As a freelance photographer in Hong Kong, I get a ton of booking enquiries from people coming for a vacation.
If you are planning a vacation to Hong Kong and want to have your special moments captured, this guide is perfect for you.
Based on my experience, most travellers want photoshoots at locations that are highly representative of Hong Kong. But at the same time, they also want locations that are less generic and less touristy.
To give you some ideas, here are 5 recommendations on vacation photography in Hong Kong: Soho, Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market, Kowloon Walled City Park, Nam Shan Complex and your own hotel room! These areas are very authentic, yet not so commonly known.
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Soho
Soho is an area located between Central and Sheung Wan in the mid-levels. You can think of it as an extension of Lan Kwai Fong.
What makes it a great portrait location?
The reason why I suggest Soho instead of Lan Kwai Fong is due to the human traffic. There are way more people in Lan Kwai Fong than in Soho.
If you do not model on a regular basis, you might not prefer locations where crowds of people would stare during your photoshoot.
Soho is also more suitable as it is possible to get cleaner shots with less random people in the background.
What to expect?
In the Soho area you will find lots of bars scattered around, and some hipster cafes too. Many hawkers decided to set up their stalls there as well, selling a wide variety of items.
You can find textile and garments, antiquities, arts and handicrafts, just to name a few.
For this reason the area is a very authentic Hong Kong backdrop when it comes to vacation photography.
Here are examples of shots that I did around the Soho area.
Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market/ Yau Ma Tei Area
The Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market is around 20 mins walk from the Yau Ma Tei MTR station.
What makes it a great portrait location?
The Fruit Market has some of the most unique backdrops I have seen in the city.
Most hawkers are concentrated on a main side of the market, where most locals shop for fresh fruit every day.
That is the extremely crowded part, but there is a secret area on the other side that is very quiet.
Every hawker has some space to store their inventory and for deliveries into and out of their stores.
There is a backyard-like area in the market, that gives this special deserted, mysterious vibe.
What to expect?
You can find vibrantly coloured walls, especially the typical Chinese tones. You will also find colourful sheets of wrapping materials here and there which, when it comes to street-style photography, makes exceptional props.
This is something very different from what an average Hong Kong vacation would show you.
Moreover, you can easily venture over to other parts of Yau Ma Tei, where a lot of hidden gems are located.
Here are some examples of vacation photography I did around the Yau Ma Tei area.
Kowloon Walled City Park
Kowloon Walled City was historically a military base due to its special geographic location. It is now redeveloped into a park, located at the North-eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula.
What makes it a great portrait location?
Despite being very rich in history, it is a relatively quiet tourist attraction in Hong Kong. Here and there you might run into teams doing photoshoots - I have seen people shoot anime and weddings in the park.
Overall, the people who visit the park are ones who look for a quiet place to chill.
The park is large and has varied architectural styles in various parts, which makes it good to get a wide range of shots.
What to expect?
You can expect to be surrounded by greenery, which makes it the perfect setting if you are dressing in flowery garments and hoping to capture portraits in a vintage nature backdrop.
The park is lined up by authentic Chinese-styled walls and bridges. These constructions are great if you want to include some historic elements in your images.
Aside from the park, in its close proximity is the Kowloon City district itself. It can be directionally challenging to navigate as a traveler, but there you can find iconic Hong Kong-styled neon lights and wet markets.
This location is a very versatile area for vacation photography.
Here are some portraits I shot around the Kowloon Walled City Park for your reference.
Nam Shan Complex
This one seldom appears on travel sites as a vacation photo spots because it is not located in a touristy district. It is closest to Shek Kip Mei MTR station, plus a 15-20 minute walk.
What makes it a great portrait location?
In its proximity, you can easily find a variety of backdrops that are highly representative of Hong Kong.
The Nam Shan complex is where you can see the day-to-day lives of most Hong Kong people. Nothing is designed to attract tourists.
It is an authentic, un-commercialised area to capture some of your candid activities during your stay.
What to expect?
The Nam Shan Complex has a marketplace, where you can find stalls that date back to the 80s. They sell fabric, handicraft, phones, you name it, in an old-fashioned setting.
If you go in the late afternoons/ early evenings, these stalls are closing and you can use them as a portrait backdrop.
Right next to the complex is a shop that sells spectacles - it has a large, colourful neon sign on it. With enough lighting, it is a very unique site to get some neon shots during your vacation.
In the day time, the Nam Shan estate is the icon of public estate photography in Hong Kong. Its units are closely packed against each other - a perfect illustration of the residential density in the city.
Here are some portrait shots I did in the area.
Your Hotel Room/ Bathroom
Yes, your very own hotel room can be an amazing indoor shoot location!
What makes it a great portrait location?
If you are coming to Hong Kong for a vacation and staying in a hotel, you are probably staying in one of the world-class hotels.
It is especially great for lifestyle type of shoots. Well-decorated rooms, windows with a view, and luxurious looking bathrooms are backdrops that go very well with travel blogs and social media content.
Since you have your own room only to yourself, there really is not much limitation as to what you can do.
You might need to add a few lights since it is an indoor setting. But you will have a lot of flexibility in creating the lighting you want.
What to expect?
Anything, really. Because this is your space, you can style the shoot however you want.
Some common themes would be boudoir, playing with reflections with mirrors in bathrooms, swimsuit, and holiday life in general.
You could move around sofas and furniture to create a studio-like environment. The beddings usually come with beautifully lined fabrics, which can add good interest in portrait shots.
Magazines and desktop plants are also usually in every room, which are excellent props for personal branding shots.
Here are some examples of vacation photography I have done.
Summary
In this article, we talked about the below being some hidden vacation photography locations in Hong Kong:
Soho
Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market/ Yau Ma Tei Area
Kowloon Walled City Park
Nam Shan Estate
Your Hotel Room!
We also talked about what makes these locations a perfect fit for vacation photography, and what to expect.
More sharing coming soon!
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