Des Voeux Road West, Sai Ying Pun Photo

Photographer’s Note

Today marks 10 years since I arrived in Hong Kong. So I went back to Sai Ying Pun - the eastern district of Hong Kong Island where I lived and worked in my first 8 months - and took a few shots.

I wasn't sure about Hong Kong in the first few weeks, but I thought that even if I didn't finish my 3-year contract, I could at least have a nice 3 month 'holiday'. Ten years, one wife and two kids later - and I'm still here. I should have checked the fine print! ;-)

Des Voeux Road West is famous for all the shops selling Chinese preserved foods.

This shot was taken from the tram stop in the road. If you follow the tram lines, you can see the other tram stop in the distance. The MTR doesn't come this far eastwards - at the moment - so buses, trams and minibuses are heavily used.

Tech: Cropped slightly. Resized and sharpened.

(This photo was originally 800x600 with a 5 pixel border - but it was over the allowed size. So I cut out 789x589 and it just made it under the wire.)

PixelTerror, jmdaoudal, nwoehnl, bertolucci, maphoto, kajenn, pamastro has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Paolo (40818) 2005-05-03 4:22

Beautiful image Andrew.
Des Voeux street is also for me one of the most photogenic areas of HK. i took many pictures!
the light is great, as the colors.
thanks, ciao

jrj (34791) 2005-05-03 4:31

Delightful street shot from HK Andrew. Lots of fine details and a bit special I think the one guy doing his 'trim' ti the right there. Very good then.

PixelTerror (88585) 2005-05-03 5:42

Hi Andrew,
Nice view of the colorful street with its busy atmosphere, not because there are masses of people, but because there are plenty of details in your frame, I like the many signs with Chinese script, it must be a nice place for night photos.
Have a nice day,
Jean-Yves

joaoferreira (0) 2005-05-03 9:28

Great picture! I like your posts because I always learn a little bit more about China... hehehe Thanks for sharing it. Regards!

jmdaoudal (82) 2005-05-03 11:10

You seem to like a lot this country, and this big town whith these streets and great buildings. There is still a style from the British Empire with the special two decks busses and if you have not flipped the composition they drive the wrong way of the road :)))
In fact there is no way to know about flip because I cannot reat the numerous chinese signs :))
So about it I have made a special french and continental WS just for fun
Friendly
Jean Michel

[workshop] [compare]

nwoehnl (120) 2005-05-03 15:05

Great urban scene from HK, Andrew. Always such a lot of details to be found in this type of photos, and also this one of yours offers a lot of delight in exploring what is shown. The alignment of Chinese-letter signs provides a nice rhythm for reading the view towards the back. The light you got is falling into the street quite nicely, and the runner at the bottom is a good detail. Well captured.

bertolucci (12024) 2005-05-03 16:04

Hi Andrew, I guess on two scores congratulations are in order here ;-) On the photographic side I like the delightful urban visual clamour/loudness and depth here. In combination with the crispness and the vivid colours it's a real feast to the eyes -I spend quite a while traveling thru this pic.
Great job. Regards from Rotterdam, Bert

avigur_11 (21315) 2005-05-03 18:32

Such a busy picture, a very typical view from HK. You have made a impressive job during these ten years - and you also made a very good shot here. I like it very much, it brings up some memories from HK. Thanks, Andrew.

maphoto (8076) 2005-05-03 22:10

Very nice daily life from Hong Kong Andrew, great details all around and excellent cropping, wonderful inside view, thanks for sharing and wish you the best for maybe another 10 years...and why not two more kids !! Well done.

Ah_Thong (466) 2005-05-03 23:06

hi andrew...u captured a very nice view... the busy street of hong kong.. really nice..

overcome (1109) 2005-05-04 7:13

It is a nice scene you took in Hong Kong. I am sure you know Hong Kong much better than the Hong Kong Locals since you have been living for more than 10 yrs. For me, I am very glad that such a foreigner like you love HK so much. By the way, have you became a permanent resident overthere?

It would be different feeling if you take night shot as well.

I personally think night shot for these advert is very good in Nathan Road ( I am sure you know where it is)

Are you planning to share any photos that you took during hand over 1997?

dsidwell (9745) 2005-05-05 2:36

This photo is very nice for it's artful display of a typical street. Nice making of the mundane into something worthy of interest and study, Andrew!

kajenn (2331) 2005-05-06 18:48

Once more a very urban shot, Andrew, showing the density of the city. The busy facades with a variety of air conditioners - evidently not being standard - and all the commercial signs in Chinese giving a lot of details to explore. And traffic not being as heavy as usual for this part of town - although there are both buses and trams in the image - give space for a sunny spot and a lone jogger crossing the street, caught at the right moment between light and shadow. Also the mild colors are very appealing. Very well done!

Congratulations on your ten years in Hong Kong. You arrived as a young bachelor in a UK Crown Colony for 'a 3 month vacation' and today you're a married father of two living in Xianggang Special Administrative Region under Chinese rule. That just goes to show how little we know about the future. Keep up the good job... ;o)

pamastro (7215) 2005-05-06 22:24

Wow, this is the kind of scene that makes me want to see Hong Kong in person. The trams, colorful signs and human scale shops and then the towering skyscrapers. And so much concrete, steel, glass and asphalt with that lonely tree gives an unreal feel. And it's so sharp and clear throughout with really good contrast. Very eye catching. Great work.

taivo (1840) 2005-06-05 9:52

Great street scene. HK is like a concrete jungle, and your shot shows this very well. The photo must have been taken on a Sunday or early in the morning as most shops seems to be closed.

Photo Information

Copyright: Andrew Orme (orme) (6746)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-05-03
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Olympus C-7000 / C-70 Zoom
Exposure: f/4, 1/800 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Theme(s): Calligraphy, Outdoor Type II, Trams in Hong Kong [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-05-03 4:18