I remember first learning about HELIOS from an older brother in photography and videography, Jason, whose YouTube channel is @JasonNg9.
He was an inspiration to me from the very beginning of my photography journey, so I watched almost all of his YouTube videos, including the one about HELIOS: "Grungy photography for men." Immediately after, I sought out the Ba Hat store.
It's as if HELIOS and Jason struck a chord with me. When my creative mood dips, what brings my emotions back? I imagine holding my familiar camera, adorned with a handcrafted silver ring that is both cool and understated. I wander the streets, taking photos of whatever catches my eye. The feeling of raising the camera, looking through the viewfinder, framing the shot, waiting, and clicking – it's truly exhilarating. This is how I "maintain my emotions."
And my first impression when I stepped into the store: it was cool, it was stylish, but it felt too youthful for me. The rings were large, and the sizes were also too big for my hand. So, at that time, I chose the one I felt suited me best, because it was small and had a rose on it.
Gradually, I became bolder, choosing larger pieces with gemstones and intricate patterns.
Initially, I didn't remember the names of each product, but I did look into the story behind each item I bought, to understand how it was made and where its inspiration came from. That's why the products I own are always ones I've carefully considered and chosen.
Oh, I wonder if anyone else is like me. Whenever I'm feeling down or have something bothering me that I need to think about, I often take out my little ones (my rings), polish them, scratch them up, and then polish them back to a shine. It's like a problem has been solved, isn't it? At this point, what I see is the shiny exterior, but when I look closely, I see many scratches, just like my inner self. The more scratches there are, the greater the intrinsic value.
That's how HELIOS resonates with me. Because they are handcrafted, each product is unique. The design might be similar, but every line, every stone is different. And I love that difference.
