FIVE MINUTES WITH

Five minutes with David Welsh

Charmaine Ng meets the managing director of Venture Studios in its new flagship location

Photographs play an important role in our lives. With time continually ticking, they offer a tangible link to the past, preserving the important events and people we meet.

Since the 1960s, photography studios in Hong Kong have offered portraiture services to people of all classes. Venture Studios came about in 1998 as the industry slid into stagnation with the same portrait style on cloudy backgrounds. Founded on the idea to revolutionise how family portraits are thought of, the studio has since become a mainstay in Hong Kong’s photography scene.

David Welsh, managing director of Venture, recounts how the business got on its feet more than two decades ago. “We started off with a couple of studios in England and eventually grew to over 20 studios in the UK, three in the US and two in Hong Kong,” says Welsh.

Welsh, who joined Venture six years ago, was impressed by the studio’s ethos of thinking outside the box and its constant innovation to stay ahead of the game, bringing fresh perspectives and ideas for clients.

“I have met some great people through Venture. We work closely with a lot of charities, both locally and globally.”

On a typical day at Venture, one family comes and another goes. The studio hosts several shoots a day and there is a constant traffic of people coming back to see their photos in the Cinema Room. “There is always a buzz as you hear the laughter from the studio and the oohs and ahhs as people look at the finished products,” Welsh says with a smile.

The majority of Venture’s shoots are with families who want to make a record of a special moment in time with their loved ones. These clients tend to come back when there is a new addition to the family, an anniversary or a graduation. Pet photography has also grown in popularity as more Hongkongers welcome furry friends into their household.

Despite the pandemic, Venture is still standing strong, adapting to the changes brought about by the ever-changing regulations. “It’s a little less hectic these days as we spread our appointments to leave time to sterilise everything before the next clients arrive, but this has also given our photographers more time to come up with fresh ideas and prepare for the next client,” he says.

With one client in at a time, Venture’s team can really ensure they are properly looked after and safety precautions are in place.

Most recently, the studio made the move to a new flagship location on Lyndhurst Terrace in Central. After being in its last location on Wellington Street for 14 years, Venture wanted to modernise its working area and add new features. “The new space was available with a view of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline and it seemed to fit perfectly with our needs,” Welsh says.

We end our interview with Welsh by asking him for tips that new photographers can adopt in their art. “If you are photographing your kids or pets in the house, have them stand near a window as the quality of light will really help improve your photos,” Welsh says. “But most importantly is to just enjoy what you do and capture what makes you happy.”

Venture Studios

Central location: 20/F, Oriental Crystal Commercial Building, 46 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central Tsim Sha Tsui location: Suites 608-9, World Commerce Centre, 11 Canton Road, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui