Outside of my children, this was one of the most prized photos I’d ever taken. I was devastated when I thought I’d lost the digital negative. Fate, however, brought the original file back into my possession; I feel like I’ve claimed a piece of my life back.
This is a photo of Fa Yuen Street in Hong Kong, taken in 2017 from one of the many MTR overpasses.
I remember wanting to capture something that filled my entire field of vision with the clamour and detail of the street. Everywhere you look has an interesting story to tell; the people in the shops, the different things being sold in those shops, the air conditioning units up above, the clothes hanging out to dry, the street signage, the people having conversations with each other, the guy down in front with the unfortunate bald patch…
The thing is, this photo doesn’t work on a computer screen or mobile device. I originally had this photo printed to about 20×30″, which works out to be about 76cm high. At that size, when hung against the wall, it’s almost like being at the overpass in person, looking out at the street, except everything is just frozen in that moment. It’s like staring into a real life Where’s Wally illustration. It’s an entire way of life captured in one photo.
Anyway… I’ve published it here as large as this blog will allow. Hopefully it will provide anyone who’s reading with some amusement.
I wonder if things over there have changed as much over there as they have for me over these last few years.
These days I am constantly reminded of what a tiny city it is, and what an insignificant language it is home to. But it’s still the place where I feel most at home.
idiot.with.camera 