Photographer Andy Yeung drone photography series “Urban Density” is eye-opening to say the very least. It puts into visual terms something most people know is true—that Hong Kong is incredibly crowded—but knowing something is true and seeing it with your own eyes are two very different things.
The photos show just how huge and packed together the highrises in this mega-city—the world’s most densely populated—really are, an idea Andy had after flying over Hong Kong on a commercial flight:
“When I was traveling back from Europe, I had an intimate aerial view of Hong Kong from above,” he told us over email. “Looking down, I saw gazillions of buildings soaring high into the skies and the idea of creating a drone series offering a glimpse into the reality of living in one of the most densely populated areas of the world just sprung to my mind.”
Andy, a born and raised “Hongkonger,” is a passionate photographer with a thing for architecture and landscapes. “For the past decade, I’ve been traveling to different parts of the world trying to capture the beauty in both architecture and nature,” he explains.
But this series wasn’t about beauty or nature… well, unless you consider concrete nature.
“I hope this series can get people to think about the high-density living in one of the world’s richest cities,” he said. “The message I’m trying to send is that HK is a great city, but lurking beneath the prosperity is a severe housing problem that depresses every dweller in this city living in horrid conditions.”
It was a challenge unlike anything else Andy is used to shooting.
“Choosing the right time of day and the right spot to fly to minimize interaction with other people can be tough,” he told us. “Flying right above the concrete jungle might make the drone subject to electromagnetic interference, hence the danger of flyaways.”
And, of course, as if that wasn’t enough there’s the fear that his drone will crash into a building. Fortunately, none of that happened, and instead of disaster Andy came back with some incredible photography.
We asked Andy if he had any fun or interesting stories from his experience shooting these aerials, and his answer made us laugh:
“Every time I fly my drone, there are always people with inquisitive minds approaching me and asking me questions about drones,” he told us. “There are times when I really need to concentrate and don’t want to sound rude… so I had to pretend that I don’t speak English or Cantonese lol.”
There’s a pro tip for you.
To see more from Andy, be sure to follow him on 500px or go pay his website a visit. You can also find him on Facebook and Instagram.
Leave a reply