Square Mile Project: Insights and Reflections
When I first encountered the Square Mile project, my initial excitement was palpable. The prospect of exploring and photographing my own neighborhood felt like a perfect fit. However, as I delved deeper into the project and discussed it with my tutor, I realized that focusing on stylistic elements was just as important as choosing an interesting location.
With this new perspective in mind, I reviewed the resources provided by the OCA and found myself particularly inspired by the works of Karen Knorr, Peter Mansell, and Venetia Dearden. Their approaches illustrated that there’s no single compelling method for this project. While I wasn’t looking to replicate their styles, their work emphasized the importance of personal interpretation and stylistic exploration.
I also explored Michael Wolf’s photography for additional inspiration, particularly his “Hong Kong Break” series. While I admired his unique perspective, I found the subject matter too narrow for the broader scope of this assignment.
For this project, I used a full-frame DSLR with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, opting for aperture priority mode to creatively control the depth of field. The 12 photographs I’ve selected aim to represent my observations of the Jordan/Yau Ma Tei area in Kowloon, one of Hong Kong’s older inner-city districts.
Picture 1: I have tried to get low to be on the same plane as the subject, the reaction of hand up is what I wanted, but ideally I would be closer.
Picture 2. Typical alley scene, tells the story of why he is there; however, feel I could be more engaged the subject.
Picture 3. A standard view, looking up from the street, have tried using a dutch angle to give some depth to the image.
Picture 4. A detail shot of torn real estate posters, used shallow DoF and diagonal to draw the viewer in – maybe a bit lacking in context.
Picture 5. Detail shot I like the colours and texture; however could be lacking in context.
Picture 6. A traditional market shot to me showing cultural variety in the area, again though not close enough and maybe not visible to the viewer.
Picture 7. Painted wall sign I find these interest from an old world perspective. Diagonals are used to draw in the audience.
Picture 8. Massage stairs very familiar sight in the area, I like how the stairs bring you on to the image of the ladies back. The white area on the right is distracting, but cropping unbalanced the image.
Picture 9. Handwritten signs are found all over the area, these like picture 7 have an old-world feel but also raises questions as what they are for.
Picture 10. Typical summer scene of tradesman in Hong Kong, hip shot, lacks some purpose as you can’t see where he is looking, the passing lady raises the question with her look but overall the overlap each other too much.
Picture 11. Detail shot from an alley while in isolation lacks context; it raises a question why are two cough mixer bottles in an air vent.
Picture 12. Sleeping residents, I like how their posture reflects each other e.g. both have shoes off.
Overall, I feel that there’s a disconnect between the detail shots and the people shots in my set. While the images do capture aspects of Hong Kong, they may not fully communicate the city’s essence to someone unfamiliar with it. As I await feedback, I’m reflecting on how to better integrate context and narrative into my work. This assignment has been a valuable exercise in exploring both stylistic choices and thematic depth, and I look forward to refining my approach based on the insights I receive.
