善美影室

我和家人很少到影樓拍照。拍攝全家福，對我們來說，不是一年一度的傳統盛事。雖然拍照主題可以層出不窮，但是我們喜歡反璞歸真，以「正常」造型示人。如果我們在Awkward Family Photos博客出現，會顯得格格不入。

這些年來我們只拍過兩次全家福，兩次都是由位於佐敦唐樓的善美影室操刀。佐敦是香港少數保育得宜的社區，善美影室、逸東酒店、九龍佑寧堂(被列為香港一級歷史建築)及擁有40年歷史的麥當勞均是見證時代變遷的地標。

我們2000年第一次到善美影室拍照，弟弟是喜歡梳西裝頭、與小籃球形影不離的兩歲小孩，而我則是相信不快樂便是美德的憤青。我是照片中唯一一個沒有「露齒笑」的家庭成員。

我們最近第二次到善美影室拍照，是時候拍一張大家都笑逐顏開的全家福了。這次身穿中學校服是弟弟而不是我。父母及老闆林先生仍然保持赤子之心。雖然林先生於年初差點失去影樓，但是他對工作的熱情及對人的真誠依舊富感染力。

當林先生別具匠心地為我們拍攝全家福時，年輕的張敏一直守望著我們。師傅用菲林捕捉她的動人神韻時，父母正在渴望擁有自己的家庭(照)。

My family and I aren’t big fans of going to the studio for family portraits. For us, it is a rarity, not a tradition, unlike families who do it every year and still manage to come up with a new theme. So if you find us on the Awkward Family Photos blog, we don’t belong there.

We only did two family photo shoots and both took place in Sammy Photo Studio (善美影室) in Jordan, a rare neighborhood in Hong Kong that has resisted gentrification. The past is not a foreign country in Jordan since the landmarks that make it unique are still intact, from Sammy Photo Studio to Eaton Hotel, Kowloon Union Church (a Grade I historic building in Hong Kong) to a 40-year-old McDonald's.

The first session was back in 2000 (maybe we were celebrating surviving the Millennium bug). My brother was a 2-year-old toddler who wouldn’t go anywhere without his mini basketball and insisted on the side part hairstyle. I was an angst-ridden teenager who mistook unhappiness for character – I was the only family member who didn’t wear a toothy smile in the photo (did I think I was Posh Spice?).

The second session took place recently – we all think it’s about time for a new family portrait in which we all look exuberant. And it was my brother’s turn to be photographed in a high school uniform. Our parents haven’t changed much and neither has Sammy Photo Studio – despite almost losing his studio early this year, owner Mr. Lam’s passion for his work and knack for bringing out the togetherness in a family, on film, are still palpable.

We said cheese and meant it with a very young Sharla Cheung watching over us, her beauty immortalized when our mom and dad were still dreaming of starting their own family (photo album).

Owner Mr. Lam pictured in his studio

My lovely brother's portrait taken at Sammy Photo Studio, 2000