Hong Kong High

Kasyan Bartlett loves to get high. Preferably about 2,000ft-3,000ft above the city, where he takes photographs for his book series, “Over Hong Kong.” It’s a project he has been involved with for more than 20 years, and he’s especially proud of the latest edition, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the handover. Serendipity, in the form of a freak southeasterly wind, created perfect conditions for aerial photography. His shots are even more captivating than usual. “It was completely fortuitous,” Bartlett says. “This summer saw all the right weather conditions come together, with the winds pushing the pollution all back into China.”

And when that happens, he says, Hong Kong is a photographer’s dream. “For me, getting up in the air is another way of reconnecting with what this place really is, of rekindling the amazement it inspires,” he says. “You’ve got these three contrasting stratospheres of color right next to one another: the natural green of the mountains, the multiple shades of the urban landscape, and the vivid blue of the sea. You don’t get that anywhere else.” He would know. He’s taken photographs above countries from New Zealand to India.

It’s a pursuit he arrived at somewhat indirectly; he grew up wanting to be a pilot. “It wasn’t easy to learn to fly in Hong Kong if you didn’t have a lot of money,” he says. “So the next best thing was to get involved in aerial photography.” The chance presented itself through his father, Odyssey publisher Magnus Bartlett, who together with photographer Lew Roberts had come up with the idea of shooting Hong Kong from the air in 1982. The project had fallen into neglect for several years before the younger Bartlett got involved and revived it in 1986. Since then he’s captured the rapid development of the city every year, with his best pictures presented in his annual books and calendars.

As one might expect, the increase of smog over the years hasn’t made the job any easier – until this summer’s rare clear conditions. As a result of which, he managed to get up in the air for 18 hours of the best visibility on record since 2000.

Oddly, Bartlett’s habit of waiting for the most pristine conditions to take his photos has drawn criticism from some quarters. “Many people accuse me of retouching my photographs,” he says, “and others say I don’t present an accurate picture of Hong Kong.” Adamantly rejecting the first accusation, he stresses his old-school allegiance to film. “It never lies, unlike digital, which is eminently manipulable.” As for the second charge, Bartlett’s position is that he isn’t in the business of photographing smog. “There’s enough bad news out there for everyone to know this is a polluted city without compounding it,” he says.

This insistence on presenting Hong Kong at its most positive is in keeping with Bartlett’s enthusiasm for the city. While acknowledging it has a pollution problem, he’s tired of the “bitching and moaning” and the “mad competition” to keep abreast of other cities. As far he’s concerned, the dramatic and graceful transformation of the city since his arrival a quarter of a century ago has no equal. And that’s why he’ll keep getting high, camera in hand, to document our changing skyline. “The hero of the book isn’t me,” he emphasizes, “but this amazing city.”