Celebrity photographer Kid Chan.
Author | Carmelle Wilkinson
As a young boy growing up in Kuala Lumpur, Kid Chan would beg his mother to take him to the local bookstore.
There amongst the many shelves he would find a quiet place to sit on the floor and flick through glossy magazines from around the world.
Iconic imagery of influential figures such as Mother Teresa caring for the sick in India and Princess Diana embracing dying children in Africa – filled him with great emotion.
Kid quickly became fascinated with the profound effect photography had in shaping public opinion, evoking emotion, connecting people and influencing perception.
In a single photograph he found you can saviour treasured moments in time and provide snapshots of our shared human existence.
Several years later, Kid would pick up a camera and become one of Malaysia’s most sought-after celebrity photographers.
According to Tatler Magazine, Kid is One of the top 100 people you must know in Asia – and it’s not hard to see why.
“I never knew I was going to be a photographer. Sure, it was something I loved, but I decided to study business instead,’’ he said.
“After a couple years in the corporate world I realised it wasn’t for me, so I made the jump into photography.”
Today, Kid runs a world-class photography company in Kuala Lumpur (Kid Chan Studio) and has photographed the likes of royalty, politicians, business tycoons, movie stars and sporting heroes.
He is also one of the country’s bestselling authors.
Kid shares his experiences in photography in his new book Kid Chan’s Guide to Business of Photography.
Despite his high calibre of clientele and admirable list of accolades and recognitions, Kid retains an air of grace and gratitude.
The devoted husband and father of three, tells Curtin Commons, while his career journey may seem like a fairytale, his road to success certainly experienced a few bumps along the way.
Born into a wealthy family, Kid enjoyed a privileged childhood, surrounded by some of the richest people in Malaysia.
“I attended one of the best schools, and most of my friends’ parents were either rich or famous. Many of them ran some of the biggest corporations in the country,’’ he said.
“I remember I used to wear Timberlands to school, they are an expensive brand of shoe in Malaysia, and I would wear these to play soccer in the muddy fields. Money was never an issue.”
However, overnight this all changed.
When Kid turned 14, his family’s riches and Kid’s hopes and aspirations for a highly successful life quickly evaporated.
The financial stress from his father’s business fallout affected more than the family’s hip pocket, it also cost his parents their 20-year marriage and filled Kid with great fear for his future.
“It was a very traumatic and dark time in my life. At school I was surrounded by friends who had their life all sorted. They had family companies they would inherit, and I knew they were going places. Meanwhile there I was, with nothing,’’ he said.
“Thankfully I was blessed by the generosity of two very charitable people who kindly sponsored me, and I was able to finish my schooling.”
Looking back, Kid credits that time in his life, for cultivating the grit and resilience he now possesses today.
Kid with his classmates at a prestigious private primary school in KL.
With a fire in his belly and determination to make something of his life, Kid found himself flying to Perth after high school to pursue a degree in business at Curtin.
While adjusting to WA’s dry hot summers took some getting used to, Kid said he slipped into uni life at Perth’s Bentley Campus with great ease.
“Curtin or Curtined as my friends in Malaysia say it, was a lifechanging experience for me,’’ he said.
“My university days were some of the best days in my life and I managed to make lifelong friends.”
Eager to finish his degree so he could dive into the corporate world back home in KL, Kid finished his Bachelor of Commerce degree in two and a half years.
“I worked hard, but I also had a lot of fun along the way,’’ he said.
“I condensed all my classes into two days and spent the rest of the week leading a very exciting extracurricular life haha. We went to the clubs about three times a week. I had an absolute ball.”
In his spare time, Kid also enjoyed playing basketball with his good friend Ben (Benyamin Ismail) – who now just happens to be the CEO of Air Asia Malaysia.
When Kid returned to KL, he was approached by prominent Malaysian educationist Tan Sri MS Tan who offered him the job as his executive assistant.
The enviable position brought him a wealth of knowledge and life skills, and he was rewarded with a handsome pay and company benefits (like gold card, travel and car) – however it also brought a great deal of stress.
“After two years of working on average 16-20 hours per day, I became burnt out,’’ he said.
“I decided then that I needed a change.”
Quitting his highly successful corporate job and bravely venturing out to dip his toes in the world of photography was a huge gamble.
“I had my doubts and I thought to myself I must be crazy to leave this job? But I really wanted to try something new and so I took a leap of faith and jumped,’’ he said.
Kid saw his sister’s failing photography studio as an opportunity to pursue a passion that lay dormant for many years.
Under the guidance of some incredible mentors and supporters, Kid took time learning the ropes before taking over the business.
And as they say, the rest is history.
When Kid first started out he photographed several weddings, including a royal wedding.
Fast forward 30 years, and Kid Chan has come full circle.
While he’s back in the limelight rubbing shoulders with the likes of Hollywood greats like Jackie Chan and Academy Award Winning actress Michelle Yeoh, he certainly doesn’t let fame go to his head.
Kid strikes a pose with Crazy Rich Asians actress Michelle Yeoh.
Grounded and humble, Kid approaches every client as someone special and worthy of being photographed.
“I’ve taken photos of many people over the years, but being a devoted Christian, there is one man that I would obviously love to photograph. Now wouldn’t that be amazing?” he said.
While photography has changed dramatically over the past few years, and there was greater content available online, Kid said at its heart, great photography will always inspire and leave a lasting impression.
“We live in a very different time now, and I think to a certain degree we might be a bit desensitised by the number of images we are exposed to. But there are still photographs that touch you, change you and make you feel,’’ he said.
Author | Carmelle Wilkinson
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