By Tan Choon Wei

SEBERANG PERAI (5 May) – Students from the Photography Club of Han Chiang University College (HCUC) held a special workshop on a special topic now obscured by time – film photography.

The workshop, CONTRAST, was a collaboration between the HCUC Photography Club and Mr. William Ooi, an experienced professional photographer based in Seberang Perai, Penang. He is famous in Penang’s photography circle for being an experienced professional of his trade.

Participants are given the chance to use film cameras to shoot urban sceneries around Bukit Mertajam, and were later given a lecture on film development by Mr. William at his personal studio at Permatang Pauh. Each participant was required to develop their own roll of films in a meticulous chemical process.

He also presented the participants a rare glimpse of his personal camera collection, including several “medium-format” cameras estimated to be worth over RM10 thousand each. 

“I believe this event is unique in that no person has ever held it,” said Ooi Wei Feng, the president of the Photography Club. 

The event underwent preparations for almost a year given its unprecedented nature. Still, the event received 16 participants and is considered to be a great success by the activity committee.

Mr. William, the guest speaker of this event, said, “I am grateful that in this digital age of photography, many are still willing to learn the trade of film photography, a lost art of our time.”

His studio contains a special “darkroom” with tools and equipment that are currently a rarity in Malaysia, being one of the last few personal studios that are able to process film photographs. 

Tan Choon Wei (from left), the activity president and Ooi Wei Feng, HCUC Photography Club president presented a token of appreciation to the guest speaker, William Ooi.

The participants were able to process their films, and albeit with mixed degrees of success, were generally satisfied with the outcome. 

“I think it is a good sign that more and more students are willing to learn a field that is often discarded due to its complexity”, said Ooi. He plans to hold more events of this kind in the future under the Photography Club.