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Posts Tagged ‘Kong’

Video: David Chan is the ‘Camera Guardian’ in Hong Kong

06 Nov

Hong Kong camera shop owner David Chan has spent the last 60 years collecting vintage camera gear and amassing an impressive collection of vintage photographic equipment. South China Morning Post visited Chan and interviewed him about his impressive collection.

The short film, ‘The Camera Guardian’, was filmed by Chris Chang. Its title is apt, as David Chan views himself as less of a collector and more of a guardian. He is working to preserve vintage camera gear, rather than cultivating a personal collection.

Chan owns David Chan Co., where he has sold cameras since the 1960s. There are some cameras that have come into his shop that he doesn’t want to sell, thus his collection has grown. He enjoys showing off his cameras and helping a new generation of photographers come to learn about and appreciate vintage camera craftsmanship. Any shutterbug would certainly be in gear heaven in Chan’s shop.

David Chan in his Hong Kong camera shop

Chan says, ‘Cameras are complicated to make. Cameras are luxury items.’ Some of his vintage lenses even contain radioactive elements that current regulations ensure are no longer found in modern camera equipment. But without the radioactive elements, Chan believes some newer lenses have lost their ‘flavor.’ He continues, ‘Modern lenses can’t produce the unique texture that vintage lenses could.’

Of digital cameras, Chan argues that while digital is more convenient, some character has been lost. Chan’s passion for photography is readily apparent. When passersby stop to look through the shop windows at the cameras, Chan invites them in and is eager to share his knowledge with visitors.

With respect to his own photography skills, Chan laughingly says, ‘I’m not a good photographer. Photography is an art. But I cherish cameras as works of art. Holding a camera in my hand makes me very happy. Pressing the shutter and listening to the sound also makes me so happy. Having spent so much time around cameras, does Chan have a favorite camera? He loves European cameras, such as ones from Zeiss, Voigtlander and Leica.

(Via Reddit)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony World Photography Awards receives backlash over alleged censorship of Hong Kong protest images

20 Feb

Update (Wednesday, February 19th): it appears that the galleries are available to the public again. However, Chung Ming’s more sensitive images are not displayed.

The 2020 Sony World Photography Awards recently removed active links to images from three separate finalists due to their ‘sensitive nature.’ Ko Chung Ming’s Wounds of Hong Kong, David Butow’s Battleground Hong Kong and Adam Ferguson’s Hong Kong Protestors series are still in the running to win an award. However, links to their work have been deactivated on the World Photography Organization’s (WPO) website, a move that’s raised concerns about possible censorship.

‘We have temporarily taken down the images as part of a standard process which we have to put in place for these type of cases, until we are able to review everything in further detail,’ the WPO said.

Chung Ming first noticed the link to his series, which was nominated in the Documentary category, was broken on Friday. Initially he thought it was a site error. It was only when he tried to view Butow and Ferguson’s series, and received the same ‘404 Page not found’ message, that he realized the WPO was purposely concealing imagery that revealed the brutal reality of the Hong Kong protests.

“We have temporarily taken down the images as part of a standard process which we have to put in place for these type of cases, until we are able to review everything in further detail.”

‘I don’t know who’s complaining and what their concerns are. But why should any ‘concerns’ not be addressed by the judges at the judging phase?’ asked Chung Ming in a response to HKFP. ‘As long as the final result is up to the jury’s professional judgement, I wouldn’t say there’s censorship,’ he added.

As of Tuesday, the ‘404 page not found’ error was still popping up on Chung Ming’s series. On Wednesday, the link was redirected to a ‘Protected Page’ where login credentials were needed in order to view his work. A recent post on Chung-ming’s Facebook account elicited uniform comments of disappointment in the WPO.

‘Photos taken during a war right in the war zone has won numerous awards, but I’ve never seen any of those labeled “sensitive nature.” Anyway thanks so much for your effort and your truthful recording.’ said Sam Si. ‘Worse and much more “sensitive” stuff has been put on WPO before, and the fact that they’re on targeting Hong Kong related photography seriously calls into question the integrity of the organisation.’ adds Galax Chen.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Hong Kong photojournalists attend press conference in riot gear following protests

14 Jun

Yesterday, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) witnessed an unusual sight as they held a press conference following a series of city-wide protests regarding a controversial extradition bill. Photographers and journalists who attended the meeting were clad in various riot and protest gear, including high-visibility vests, helmets, gas masks and more following a request from the Hong Kong Journalist Association as a means of meta-protesting the HKPF’s treatment of citizens and journalists throughout the month-long protests taking place in the city.

The bill, officially called the ‘Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill’ was first published by the Government of Hong Kong on March 29. Immediately, the bill faced backlash, as Hong Kong residents, civil rights organizations, journalist organizations and foreign governments fear the bill will require the city and its residents to abide by Chinese law and subsequently subject them to a China’s court system if suspected of a crime, even if the individual has never stepped foot on Chinese territory.

Protests have been ongoing since the bill was first revealed, but on June 9, hundreds of thousands of protestors took to the streets of Hong Kong to object to the bill and call for for the resignation of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam. In the days following, the Hong Kong Free Press has reported the HKPF has used excessive force on photojournalists, journalists and protestors, including the use of more than 150 rounds of tear gas and multiple instances of firing bean bags at protestors.

The solidarity to show up to the press conference covered in riot gear came after the Hong Kong Journalist Association called upon the media to show up in protective gear, according to a report (tweet embedded above) from the Hong Kong Free Press.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Trippy mirrored timelapse turns Hong Kong upside down

19 Jul

Skill, dedication, vision: a good timelapse requires all of these things. A really cool subject helps too. ‘The Allegory of the Cave,’ a new timelapse from Visual Suspect, checks all of those boxes. By mirroring Hong Kong’s vibrant cityscapes, its creators aim to play with themes of ‘perception and knowledge as reflection of our reality.’ 

Familiar images of skyscrapers in clouds or boats in a harbor become abstract shapes – where does one image stop and its reflection begin? Is anything real?

See? We told you it was trippy. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Urban Jungle: Dizzying Drone Photos of Hong Kong from Above

08 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

drone photo hong kong

Hong Kong has inspired so many iconic images of urban density shot from the ground or horizontally across buildings, but seeing it from above via drone footage gives the city an entirely fresh dimension.

drone density china

drone repeating buildings

In this series of vertigo-inducing snapshots, photographer and unmanned aerial vehicle pilot Andy Yeung captures both the chaos and order, colorfulness and monotony, of one of the world’s most stunning urban centers.

drone aerial city

drone view above

Shot from hundreds of feet in the sky, the resulting views exceed even the relatively awesome ones attainable by tripping up to the top of the adjacent hillsides. An onlooker starts to get a sense of the combination of  rigorous order and organic evolution of the city.

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Dense City: Photos Show Tightly-Packed Hong Kong Towers

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Amphitheater of the Dead: Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries

This terraced structure is not the remains of some ancient amphitheater, but a metropolis of the dead that’s just as dense as that of the living city of …
Click Here to Read More »»


Jungle in the City: Wild Urban Biome Skyscraper Design

Suspended aquariums, snowy landscapes, jungles and caves can all be found in the heart of the city, steps away from dense urban housing, in the middle of this …
Click Here to Read More »»


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Lights Out: Hong Kong Bans Iconic Neon Signs from City Streets

30 Aug

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Sculpture & Craft. ]

kowloon hong kong lights

In an effort criticized by local businesses as well as global visitors, Hong Kong has deemed neon signage illegal and is ramping up its systematic removal of these historic place-making lights.

hong kong neon

To fans of the city’s vibrant nighttime glow, such signs define the bustling metropolis as much as any work of architecture or public art, featured prominently in many images taken and movies set on or around Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

hong kong signage

In the last decade, thousands of signs have been removed through incremental city initiatives while preservationists scramble to save, store and display them. Populated with curators and directors from around the world, including the Tate in London and MoMA in New York City, the new M+ Museum is becoming the de facto guardian of many of these castoffs, collecting physical signs as well as videos, images, maps and other documentation.

sammys kitchen sign

More about the digital arm of their endeavor: “Presented by M+, Hong Kong’s museum for visual culture, “Mobile M+: NEONSIGNS.HK” is an online exhibition that celebrates a key feature of the city’s streetscapes by exploring, mapping and documenting its neon signs. Alongside curatorially-produced essays, videos, slideshows and artist commissions, over 4,000 photos were submitted by the public from 21 March to 30 June 2014 to collectively create a unique neon map of Hong Kong. The site will remain as a lasting record and examination of Hong Kong’s fast disappearing neon signs.”

signmaking project

The classic art of neon sign-making involves electrified gas-filled glass pipes, originating in Europe but dating back nearly a century in China. Today, factory-made LEDs are becoming the industry standard. Around the world, the old methods are fading, but many artisanal practitioners continue to fight to restore old signs and keep such practices alive (images by Keith Macgregor, Romain Jacquet-Lagrèze and Mark Pegrum via TheCreatorsProject).

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Dense City: Photos Show Tightly-Packed Hong Kong Towers

Twice as dense as New York, and four times as crowded as London, Hong Kong is a fascinating mix of natural landscape edged by incredibly dense human …
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Amphitheater of the Dead: Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries

This terraced structure is not the remains of some ancient amphitheater, but a metropolis of the dead that’s just as dense as that of the living city of …
Click Here to Read More »»


Groundless City: A Guidebook to Underground Hong Kong

Between raised walkways, subways, ferries, cable cars, a multi-block outdoor escalator and extensive double-decker bus system, it is possible to traverse a …
Click Here to Read More »»


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Secret Slums: Ramshackle Rooftop Villages of Hong Kong

29 Dec

[ By WebUrbanist in Global & Travel & Places. ]

roof tops hong kong

These hidden shanty towns, often invisible from the streets below, sprawl like surrealist suburbs across the roofs of one of the most densely-populated and expensive cities in the world.

rooftop dwelling book cover

The book Portraits From Above meticulously documents a series of such informal micro-villages in Hong Kong with photographs, detailed diagrams and stories of life inside these illicit rooftop communities.

rooftop villages china distance

While the dwellings are unconventional in shape, the book’s drawings are almost deceptively refined, capturing the chaos in clean black-on-white architectural lines.

rooftop interior diagram drawing

Ad hoc architecture at its strangest, these structures are not governed by building codes or compliance issues. Found materials from sheet metal and scrap wood to discarded plastic and broken brick shape home walls and the narrow halls between homes.

rooftop shanty entry way

rooftop black white interior

Naturally, one downside of such unplanned habitats are the series of power and waste management issues that go with the territory.

rooftop community village diagram

rooftop shack aerial view

Despite living on the fringes – or perhaps because their shared connection – there are strong social ties between rooftop dwellers, and they were welcoming to the authors of this book, Stefan Canham and Rufina Wu, who sought to learn more about how people live in such offbeat accommodations. In many ways, too, these mini-cities are like smaller expressions of larger-scale phenomenon like the nearby but now-demolished Kowloon Walled City.

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Dense City: Photos Show Tightly-Packed Hong Kong Towers

Twice as dense as New York, and four times as crowded as London, Hong Kong is a fascinating mix of natural landscape edged by incredibly dense human … Click Here to Read More »»


The Fifth Facade: A Peek Inside NYC’s Hidden Rooftop World

Even for difficult-to-surprise native New Yorkers, the hidden NYC that Alex MacLean captured in his new book might be something completely new. Click Here to Read More »»


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Rare 1932 Leica fails to set record at Hong Kong auction

24 Nov

goldleica.jpg

A rare Leica camera has been sold at auction in Hong Kong for around $ 620,000 (~£380,000). The gold-plated 1932 Leica Luxus II is one of only four ever made, and comes in a crocodile skin case. The camera was expected to raise around $ 1.2 million at auction, but ultimately sold for around half of that amount. Learn more

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Amphitheater of the Dead: Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries

11 Nov

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 1

This terraced structure is not the remains of some ancient amphitheater, but a metropolis of the dead that’s just as dense as that of the living city of Hong Kong. It’s this ancient, ruinous feel contrasting with the bustle of millions of people all around it that inspired urban photographer Manuel Alvarez Diestro to capture it as part of a series of gloomy, grimy photos.

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 2

Ten of these cemeteries are portrayed in the series, often integrated into hillsides, so packed that each grave is shoehorned beside the other. Like many other cities around the world, Hong Hong has a big problem finding enough room to deal with its dead. The hillside cemeteries were a solution in the ’60s, and by the ’80s, they were interring bodies in high-rise buildings beside residential areas brimming with life.

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 3

Seeking to capture the mood of the cemeteries themselves, Diestro only photographed them early in the morning during the rainy season (one of them is ironically named ‘Happy Valley.’) He told The Atlantic that the cemeteries reminded him of the Roman amphitheater of Leptis Magna.

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 4

It’s no surprise that Hong Kong’s cemeteries are in such a state, considering how overcrowded the city is in general. It’s twice as dense as New York and four times as crowded as London. Take a look at some incredible photos of Hong Kong urban density by Michael Wolf.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Dense City: Photos Show Tightly-Packed Hong Kong Towers

Twice as dense as New York, and four times as crowded as London, Hong Kong is a fascinating mix of natural landscape edged by incredibly dense human …
Click Here to Read More »»


Abandoned Bridge Amphitheater Reclaims Urban Space

An abandoned, deteriorating bridge in the city of Kosice in Slovakia has been rehabbed and modified to serve as an amphitheater and public gathering space that …
Click Here to Read More »»


Vertical Horizon: Urban Photographs Turn City Upside Down

Hong Kong is a much-photographed city, but these shots present a rarely-seen perspective by documentarians or pedestrians … unless they look straight up.
Click Here to Read More »»


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Amphitheater of the Dead: Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries

11 Nov

[ By Steph in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 1

This terraced structure is not the remains of some ancient amphitheater, but a metropolis of the dead that’s just as dense as that of the living city of Hong Kong. It’s this ancient, ruinous feel contrasting with the bustle of millions of people all around it that inspired urban photographer Manuel Alvarez Diestro to capture it as part of a series of gloomy, grimy photos.

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 2

Ten of these cemeteries are portrayed in the series, often integrated into hillsides, so packed that each grave is shoehorned beside the other. Like many other cities around the world, Hong Hong has a big problem finding enough room to deal with its dead. The hillside cemeteries were a solution in the ’60s, and by the ’80s, they were interring bodies in high-rise buildings beside residential areas brimming with life.

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 3

Seeking to capture the mood of the cemeteries themselves, Diestro only photographed them early in the morning during the rainy season (one of them is ironically named ‘Happy Valley.’) He told The Atlantic that the cemeteries reminded him of the Roman amphitheater of Leptis Magna.

Hong Kong Hillside Cemeteries 4

It’s no surprise that Hong Kong’s cemeteries are in such a state, considering how overcrowded the city is in general. It’s twice as dense as New York and four times as crowded as London. Take a look at some incredible photos of Hong Kong urban density by Michael Wolf.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Dense City: Photos Show Tightly-Packed Hong Kong Towers

Twice as dense as New York, and four times as crowded as London, Hong Kong is a fascinating mix of natural landscape edged by incredibly dense human …
Click Here to Read More »»


Abandoned Bridge Amphitheater Reclaims Urban Space

An abandoned, deteriorating bridge in the city of Kosice in Slovakia has been rehabbed and modified to serve as an amphitheater and public gathering space that …
Click Here to Read More »»


Vertical Horizon: Urban Photographs Turn City Upside Down

Hong Kong is a much-photographed city, but these shots present a rarely-seen perspective by documentarians or pedestrians … unless they look straight up.
Click Here to Read More »»


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