minox35ml

Masked Photobomb


*Masked Photobomb*
Minox 35ML + Kodak T-Max400 @800

I already told you that I love HK iron curtains. Some are intricate and ornate, some are more banal. The latter, when the shops close (which sadly is the case of many shops right now in HK) quickly get covered in adverts and posters, and then I like shooting them. I had just framed this one when this woman walked right in front of me and the camera, and stopped to rummage her bag. Then she seemed to notice me just as I was snapping the shot. I didn’t expect it to come out particularly well (I was hyperfocusing, but when you’re that close to the subject it rarely works) so I’m actually quite happy with this.

Bad Weather over Hong Kong

*Bad Weather over Hong Kong*
Minox35ML + Kodak T-Max 400 @ 800

I’m very happy with this shot. What started as a fun little exercice in focusing blind (the only focusing tool with the Minox is the distance ring) with the idea of blurring the background a little and focusing really close on the raindrops on the window delivered what I find to be a very powerful shot, one that evokes the melancholy that thinking about the recent evolutions in Hong Kong puts me in. If I ever do a photozine or book on the last few years in Hong Kong, this may very well end up being the cover…

Vertical Lines

*Vertical Lines*
Minox 35ML + Kodak T-Max 400 @ 800

Despite the eminently vertical nature of Hong Kong, it’s not that often that you find high points for photography. This is shot through a window on the 7th or 8th floor of Hysan Place in Causeway Bay. I like the alignment of buildings, it’s very Hong Kong.

Causeway Bay

Causeway Bay
Minox 35ML, Ilford FP4+

Causeway is both quintessentially Hong Kong (dense, loud, always something happening, tons of people) and at the same time one of the most un-Chinese parts of the city. Still, plenty of opportunities there for interesting street shots. I quite like this one: the signs, the tram, the people, the mask…

Lonesome Bike

Lonesome Bike
Minox 35ML, Ilford FP4+

Hong Kong isn’t a very cyclist friendly city (and that’s probably a euphemism) in between the high slopes and the dense traffic. So you don’t see a lot of bikers. But there is still a Chinese reliance on cycles for deliveries and personal transportation. When the traffic is dense though, they use the tram lanes, the only place they’re guaranteed not to find cars and buses. The tram drivers don’t seem to mind.

Trolley Delivery

Trolley Delivery
Minox 35ML, Holga 400

I’ve always been attracted to iron curtains. Some in HK are absolute works of art (not those) but any of them make fantastic backdrops in my book. This photo is a little grainy, but I think that adds to its retro charm, don’t you?

Scrapers within Scrapers

Scrapers within Scrapers
Minox 35ML, Ilford FP4+

High risers are so dense in Hong Kong that with the right light you can see them all reflected within each other. This is something I was fascinated by early on when I arrived in Hong Kong, and I did many such shots. This is one of the best despite (or maybe because of) the minimalist setup of the Minox.