jasenreyes

The Streets of Hong Kong (Series)

LEICA M (Typ 240)

settings

Aperture f/16 ISO 200 Shutter 2/1 Focal Length 50/1

upload_date

Dec, 2015

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1094

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Contest Finalist in Motion In Black And White Photo Contest

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Behind The Lens

Location

This image was captured in the Mong Kok area of Hong Kong (on the Kowloon side). There is an elevated pedestrian walkway which gives you a great overhead view of what's commonly referred to as the ladies market.

Time

I had been to this spot a few times before and captured the same scene at all hours of the day. While those images were okay, there was nothing that really stood out to me about the image. Coming back just after the sun was setting, I was able to capture a great balance between having enough light to expose the entire scene while maintaining a shutter speed just slow enough to show movement without blurring everyone completely out.

Lighting

As I mentioned above, this image was about balance. I used a shutter speed of 2 seconds and had I waited 10-15 minutes later, I would have been forced to use a slower speed which would have blurred everyone out. Alternatively, I could have opened up my aperture a stop or two but I wanted to maintain as much depth of field as possible. The key for me here was to maintain detail throughout the image and in some of the people while showing movement in others.

Equipment

This image was captured with a Leica MP240 and 50mm Summilux lens. The only other equipment of note was a tripod to stabilize for the long exposure.

Inspiration

Hong Kong has a very high population density and the multitude of open air markets always creates an interesting backdrop. I wanted to capture an image that encapsulated the pace of everyday life and show how life is often lived out in the open.

Editing

This image was processed in Lightroom where I converted it to B/W and slightly increased the clarity along with the black tones. No other processing was done other than the conversion from RAW to JPG.

In my camera bag

My everyday carry kit has slimmed down quite a bit over the years from my big DSLR days. Having spent the last few years living in Hong Kong, Tokyo and now Chicago, I walk the streets quite a bit and I've gone all in on mirrorless bodies because the quality is so good now and the size and weight are ideal. If you see me on the street, I'll always have a camera over my shoulder and often times two. My favorite set up over the last 14 months is the Leica MP240 with a 50mm lens and a Leica Q which has a 28mm lens. As a prime lens shooter, it allows me to quickly shift from 28mm to 50mm without having to change lenses. As a shooter that likes to roam the streets and capture everyday life, you have to be able to capture moments as they happen so it doesn't do me any good to have my camera in a bag. As such, my bag (if I even have one) will be quite small and will likely have extra batteries, cards and another lens (if I am walking around with just one body). I'll also carry a small notebook as I often find myself exploring new areas of the city I am in. I may stumble on cool scene but the light just isn't right so I'll document it so I know where it is and can come back to it.

Feedback

For me, I think there are two key things that make this image successful. First is creating this feeling of movement through the marketplace. With this particular scene, the outdoor market is open everyday but in your particular area, festivals and outdoor markets may only be held on weekends. Look for popular areas that have high traffic but also have context to them so that you are telling a story. For me, the context and the story is the pace of life in an old shopping district. For you it can be a festival, farmers market, transportation station or even a backyard party among friends. Second is gaining an elevated position to really create some depth to the scene. Had I been at ground level, I would have only captured the people in front of me and the viewer wouldn't have any sense of how big the market is. If you've identified a scene that you want to capture, look around for publically accessible elevated positions. Is there a parking structure, overpass, elevated walkway, 2nd floor window of an adjacent building you can access? Aside from those two keys, keep in mind these basics. A tripod is a must since you will need a stable platform. Also, sunset will vary throughout the year. Get there a little early and get a base exposure at small aperture and the slowest speed possible. As it gets darker, adjust your shutter down until you get to the desired speed. For this image, it was two seconds. Oh and lastly, have fun and experiment. If your first attempt is not successful, go back and shoot on another night. I've shot this location on more than one occasion.

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jasenreyes

The Streets of Hong Kong (Series)

Behind The Lens

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