A Roundabout

OPO, f2.0, 1/20, ISO 800, JPG

Last Stroll in Hong Kong

After the last days, today was a quiet day in terms of photography but I had to catch an early afternoon flight back to Da Nang.

I ended up just taking it easy in the morning and going for a walk around Kowloon to take the train back to the airport.

It's been great being back in Hong Kong and especially for my photography it provided plenty of opportunities.

The Epson RD-1 performed well, or as well as a rangefinder performs, but mostly it was fun using it and shooting with it.

The Markets of Mongkok

Go down the right alley in Mongkok and you can find a market selling everything you want. All other alleys and streets have more markets to sell you even more stuff.

Taking photos at the different markets in Mongkok is one of my favorite things to do in Hong Kong, it is great just strolling around but by taking photos it makes me focus more on the individual interactions.

Some of my favorite markets are the bird and the fish and aquarium markets. The bird market especially is a nice mix between a park, temple and market all in one.

Of course, a highlight are also the fish markets although some places might not be ideal for people who don't like to see blood.

The markets also change a bit throughout the day so you get a different atmosphere depending when you there.

This was one of the busiest days in terms of photography and I ended up with lots of photos but also with all Epson RD-1 batteries being dead by the evening so I switched to the Ricoh GR.

I could have taken way more photos and keep wandering the streets till late at night but I decided to go and see the Victoria Harbor light show in the evening so started to head there after it got dark.

The last photo is one taken with the Ricoh GR and the one that doesn't fit in the series but I figured I had to post at least one photo of the skyline at night.

Around Kowloon and Hong Kong Island

I don't usually post on my birthday but since I took so many photos and won't go back to Hong Kong island during this trip, I figured it makes sense to post the photos.

Sunday is the Philippine and Indonesian workers day off so you will see them all flocking to the streets, finding a nice spot and having a picnic, dancing, singing or just sleeping in the shade.

It's pretty cool as Hong Kong island is otherwise pretty dead on a weekend given most offices are closed and there is not that much else around there.

It's fun to walk around though and with most places being closed there's also less traffic and so easier to walk around.

There are also always some festivals and other events going on so it is interesting.

Taking the Star Ferry over is also a highlight and must-do for any visit to Hong Kong and it also provides some great views over the Victoria Harbor.

The evening I spent eating, drinking and talking with some students I've met so it meant less photography but was still fun.

A Rainy Day in Hong Kong

The day started and ended with rain but it was reasonably dry in between to go for a walk around Kowloon.

For this trip, I decided to take the Epson RD-1 and 28mm GR lens with me and only use tis combination, although I had the Ricoh GR as a backup camera along.

It took me a bit to get back into the flow of using the RD-1 and taking photos without being able to focus or frame accurately but soon I just preset everything and didn't think too much about the camera.

I really missed just walking around and taking photos, my recent 'street photography' has been done mostly from the back of a motorbike.

Hong Kong is one of the best places for street photography, next to maybe New York, Tokyo and London. There is always something going on and there are lots of people around.

I just kept walking and taking photos and almost forgot about eating or stopping to take a break.

In the evening I planned to go take photos around the night markets but the rain meant I decided to stick closer to the buildings and take photos around the hotel I stayed at.

The rain, neon signs and people with umbrellas combined with the unique image quality from the D-1 give the photos a great character and I ended up with more photos than I could post here.

It's been a great and very productive day in terms of photography and I certainly missed that despite loving being on a motorbike and enjoying the open road.