How an amateur Hong Kong photographer wowed editors at National Geographic
Graphic designer Edward Tin, 56, says having mountains close to urban areas is a boon for taking pictures of the city
On a chilly Valentine's Day morning last year, graphic designer Edward Tin Chun-fook studied the weather forecast in great detail before lugging his camera up the 335m Tsing Yi Peak in pursuit of sea fog.
The 56-year-old part-time photographer was not disappointed. The Stonecutters Bridge stretched out before his eyes, hugged by a string of barges anchored in the early spring mist.
Tin swiftly captured the moment in a picture he named The Fog and Mist in Hong Kong, which was later picked as one of the editors’ favourite submissions in National Geographic’s Travel Photographer of the Year Contest 2017. The contest is open until June 30.
“Hong Kong has a lot of mountains that are close to urban landscapes, and this makes it possible to create a strong contrast,” Tin said. “In other countries, mountains are far from urban areas, but in Hong Kong, even country parks are quite near tall buildings.”
This familiarity with high places extends to one of Tin’s favourite subjects: the lighted windows of busy buildings at the “magic hour” between day and night.