Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities on earth. It is a mix of the old and the new, in certain places feeling like ancient Asia and in others like New York City. I strongly recommend it for anyone looking to make a first trip to Asia since it is so easy to move around, is relatively safe, and English is widely spoken. It also, of course, boasts one of the most amazing skylines in the world, intersected by Victoria Harbour, one of the most active shipping lanes in the world. Basically it seems like something is always going on in Hong Kong at every hour of the day, a clash of the East and the West yet it all somehow works. I visit Hong Kong a few times a year and have taken some of my favorite photos ever on its shore and on its Peak. Let’s have a look at my favorites!
Victoria Harbour
This long exposure shot captures the motion of the harbour. The Star Ferry, which crosses the harbour frequently for a pittance, leaves a light trail guiding your eye from the foreground to Kowloon, where you’ll see the ICC on the left side of the background.
Bank of China Building
One of I.M. Pei’s most iconic designs, the Bank of China Building is immediately noticeable for its strong geometric design and stands out even among the other incredible skyscrapers in Hong Kong. The wide angle distortion is on purpose and is supposed to give you an idea of just how staggering the building truly is.
Victoria Harbour Long Exposure
Using a really thick piece of glass attached to the front of my lens I was able to leave the shutter open for quite a long time, which is why you’ll see the water so smooth (it’s absolutely never this smooth, ever). It’s a new look at a scene I had seen many times and I really like how it turned out.
The Old and the New
This is one of my all-time favorite images. I found a cheap fare and flew to Hong Kong simply for the miles but wanted at least one portfolio-worthy picture to bring back home with me, and boy did I get it! This picture kind of has it all, the modern skyline, wonderful nighttime lighting, and in the middle of it all a junk which harkens back to the days of old (even though the Aqua Luna is a booze cruise). I have some prints of this one on metallic paper and the colors just sing.
Hong Kong Sun Rises
Well here it is, one of my favorite images of all time. Lugard Road up on the Peak boasts one of the best views of Hong Kong, I even made a video showing you how to get there. I took this image back when there was so much I didn’t know about photography or post processing, I just found the view that looked right to me and started snapping away. I’ve taken approximately 35000 images since this one and I still come back to it time and again as my favorite of all time.
If ever i will be given a chance to visit hongkong which place should i have to visit first
It’s all relatively close, I enjoy taking the Airport Express train to Hong Kong station and spending time at the Harbour.
The Old and the New. The colors are amazing. Thanks for the Vlog tip on HK sunrise view as well. Whether I get up for sunrise or not, I will probably seek out that path. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words Mark. If you want to do the Lugard Road picture I strongly recommend sunrise, even though you’ll have to pay for a taxi up to the Peak. It’s become a pretty well-known spot and gets pretty crowded around sunset.
Hi Andy,
The Victoria Harbour Long Exposure is a great shot. Did you use a digital camera or film? Can you advise the settings you used? I am quite the budding novice and any advice you could offer on how to take shots like this one would be greatly appreciated
Hi John,
It’s digital. The camera settings were ISO 100, f11, and exposure time was 129 seconds. Like I said, I had an ND filter on the lens and used an app on my iPhone to calculate the correct exposure time needed for the shot. Happy to answer any other questions!
Let me start off by saying, AMAZING!
I am also a novice photographer who likes to take nice shots of the new areas I visit.
Can I assume the Aqua Luna boat was not in motion? Also, what is the name of the exposure app you use? It sounds like it would really come in handy. You mind sharing the settings for that photo?
You definitely gained a youtube subscriber today!
The Aqua Luna is in motion, which you can see if you zoom in, there’s a bit of motion blur in the picture (the only thing I don’t like about it). I use an app called LR Calculator to calculate exposure time, I think it was either free or a few bucks, very worth it in any case!
Hey Andy,
Just wanted to thank you. I came bk from hkg 2 days bk and I went to exact same location n shot couple of great clicks of sunrise. Your video did help. Thanks again
I am so glad you found it helpful and got some great clicks!