IN an era where social media feeds are saturated with polished, artificial intelligence (AI)-generated festive portraits, one family decided to keep things authentic this Chinese New Year – by trading algorithms for lion heads.
Content creator Chan Kok Hoe, 49, his wife Gaylen Hong, 42, and their children Heiley, 17, and Vegas, 10, transformed into a vibrant lion dance troupe, posing with golden-yellow lion heads to create a memory that they described as “the real deal”.
“Social media is flooded with family photos with AI elements during the festivities.
“Doing a shoot for real makes our photos so much more meaningful,” said Chan.
The creative spark came from Hong, who had been itching to revisit a concept she first tried six years ago.
“My youngest was only four then and didn’t join in.
“This year, I wanted to redo it properly as a full family of four,” she said, adding that the choice of golden-yellow was intentional.
“To me, yellow is the happiest colour – bright, joyful and full of positivity.”
Despite the elaborate look, the shoot was a grassroots effort.
The family borrowed the lion heads from the Forward Lion Dance Troupe in Air Itam through a friend.
While they did not have professional dancers on set, they had a “secret weapon” in Heiley.
A wushu practitioner since age nine and now part of the Eline Team at CMF Wushu Academy, Heiley used her martial arts background to guide the family’s stances.
“She knows the basic poses, and her training definitely influenced how we positioned ourselves,” Hong said.
The production was a testament to the do-it-yourself spirit.
The family secured a restaurant for an outdoor shoot, and when a sudden storm forced them indoors, they pivoted without missing a beat.
Their friend, photographer Dinix Lim, captured the shots, while Hong handled her own styling.
“The entire project didn’t cost much, unless you count the dinner after the shoot.
“My hairdo only cost RM80,” she laughed.
Hong is already looking ahead to next year’s festivities with an even more ambitious plan.
“We would love to do a traditional shot every year.
“Next year, I want to try a Teochew opera theme – I think it would look really dramatic,” she said.
