Yet that is precisely what happened to 20-year-old local street photographer Edmond Leong, who found himself in Italy on Sept 30 to accept the Siena International Photo Awards (Sipa), a prestigious contest with massive worldwide participation.
Leong made history as the first Malaysian to achieve a top-three placement in the Under-20 category, taking home the Pangea prize.
Among a crowd of both amateur and professional photographers from over 100 countries, Leong’s photo of the 2023 Bon Odori festival in Shah Alam caught many people’s attention.
“I was overflowing with joy and excitement when I received the award,” Leong told FMT Lifestyle.
“I have been doing this almost every week for the past two years. So, seeing my work finally recognised on a global scale was unbelievable.”
Leong, from Kuala Lumpur, is no stranger to accolades and exhibitions, thanks to his unfiltered photographs capturing people’s lives.
“Street photography to me is a playground, an endless process that’s quite addictive,” he shared.
While he typically roams the streets of Bukit Bintang, Chow Kit or Petaling Street, his award-winning photograph emerged from the annual Bon Odori festival, a celebration of Japanese culture in Malaysia.
“I’m an anime lover,” Leong explained. “So the Bon Odori was fun to document, many moments to be discovered.”
His award-winning photo perfectly captured the joviality of the festival up close and the few hilarious candid expressions of children.
After submitting his photos to the contest months ago, Leong received the surprising news of his big win and the event invitation. Initially thrilled but concerned about travel expenses, he was moved when fellow photographers and friends crowdfunded his trip to Italy.
So how did it all begin for this young street photographer?
“My mother bought me my first camera and laptop when I was around 16 years old. At the time, I told her I wanted to be a YouTuber,” he shared with a chuckle.
Leong made a deal with his mother to pay for the tech gadgets in monthly instalments, all while assuming he would become a full-time content creator. However, just six months later, he realised that video wasn’t for him, and swiftly switched to photography, which gradually became his obsession.
In 2020, Leong joined his first street photography outing organised by local street photographer Amirul Johari.
“When I observed Amirul fearlessly taking photos of people on the streets, it really impacted me. I thought, ‘Wow, this is what I admire; I want to be a street photographer’.”
“I’ll admit, I was very bad at the craft in the beginning, but practice makes perfect.”
When shooting on the street, Leong seeks moments that pique his interest, whether they convey happiness, sadness, or romance, experimenting with reflections and shadows as well.
“As a street photographer, I have to observe the scene and always be ready for any moment. By now, it’s like muscle memory for me,” he said.
Leong acknowledges that while street photography is widely recognised and respected in other parts of the world, it’s not so in Malaysia.
For him, the art form isn’t only about capturing people or models walking on the street. “To me, street photography shows the cultures and stories of a city. You’re basically an ambassador of your own city. Who else will capture these moments, that too, for no money?”
Continuously studying the craft of renowned photographers like Alex Webb, Leong is now a well-known name among shutterbugs in the country.
“My advice to anyone interested in venturing into street photography is to just go out there with a basic camera or even your phone and start shooting.
“And the easiest way to learn is from another street photographer. I’d be happy to help,” he said.
With his photo now up for display at an exhibition in Siena, Italy, it’s clear that the journey is far from over for this young Malaysian.
Follow Edmond Leong on Instagram and purchase his photobook ‘Kilat’ here. See more of Edmond Leong’s photo on the Sipa website.