Hi again and welcome to my next look back at 2014 - it is a slow process I know but we'll get there in the end!
Last time I looked back at the African leg of our trip and what processes I followed to try and get the photographs I wanted, hopefully I shed some insight into what goes on in my head when I am out there.
The second part of our holiday was a three day lay over in Hong Kong. Neither of us had been there, Cathay Pacific had a special on flights to Joburg and we had to go through Hong Kong as a result so we figured lets take advantage of the fact we will be there and spend some time exploring the city. I mean come on it's not like we were going to be looking at a 10 hour flight up there again in the foreseeable future!!
Hong Kong presented me with quite a challenging situation photographically speaking. I am comfortable with landscape photography, I think I have a fair handle on it and getting better at it. Wildlife photography I have also taken huge strides in. Hong Kong doesn't really strike you as a wildlife destination and I felt landscape opportunities would be limited as well so my conundrum was how to try and get pictures that conveyed some part of this densely populated patch of earth.
Thankfully there are some obvious touristy spots and we visited a couple of these, here you are just looking at getting pictures of the attraction/site. The problem can be, as previously mentioned, is there are usually quite a few people around at these sites! I personally want to get pictures of these kind of areas with as few tourists in them as possible. With this in mind we headed to the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island.
There are seas of people at this sight - there are seas of people in Hong Kong for that matter - so it can be a challenge getting relatively clear spaces to shoot in. The solution to this is patience. With this shot I sat for a fair while and just waited watching the ebb and flow of the crowds till I saw them thinning out.
Patience is a really important characteristic to have in these situations, it is really worth it to sit and take the time to get the shot you want.
While we were on Lantau Island we also had the opportunity to visit Tai O Fishing village. This gave us the opportunity to explore what I guess you would term as "the otherside" of Hong Kong - away from the sky scrapers and glitzy shopping malls. It was a great place and I would love to be there at first light!
the fishing village was in a ways quite a contrast to the main islands of Hong Kong and Kowloon - not as crowded and less commercial. That commercial side is a big part of Hong Kong so I wanted to try and capture that as well. When you are walking down the streets it can be a touch overwhelming - so many people, smells and sights bombard your senses. To try and give an idea of that hustle and bustle I've used a long lens here to compress the picture - the focal length is 116mm and what this does is help condense the street scene and make it seem really crowded and the neon signs seem to stack up on each other, I think this really helps communicate the crowded nature of the place.
I had one 'bucket list' shot for Hong Kong and this is a shot that has been done to death. It is taken from the top of Victoria Peak and is a view of the city and Victoria Harbour - I got tow versions, this HDR taken just as the sun was setting and then the following one taken after dark.
I mentioned above that this is a shot that has been done to death so in terms of a picture that is new and innovative this does not fill that category - but that should never dissuade you from taking a picture like this - sure there are many like it out there, but this is my one and I think it is very important that you recognize that you can take pictures for yourself. After all if one pursues photography as a hobby then you are doing it first and foremost for yourself and with that in mind don't worry if you are taking a shot that has been done before because you haven't done your version of it!
This part of our trip was really invaluable to me photographically. It really pushed me and took me away from zones that I find comfortable and confident in. It forced me to really think about what I was shooting and what I wanted to try and get across in the pictures.
It is really important to step away from your comforts and try taking pictures that challenge you, it is the best way to grow.
Thanks for stopping buy and checking this out - my last part of looking back at 2014 will be to hand soon!
The second part of our holiday was a three day lay over in Hong Kong. Neither of us had been there, Cathay Pacific had a special on flights to Joburg and we had to go through Hong Kong as a result so we figured lets take advantage of the fact we will be there and spend some time exploring the city. I mean come on it's not like we were going to be looking at a 10 hour flight up there again in the foreseeable future!!
Hong Kong presented me with quite a challenging situation photographically speaking. I am comfortable with landscape photography, I think I have a fair handle on it and getting better at it. Wildlife photography I have also taken huge strides in. Hong Kong doesn't really strike you as a wildlife destination and I felt landscape opportunities would be limited as well so my conundrum was how to try and get pictures that conveyed some part of this densely populated patch of earth.
Thankfully there are some obvious touristy spots and we visited a couple of these, here you are just looking at getting pictures of the attraction/site. The problem can be, as previously mentioned, is there are usually quite a few people around at these sites! I personally want to get pictures of these kind of areas with as few tourists in them as possible. With this in mind we headed to the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island.
There are seas of people at this sight - there are seas of people in Hong Kong for that matter - so it can be a challenge getting relatively clear spaces to shoot in. The solution to this is patience. With this shot I sat for a fair while and just waited watching the ebb and flow of the crowds till I saw them thinning out.
 |
| Three of the Six Devas |
Patience is a really important characteristic to have in these situations, it is really worth it to sit and take the time to get the shot you want.
While we were on Lantau Island we also had the opportunity to visit Tai O Fishing village. This gave us the opportunity to explore what I guess you would term as "the otherside" of Hong Kong - away from the sky scrapers and glitzy shopping malls. It was a great place and I would love to be there at first light!
 |
| Tai O Fisherman |
the fishing village was in a ways quite a contrast to the main islands of Hong Kong and Kowloon - not as crowded and less commercial. That commercial side is a big part of Hong Kong so I wanted to try and capture that as well. When you are walking down the streets it can be a touch overwhelming - so many people, smells and sights bombard your senses. To try and give an idea of that hustle and bustle I've used a long lens here to compress the picture - the focal length is 116mm and what this does is help condense the street scene and make it seem really crowded and the neon signs seem to stack up on each other, I think this really helps communicate the crowded nature of the place.
 |
| The streets of Hong Kong really come to life after dark |
I had one 'bucket list' shot for Hong Kong and this is a shot that has been done to death. It is taken from the top of Victoria Peak and is a view of the city and Victoria Harbour - I got tow versions, this HDR taken just as the sun was setting and then the following one taken after dark.
 |
| Victoria Harbour viewed from Victoria Peak |
I mentioned above that this is a shot that has been done to death so in terms of a picture that is new and innovative this does not fill that category - but that should never dissuade you from taking a picture like this - sure there are many like it out there, but this is my one and I think it is very important that you recognize that you can take pictures for yourself. After all if one pursues photography as a hobby then you are doing it first and foremost for yourself and with that in mind don't worry if you are taking a shot that has been done before because you haven't done your version of it!
 |
| Hong Kong at Night |
This part of our trip was really invaluable to me photographically. It really pushed me and took me away from zones that I find comfortable and confident in. It forced me to really think about what I was shooting and what I wanted to try and get across in the pictures.
It is really important to step away from your comforts and try taking pictures that challenge you, it is the best way to grow.
Thanks for stopping buy and checking this out - my last part of looking back at 2014 will be to hand soon!
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