Hong Kong -- Cool locations for street photos?

[kurotama]

Hello forum members, I am visiting Hong Kong in a few days and would like your recommendations for locations to visit & shooting street photos.

I am staying near western end of the Hong Kong Island, Shek Ton Tsui to reach the most areas in the island with ease. I am looking for down-to earth Hong Kong life scenes such as local markets and narrow streets.

I plan to bring Skopar 25mm, Ultron 35mm and Canon 50/1.2 for my R3A, with a bunch of B/W and color negatives.

Thanks for your recommendations in advance!

 

[Stefan Wood]

Go to Kowloon, especially the street market area in the center of that district. You'll shoot yourself silly.

 

[dogbunny]

Temple Street Market is good at night. Any where around Central/SoHo/Midlevels. Mongkok markets are also interesting. TST area is cool if you can stand being asked every two seconds if you want to buy a copy watch or a tailored suit. The fish street and the flower market are close to each other and cool. I enjoy hopping on the tram and riding it from one side to the next--just shooting pics as you go. Hard to go wrong really.

 

[boy_lah]

Try Yau Ma Tei or Sham Shui Po - all accessible by MTR on the Kowloon side. HK is very small, from where you are it's a 30-40min ride. Else on HK side, try North Point market.

Check out my HK set here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/glass_and_tubes/sets/72157603949256611/

 

[Austerby]

Great photos, Boy Lah. Agree with recommendations of Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok. I had a happy time there around the fish street and flower street as well as local market areas.

HK island is more about the architecture but Hollywood Road and the temple there are worth looking at whilst you're in SoHo.

Tai O fishing village on Lantau Island is very photogenic too.

 

[SteveM(PA)]

Well, I'll be following this thread. We're going to HK next summer, adopting a little guy from Ganzhou.

 

[kyte]

Tourist Areas:
Wet market - Gage Street/Graham Street (Central - HK island)
Preserved Duck, dry Sea food - Des Voeux Rd West (Sheung Wan - HK island)
Night market (junk mostly) - Temple Street HK island (go after 9pm)
Temple - Man Mo Temple on Hollywood Rd (HK island) - need your Canon 1.2
Temple - Wong Tai Sin Temple (MTR stop in Kowloon)

Less Tourist places:
Chun Yeung Street near North Point (MTR - HK island)
Apliu Street - Sham Shui Po (MTR - Kowloon)
Around Ki Lung Street - Sham Shui Po (MTR - Kowloon)

Happy shooting

 

[kurotama]

Hi guys, thanks for destination ideas and great photos. I will certainly visit as many as time allows. Please continue showing off your photos in HK here.

 

[hans voralberg]

I think every where in HK is good for photography, each place has its own uniqueness.

Tsim Sha Shui has a lot of obscure basements and small alleys which offers great contrast to the main streets. And Lan Kwai Fong is just plain fun, when the crowds are in just go snapping away and most people will be too drunk to notice!

Here's a few from those places:


Crossing by Bach Tran, on Flickr


Evocative by Bach Tran, on Flickr


Nathan Road Beauty by Bach Tran, on Flickr


Trio by Bach Tran, on Flickr


Standing formation by Bach Tran, on Flickr

 

[Rayt]

From where you are at the Western end get on a trolley to "Shau Kei Wan" (it is marked on the trolley). Shau Kei Wan is on the east side. The trolley will take its sweet time getting there, about an hour, and along the way you will see everything worth seeing on northern HK Island. If you see anything that interests you along the way just double back.

On the Kowloon side the more interesting places are always old, poor and crowded. Yaumatei is the most interesting place anytime and I mean anytime of the day. Most locals don't even want to go near the place it is so "interesting". Plan at least one whole day to explore.

Lastly, go to the islands - Lama and Cheung Chau. I would choose Cheung Chau. Lama has already become an expat colony.

 

[boy_lah]

Some 'hk city' shots

More here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/glass_and_tubes/sets/

 

[meven]

From where you are at the Western end get on a trolley to "Shau Kei Wan" (it is marked on the trolley). Shau Kei Wan is on the east side. The trolley will take its sweet time getting there, about an hour, and along the way you will see everything worth seeing on northern HK Island. If you see anything that interests you along the way just double back.

On the Kowloon side the more interesting places are always old, poor and crowded. Yaumatei is the most interesting place anytime and I mean anytime of the day. Most locals don't even want to go near the place it is so "interesting". Plan at least one whole day to explore.

Lastly, go to the islands - Lama and Cheung Chau. I would choose Cheung Chau. Lama has already become an expat colony.

This is the best recommendation so far. Shau Kei Wan is great, definitely off the beaten track for tourists, I use to live around there when I was in HK. Of interest in that area is the squatter village of A Kung Ngam beside the Yuk Wan Temple.

"Interesting" is the word for Yau Ma Tei maybe go to the Fruit & Veg market at 3am if you want to see "interesting" things.

Don't go to Lamma Island, it would be a waste of time but Cheung Chau or the sleepy island of Peng Chau would be better.

You can trust Rayt, he's been there for a while!

Here is my HK set on Flickr, check out the tags if you want to see the location: http://www.flickr.com/photos/from_max/sets/72157603418999054/

 

[Colin Corneau]

I'll preface my remarks by saying I was there 9 years ago, BUT...I recall many of these suggestions and they're all good.

I'd add only that I found the Bird Park interesting to walk around. Very small, quirky place -- it's where all the old men go with their little bird cages and pet birds. Not sure if it's still around or not but it was a fun afternoon.

 

[boy_lah]

I should caveat that I'm now in HK since early this year...so I'm taking tips from you lot too ; )

 

[ben]

HK is great for shooting. Have fun!

 

[kurotama]

Thanks for great photos and tips everyone. I am back in Tokyo now and had a great time visiting old friends in Hong Kong and also having a great time looking at your shots posted here. Photos? Yes, I covered some spots mentioned here though it rained every day of our stay with a few hours of sunshine.
I brought NEX 3 with CV 25mm that worked very well with umbrella in one hand.

 

[kurotama]

Here are some shots I got.

 

[kurotama]

Ben... Please take a look at this woman on right.