If you’re a photographer, Hong Kong should be high on your list of travel destinations. The ad-hoc, decentralized nature of the city means there’s visual interest everywhere. Crowds, markets, elevated walkways, neon signs, trolleys, red taxis, and skyscrapers are Hong Kong’s visual language.
It’s easy to get around Hong Kong using public transit and your sneakers, as long as you don’t mind the crowds. Or the heat in summer.
With a ~50mm equivalent you can carve out some cleaner compositions…
…or embrace the organized chaos.
Hong Kong has a rich photographic history. My favorite photographer is Fan Ho. He documented the city as it grew during the 50’s and 60’s.
His work is an incredible study of light. It’s a lot more dynamic than the cliche ‘person walking in front of a wall’. Do yourself a favor and pickup a copy of Hong Kong Yesterday.
To be honest I found the 53mm equivalent a little tough to work with in the city. Streets are crowded and beg to be shot with something a touch wider.
I did have the 16mm with me, but I was in the middle of a year-long ‘One Camera One Lens‘ project. I wanted to shoot mostly with the 35mm f2. Plus the 16mm is a touch heavy when you’re walking all day.
Other than my inability to use a normal focal length, the 35f2 is a perfect walk-around/travel lens. It’s compact, autofocus is snappy, and makes nice images.
Even if you’re not into street photography, Hong Kong has great opportunities for cityscapes and landscapes. You can find plenty of spots for interesting environmental portraits too.
I’d love to visit Hong Kong again and spend more time dedicated to photographing. And eat all the food. So goooooood.
All photos shot with the Fuji X-Pro2 and the ‘Fujicron’ 35mm f2. You can see my entire kit for Hong Kong here.
