4 minute read
SURESHOTS: Alick Tsui
SURESHOTS
Featuring photographer Alick Tsui
THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT ALICK TSUI, a common thread of “how people see things” begins to emerge. For instance, he just retired last year from a career in orthoptics. He came to St. John’s, NL, in 1986 to work at the Janeway eye clinic and spent 33 years helping the province’s children see better.
His involvement in community associations is broad. He’s served as president of the NL Chinese Association, president of Memorial Toastmasters Club, board member of the CNIB, president of Canadian Chess Federation – NL chapter, and president of the Positive Thinkers Club, which no doubt uplifts the way members see things.
And then there’s the way he sees the world through his camera lens, and how we see it through Alick’s photos. Alick is well known, especially around St. John’s metro, for capturing the local scene. Over the last 20 years, Alick has served as the official photographer for several high-profile annual events, including the Janeway Telethon, the Royal St. John’s Regatta, NL Folk Festival, George Street Festival, Paddle in Paradise, Music NL events and Iceberg Alley music festival. For the last 10 years, “I have also taken photos of many events to support local performers and artists in the community,” he says.
Alick’s photographs tell stories, share experiences and entice people to get out and explore.
Alick says. “When there are no events ongoing, I love driving around the island of Newfoundland looking for interesting landscapes and weather-related pictures that would catch my eye. Our province has so much to offer: rugged shoreline, sea stacks, saltbox houses, fishing stages, geoparks, historic sites, hiking trails, whales, icebergs and so much more.”
Growing up in Hong Kong, Alick first explored photography in camera club in junior high, playing around with his dad’s Pentax. He moved to Toronto, ON, to attend high school and later graduated from University of Toronto. After further studies in orthoptics in Coventry, UK, he moved back to Hong Kong for a stint before moving permanently to Canada when he took the job at the Janeway. Photography had fallen to the wayside, but it came flashing back after his move to Newfoundland and Labrador.
“It has since become my passion and hobby after work and is slowly evolving into a more professional role over the years,” Alick says. When he can choose his subjects, it’s going to be icebergs every time.
He’s enraptured by the ever changing shapes and colours of icebergs, and how they look different from day to day. “I love to see the fine lines and grooves on the ice carved out by Mother Nature over centuries. I feel soothed when I witness the amazing architecture carved through wind, rain and waves,” he says.
Alick’s cameras of choice these days are Canon DSLRs. “I have one Mark IV and two Mark III cameras. I usually carry two of them so I do not need to change lenses at events and especially [when] shooting icebergs and whales. My most used lens is a 70-200 mm and a wide angle 16-35 mm lens.”
Now that he’s retired from his day job, Alick will likely be spending even more time chasing the next great photo. Like all photographers, he enjoys the hunt and never passes up a good lead. One of his most memorable excursions took place about five years ago, “when an outof-this-world winter wonderland came to happen along the steps of Stiles Cove Path of the East Coast Trail near Red Head Cove in Flatrock,” he recalls. Several days of gale-force northeasterlies and frigid temperatures had glittered the landscape. A hiker friend tipped him off about it, so Alick and his wife went to have a look. “Magically, the trail steps were covered with icicles and ice formation of at least six inches thick on every branch, giving it a surreal appearance.”
Alick summarizes, “There are always photography opportunities in Newfoundland, any time of the year.”
Photographer Alick Tsui
