About Ian Taylor | Hong Kong Photographer Since 2007

Born in Liverpool to Canadian parents, I moved to Ontario when I was one.

I'm the eldest of six from Prince Edward County, Ontario, essentially an island kid at heart. Growing up in a big family meant there were always kids around, and I became the family photographer by default. That Victorian house in Picton is where I first learned that the best photos are the unscripted ones.

I leaned ‘big family photography’ by photographing my big family; six sibling and six nieces and nephews.

By the time I established my career as a Hong Kong family photographer in 2007, I knew that parents were looking for more than just a portrait; they wanted a professional photography session that captured the truth of their kids' personalities.

My path to the camera wasn't a straight line. It wound through life as a restaurateur, five years as a motion picture technician, and six years in Phnom Penh, originally as Business Manager for The Cambodia Daily newspaper. Cambodia is still somewhere I travel back to all the time.

That background shaped my way of looking at the world through a lens. Whether I’m taking family photos at a remote Lantau beach or documenting a project for an NGO or a CSR client, it’s always personality over poses. This 'Never Say Cheese' philosophy is the foundation of every photography session I book.

At the end of the day, photography is all about light, whether you're photographing architecture, food or stars. I'm obsessed with finding great light, which is why I'm so particular about locations.

In my spare time I play music, having had bands in Hong Kong, Thailand, and the only Western band in Cambodia during the '90s. In Bangkok I played for years with The Midnight Ramblers, the top Rolling Stones cover band in Asia.

My other obsession is kayaking, I've kayaked the 600 km from the Thai-Burma border to the Malaysian border. Twice.

I specialize in natural outdoor family photography and relaxed outdoor family photoshoots across Hong Kong.