Walkways Over Hong Kong’s Central Business District

After exploring the Central-Mid-Levels Escalators in Hong Kong I came across this fantastic overpass on the way back to my hotel. There are plenty of these throughout the network of raised walkways that connect many of the buildings in the central business district.

It’s a great place for night photography, and with the sun setting around 1740 in Hong Kong this time of year there’s no excuse not to give it a try! A scene that may look pretty dull during the day can be completely transformed with artificial lighting at night. From a photographer’s perspective it’s like exploring an entirely new location!

I was a little disappointed at first with the lack of symmetry here, but I think that it adds an element of intrigue to the image. At first glance you almost expect the walkway to be symmetrical, and the fact that it isn’t makes you look again. That’s how I see it anyway!

Admiring The Cascade De Trainant

Towards the end of the ascent to the Refuge de Sales is this incredible waterfall – the Cascade de Trainant. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the end of the hike because I’d spent way too much time at each of the waterfalls along the way. This was the last one I had the privilege of seeing on the incredible journey.

At this point I was very glad I’d made the effort to carry my tripod uphill for two hours. If there’s a hike on which you should definitely take a tripod then this is it. And if you’re a fan of waterfalls then it’s like a dream! If you ignore some of the uphill hiking.

I always hate to leave places like this. I would quite happily sit for hours just listening to the water and watching as it works its way down the mountain. Next time I’ll be sure to start the hike a little earlier!

Getting Wet At La Cascade d’Ardent

While exploring la Cascade d’Ardent at the weekend I managed to accomplish a couple of photography firsts. Not only did I get my tripod wet for the first time, I also successfully shot flowing water in daylight with a Neutral Density filter.

During the day there is normally too much light for a longer exposure. An ND filter acts like a pair of sunglasses for your camera, letting in less light than usual. This means you can use longer shutter speeds to get a silky smooth water effect, even in the middle of the day.

Somehow this was the first occasion I had both an ND filter and my tripod at the same time in the right location. I had so much fun experimenting with the filter and the angles. I even had a few people stop and watch me carefully set up my tripod in the water. They probably thought I was crazy!

Do you often use a neutral density filter? Maybe you like to get your feet wet in a stream every now and then?! I’d love to hear from you!

Reflections At Dusk

On Friday evening I went out to shoot the sunset over Lake Geneva, which in the end wasn’t all that spectacular. However it was the first time I’ve seen the Jet d’Eau light up at dusk this year, a sure sign that spring is upon us. I have to say I was pretty excited!

I’d been out shooting for a few hours, running back and forward between different points to capture the light as best I could. When I saw the jet light up I knew I wanted to find a spot where I could get a good reflection of it in some calmer waters.

What I was not prepared for were the bats that came out of hiding, flittering about just in front of the camera lens! I was slightly concerned I might get jumpy and knock my tripod over into the water by accident, so I took a few steps back and let the long exposure work its magic.

Lake Geneva At Its Very Best

We had another great sunset in Geneva this evening, and I finally managed to get my tripod down to the lake. This meant I could take some longer exposures and really capture the reflections in the water. Fortunately the lake was calm so the moored boats were not bobbing around too much. Otherwise I would have had some pretty blurry boats in this shot!

I think I made it just in time for the best of the light, and decided to experiment with some new angles. I wanted to get up higher so I could capture more of the water below. Climbing up onto the rocky ridge beside the path gave me the prefect vantage point, allowing me to include more of the lovely reflections and Lake Geneva’s incredibly clear water in a single shot.

This is definitely my new favourite composition from this spot around the lake. Sooner or later I will have to move on and try to find somewhere better, but for now I just can’t get enough of this location!

Do you have a favourite spot you go back to time and time again? What makes it your favourite?

The City Lights At Dusk

While visiting Bangkok we stayed in the Lebua at State Tower hotel. It’s famous for being used in the Hangover 2 film, although I didn’t know that at the time of booking. This was the view from our balcony which was pretty fantastic! It was great to observe the traffic and listen to the sounds of the city from above. There’s something special about watching all of the lights come to life during the transition from day to night. It’s almost like the city changes, taking on a different personality.

Before leaving for Thailand I bought a small, flexible, light tripod that’s a bit like the well known gorillapods. It was invaluable for this long exposure which I simply wouldn’t have been able to attempt handheld. I wanted to try and give a sense of the traffic moving along the highway. It looked to be one of the main arteries into the city which I guess isn’t surprising as it spans the river. You can also see the trails left by some boats working the Chao Phraya river, which provided some of the highlights of our trip. I’ll be posting more about that soon!

What’s the best view you’ve had from a hotel balcony? Do you enjoy a good dusking? Any long exposure tips for me? I’d be happy to hear from you!

You might also like:

• Walkways Over Hong Kong’s Central Business District
• Approaching Waipiʻo Valley From A Different Angle
• Royal Seats Of Amsterdam
• Inside Geneva’s St. Pierre Cathedral