Few people look out of their window at a series of ominous storm clouds rapidly descending and have the urge to go hiking. Landscape photographer Edward Stokes is one of the few.
Looking towards Wong Nai Chung Gap from his living-room window, he shakes his head with regret. 'It would be amazing to be up in those hills now photographing those clouds coming in,' he says.
Then he chuckles, 'It would also be very sweaty and there'd be a lot of practical problems because of photographing in the wet. But that's often when you get the strongest images.'
With his wispy grey hair, Stokes appears more like the erstwhile primary school teacher he is than a bold, determined photographer. Founder of the Hong Kong Conservation Photography Foundation, Stokes has always been attracted to landscapes; the wide open spaces of Australia inspired him to pick up a camera and quit teaching when he was in his late 20s. He is self-taught and is inspired by paintings as much as by photos; he is particularly interested in how artists such as Joseph Turner perceived places in different light.
Stokes grew up in Hong Kong and our geography drew him back here from Australia. 'Hong Kong has, for its size, an absolutely stunning range of landscapes,' he says.
He loves the juxtaposition of the densely packed city and the rugged terrain that surrounds it - mountains, valleys, islets and rough coasts. The stunning results of his adventures capturing these beautiful landscapes - in less than beautiful weather conditions - are displayed in his latest book, Exploring Landscape Photography with Edward Stokes.
Many of the photographs depict the ominous storm clouds that make him long to pick up his camera today. And although it is impossible to photograph at the height of severe storms - let alone a typhoon - due to the risks involved, Stokes captures their essence by taking pictures in the aftermath, when there are still big clouds swirling in dark skies.