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How to take better photographs, and make the most of Hong Kong’s natural beauty while you’ve nowhere else to go

  • From taking pictures in stormy weather to capturing the perfect sunset, being in lockdown on Hong Kong should not stop you shooting some stunning photos
  • Here are a few useful tips to remember, such as the rule of thirds, to best capture city scenes and landscapes

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Stunning lightning bolts flash above Cheung Chau in Hong Kong. There are a few useful tips to remember when taking photographs in different types of weather. Photo: Martin Williams

Taking scenic photos from a variety of places, in countries far and wide, is not an option thanks to travel restrictions to limit the coronavirus outbreak.

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Those of us living in Hong Kong must therefore settle for taking our photographs locally. And that’s no bad thing.

Even if you do something as simple as shooting images repeatedly from the same spot, it’s possible to capture highly contrasting shots. Just before he died last year, photographer Michael Wolf published a book of photographs all taken at sunrise from the roof of his apartment on Cheung Chau.

For shots with a little more variety, head out at different times of the day and make the most of the changing weather; the capabilities of smartphone cameras make it possible to take photos in conditions that once required expensive gear.

Cheung Chau harbour before a rainstorm. Photo: Martin Williams
Cheung Chau harbour before a rainstorm. Photo: Martin Williams

Photo basics in fine weather

Fine-weather photography is relatively simple and the results tend to be good. With so much light there’s no need to worry about issues such as shake and depth of field, which most cameras can take care of automatically. Just point, click and you have a photo.

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