The instructor of this class was Birdy Chu (朱迅) and his photography philosophy emphasizes storytelling and the importance of capturing history. As one of the photographers who documented Kai Tak Airport before its closure in 1998, the following is one of his breathtaking works of the final day Kai Tak operated and showed how closely the planes had to fly near the buildings and people:
If you love photography and are visiting Hong Kong, Sim City in Mong Kok is a must-see. Located about an hour from HKUST by public transit, this mall is entirely devoted to cameras and related gear. Whether you’re looking for antique cameras, lenses, filters, straps, or bags, Sim City has it all. I got my camera here and I visited multiple times during my stay in Hong Kong and highly recommend it to fellow travelers.
The photography class was heavily project-based, which allowed me to learn through hands-on experience rather than through lectures. This approach made the learning process engaging and enjoyable.
Our first project took us on a class trip to Kowloon City, a historic region of Hong Kong near the former Kai Tak Airport. For this assignment, we had to determine a theme and create a photo set. My group chose to photograph the diverse people we met in the city, giving us the opportunity to interact with locals and gain deeper insights into the area. We also discovered a vibrant Thai community within Kowloon City, where everyone was incredibly friendly, posed for photos with us, and had amazing food to offer. Here is a photograph of a Thai woman running a Thai lottery ticket shop:
The second and third projects were interconnected. We researched a photographer and then applied their style and technique to our own photoshoot. My group chose Ansel Adams, an American photographer known for his landscape photography and innovative use of contrast through dodging and burning, which was an early form of photo editing. We studied his motivations, the historical context of his work, and how to emulate his style using modern digital cameras and software. For our landscape shoot, we hiked the Dragon’s Back trail in the Shek O region on the southeast corner of Hong Kong Island. The view from the top was beautiful but I almost couldn’t make it back down because I didn’t bring enough water. If you were to go on a hike, make sure to make adequate preparations and don’t make the same mistakes I did. Here is the view from the top, with the photo edited to imitate Ansel Adams’ style:
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. It gave me a newfound appreciation for the camera on my smartphone and helped me realize how complex cameras can be. It also encouraged me to explore Hong Kong and capture memories through photography. After all, I can take classes on other subjects anywhere, but there’s only one Hong Kong where I can create these unique memories. Professor Chu was also an amazing instructor that was passionate in his craft. He doesn’t shy away from giving criticisms in order to help his students improve and hone their photography skills. I would highly recommend this class to anyone coming to HKUST for an exchange program, and if you do take it with Professor Chu, tell him I said hi!
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