Chia Ching Kai, better known as CK, is the photographer behind the lifestyle Instagram profile @chingkaichingkai. His work comprises of a soothing outlook into his everyday life, thoughtfully captured and often coupled with thought-provoking captions. His photography style is candid, yet clean – every image is chromatically consistent, despite differing in subject and location. Neocha recently caught up with CK whilst he was passing through Shanghai, and he shared with us his top five tips for photography.
摄影师Chia Ching Kai（也就是大名鼎鼎的CK）就是Instagram致力于展示生活方式的账号@chingkaichingkai的幕后之手。他的作品用舒缓的镜头记录他的日常生活，精巧地捕捉下瞬间，然后常常配以哲理性的标题。他的摄影风格简明又静雅。近日，Neocha在他途径上海的时候有幸与之碰面，他大方地与我们分享了他摄影中的五大秘诀。
1. Lighting is chief.
The soft exposure and even tones that appear across CK’s feed are by no means a pure coincidence – every image is composed of natural light and calculated timing. When traveling, he often rises before first light to get to his first destination, ensuring that he can reap the most from the day’s sunlight. “Whilst I was in Japan, I noticed that shoji and the translucent paper used on them, was almost like a natural defuser. I try to replicate the same effect when I’m taking photos at home now. The result is a very pleasant, soft light.”
1. 打光永远最重要
CK餐桌上的照片的曝光和色调绝不是一种纯粹的巧合——每张作品里都融合了自然光线和精准的时间。在旅行中，他总是在第一缕阳光照在首站目的地前就起来，确保可以充分享用一天的阳光。“我在日本的时候，注意到日式拉门上的透明剪纸，那就像一个天然的滤镜。现在当我在家里摄影时也试着复刻那种效果，结果得到的柔光也非常棒。
2. Shoot what turns you on, what yields your heart.
Whilst this is not the most technical of photography tips, CK believes this to be a fundamental philosophy that results in the most personal and satisfying type of creations. For the majority of the year, CK is based in Singapore and works with local theatre production companies as an art director. Instagram is a space where he can create his own images without constraint. His personal work is a stark contrast to what he creates for his clients. The space remains as his own stomping ground, filled with what he likes to shoot: homemade meals, snapshots of his travels and remnants of his ever-changing Singapore.
2. 拍来到你身边的，以及你内心的渴望
这不能说是最标准技术的摄影技巧，但是CK认为这是摄影中的一大基本哲学，能让人收获个人特别满意的作品。CK一年大多时间在新加坡，担任一家当地剧院制作公司的艺术总监。Instagram给予他无拘无束创造自己喜欢作品的自由空间——他的个人作品与他为客户创作的作品有着截然不同的风格。Instagram成为了他个人化的落脚点，充满了他所喜欢的摄影内容——一日三餐，旅行点滴，以及在日新月异的新加坡中那些被人遗忘的角落。
3. Use tools effectively
It surprises a lot of people when they discover that CK isn’t slinging a top-of-the-range camera. In fact, his set up is extremely lean; he shoots solely with his iPhone, allowing him to stay light and portable wherever he goes. This is particularly important when he’s hiking and moving between cities with nothing but a carry-on backpack. He favours the camera app from Moment as it allows him to shoot in TIFF. He finishes off his edits in Snapseed to achieve the natural, polished look.
3. 有效使用工具
让不少人感到意外的是CK使用的并非高端相机。实际上，他的装备非常之精简——就只是他的iPhone手机，便于他随时随地携带，然后轻松上阵。这对于常常徒步旅行、只背包穿梭于城市之间的他来说非常重要。他最爱Moment出的的摄像APP，因为那可以拍出TIFF格式的照片，能够让他在Snapseed上进行编辑，以达到他喜欢的自然、优美的视觉效果。
4. Don’t just rely on filters to make magic for your images.
Whilst filters can sometimes add some interesting dynamics to an image, it shouldn’t be what defines your images. Focus on creating a good image, rather than hoping for a miracle by slapping a filter on something sub-par.
4. 不要过分依赖滤镜的魔力
虽然滤镜有时可以为图像增添一些动态之趣，但它不应该成为你图像效果的决定性因素。重点在于如何创作一张优质的图像，而非寄托于后期廉价的过滤和美化使作品化腐朽为神奇。
5. Shoot beyond what you see; shoot a story behind the subject, even if it is made up by yourself for inspiration.
“I woke up extra early to explore the lanes leading to the Bund, the very place I once gave up photographing because of prevailing circumstances. I needed to get past that attitude of ‘Oh, this isn’t working so I am not gonna try to make it work’, because even though this is Instagram, it is also reflective of my tenacity (or lack of) as an artist.” Inspiration comes and goes, you don’t always wake up ready to shoot and you don’t always feel like creating – that is more than alright.
5. 不仅拍摄你所看到的，去拍摄主体背后的故事。即使那是你为了灵感而编造的！
“我一早就醒来，就是为了去探究那通往海滩的阡陌小道，那是我曾因受限于当时环境而不得不放弃的摄影之地。我需要摒弃那种态度：呀，这看上去没用，所以我也不会把它变得有用。因为即使是Instagram也会折射出我作为一个艺术家的固执（或者我所缺乏的一种东西）。”灵感稍纵即逝，你不会一直保持早起去摄影，你也不会总有想创作的欲望——这其实都相当正常。
Bonus
Surround yourself with good, inspiring creatives. When asked how an apprentice can improve, a master sheep shearer once replied: ”Shear alongside the best shearer in town.”
福利
沉浸于美好和充满灵感创作氛围中。一个剪羊毛的大师被问及如何让学徒进步时的回答：“秘诀就是坐在镇上最好的匠人身边一起剪。”
