Cameron Bartlett is a photographer and spirited creative based in Toronto. Under the moniker snappedbycam, he aims to capture boundless adventure and authentic emotion. Honing his eye through travel, Cameron’s signature aesthetic has been sought after by top brands such as Sony Mobile, Air Canada, and the NBA to name a few. See his more of his work at snappedbycam.com.
Neighborhood: Victoria Peak, Hong Kong
One of the most famous spots in Hong Kong to capture the beautiful Skyline is Victoria Peak. Victoria Peak is a mountain in the western half of Hong Kong Island. During my time in Hong Kong, weather was one of the variables I had to face. Thick fog covering nearly the entire city, creating challenges capturing the photo I planned for. I managed to pick a perfect time right before a storm came in. The Peak was actually closed down for 15 minutes or so due to heavy rainfall. Of course this was all worth it to capture one of the best skylines in the world.
Neighborhood: Shek-O
One of my favorite things about Hong Kong was hiking throughout the vast nature Hong Kong has to offer. The most memorable hike was Shek-O. Shek-O has quite a few trails, some harder than others. This photo was taken in the early morning at the lookout point of Dragon’s Back Trail. There were a few other people on the hike that are in this photo, just putting into scale how big these mountains are. The Photo’s of Shek-O don’t quite do justice of how beautiful it is. Shek-O is quite easy to get to, multiple buses run throughout the day that take you straight to the trail.
Neighborhood: Kowloon
As a street photographer, my main goal entering Hong Kong was to capture the people of Hong Kong. Kowloon encompasses the northern part of Hong Kong, on the mainland across Victoria Harbour. Compared to Central, Kowloon offers more of the raw part of Hong Kong, where all the locals reside. As I look back at my trip to Hong Kong, I took some of my favorite photos In Kowloon. It offers such great photo opportunities like capturing the raw emotion of people working, shopping or exploring around the city.
This photo was taken in the early morning, what I think is a Father/Son working together.
Neighborhood: Central
Photographing Hong Kong at night time was a completely different experience for me. This photo stands out to me as one of my favorites. Throughout Central, there are numerous overpass bridges for pedestrians to travel to one side of the road to the other. I chose this spot where the downtown roads were combined with on-ramps for the highways. The roads are always super busy, which makes for a great long exposure to capture the light trails.
Neighborhood: Fortress Hill
Hong Kong is filled with Food Markets offering fresh meat, produce and anything you can think of. Throughout the Neighborhood of Fortress Hill (Located in West Hong Kong Island) was full of markets tucked away in streets like this one. With it being tucked away between larger buildings, you can find great light here at any time of the day. Through the markets people are constantly pushing around product on carts, creating for some cool photo opportunities.
Neighborhood: Lantau Island
Another must see in Hong Kong is a trip out to Lantau Island. It is home to NGONG Ping 360, which is a cable car rides (with the option of glass floor) that takes you up and around the mountains. I was lucky enough to have an empty car on the way back. This allowed me to wedge my camera out of the window to capture clean images.
HONG KONG PHOTO TRAVEL TIPS
1. Wear your most comfortable runners as you will be walking A LOT.
2. Purchase and use an Octopus card. Click here for more info on Octopus cards.
3. Dress lightly as Hong Kong is very humid.
4. Be prepared for rain at any time.
5. Most people under 35 speak English
To see more of his breathtaking work, follow Cameron Bartlett on 500px.
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