fees for their services. Their work doesn't have the glamour of fashion modelling and the income can't compare, either. Indeed, many amateur models work as promotion staff at fairs for gadgets and computer games. Still, Keung says a neophyte can now charge about HK$200 for several hours' work while experienced, sought after models may command as much as HK$1,000 an hour.
Bryan Kong Chun-yin, a 20-year-old student, formed Keung's fan club after spotting her in computer games magazines. "She's beautiful and very nice," he says a little sheepishly. "She's talented too; she plays the piano and draws."
While most of his classmates at vocational school idolise Canto-pop singers and TV stars, Kong feels it's his "mission to let more people know about Color". Kong organises gatherings for members every six months, hosting barbecues or meals. Sometimes fans meet to share tips on shooting portraits. "Without Color, I don't think I'd enjoy taking photos as much as I'm [doing] now," he says.
However much she appreciates fans' support, Keung understands the psyche behind their adulation. "They might also admire top fashion models such as Kathy Chow Man-kei; these people are beyond their reach so they direct their attention to us. We are also models, but we are more approachable," she says.
Keung began modelling in secondary school, mainly for local teen magazines, and hooked up with photo clubs five years ago to build up a portfolio. "I wanted to send my photos to magazines. But since I wasn't assigned to an agency, I didn't have good pictures to make an impressive portfolio," she says. "I also couldn't afford to hire a professional to take photos for me because I was still a student, so I modelled for photo clubs. It was a good deal. I got paid and could select some good photos to compile a portfolio."
Lau Wai-lung, who has recently joined an online photo club whose members help each other hone their craft, is ambivalent about the rise of semi-professional models. "Before the era of digital cameras, a girl would have to pay if she wanted to have her photos taken. Now we have to pay the girls to model for us."
Another hobbyist, Chan Kam-wing, says the amateur models offer beginners the chance to practise shooting portraits. "It's more affordable if you can share the cost with a few snappers," says the telecoms technician.
Silver Leung Siu-wah, a comics fan and photography buff, initially saw exhibitions featuring girl promoters as a good opportunity for him to practise portraiture. But the IT project manager says he has been intimidated by huge crowds jostling for position at recent promotions. "Some even bring along ladders," says Leung. "It's not fun to carry 2kg of camera gear and battle with so many snappers in such a chaotic situation."
For pretty young women, posing for mass photo sessions can be a lucrative sideline. Candice Tang Hei-wa, a 17-year-old student, says it pays better than a part-time sales job and entry is simple. "All we need to do is upload our photos and put our MSN contacts on the internet," she says. After a couple of months, Tang now charges HK$200 an hour for a photo session.
But no one should be under the illusion that posing for amateurs will do much to improve modelling skills. "All the photographers want are big eyes and a cute smile; there isn't much variety," says Keung. "Some even ask me to point to my dimples and act kawaii [cute]. Poses like these are boring and old-fashioned but I do it as long as they like it."
Like Keung, Sheena Lo Pui-cheung began posing for amateurs to boost her portfolio. Among her biggest assignments was a university photo day, when she had to face about 100 campus snappers. "It was difficult to pose in front of so many people. I didn't know where to look, there were many flashlights," she recalls. It's fun dressing up in costumes for sessions at comics conventions and the like, she says.
Although she charges HK$300 an hour for photo sessions, the 23-year-old says it can be hard work. With no assistants to rely on, she has had to walk up and down Mount Davis with bags of clothes for an outdoor shoot and recalls another session when she had to endure mosquito bites while posing on the grass.
And without the buffer of an agency, amateur models can face harassment. But Tang insists she can fend off unwelcome attention. "I also receive many strange MSN messages but I just ignore them," she says.
Aggressive admirers too can be a menace. Keung recalls how an obsessed fan threatened to "destroy everything" of hers if she didn't answer his calls. "He got my mobile number from other people and left disturbing messages. He also followed me around after checking my schedule on my blog," she says. "He even hacked into my computer, e-mail and ICQ. Finally, I had to call the police."
Some models think photo clubs may be a springboard to professional careers, but Keung disagrees. "It helps you compile some nice photos and build up confidence posing and smiling in front of a crowd, but there's no guarantee that you'll be signed by a modelling agency," she says. "And people may lose interest after several shoots. This field is very competitive because new faces are coming up all the time."
SCMP. May 27, 2008
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