At the time, I was fortunate and I knew it.
From 1991 to 2001, I would get on a plane and fly off to a country or region which sounded exotic and exciting, to make photographs for my Photonica, my wonderfully photographer-friendly stock agency at the time. In addition, a small selection of the images that I would make would also be used for a calendar by the shipping giant, Maersk. A few of the places that I photographed were the Canadian Rockies & Denali, French Polynesia, Patagonia, Western Europe and Africa. Those were definitely the "good old days"!
It was in 1995 that I traveled to Hong Kong and China, when it was still a British colony. Two years later it became one of two Special Administrative Regions (SARs) of the People's Republic of China. (The other is neighboring Macau, which I also visited.)
It was one of my favorite trips, but it was also one of the most difficult, because in those days I would fly into a major city, stay a few nights and plan the next parts of my trip from there. The circumstances were much more difficult in China, as I did not speak Chinese, nor did I have a guide. What an adventure! Fortunately I had worked hard to also get a corporate assignment by researching corporations that were doing business there; I found a client who was involved in the massive construction project that would become Hong Kong International Airport, or Chek Lap Kok Airport. That assignment helped to underwrite the trip.
The stock images from that trip still sell today, but it's been fifteen years, and it's time for another adventure.
On May 9th, I will fly to Hong Kong for two weeks, to make new photographs and to experience this bustling city once again. During my first visit, I was amazed at how dense Hong Kong was, and I was awestruck by the vibrant activity & colorful culture that was everywhere and I'm looking forward to going back.
(This time it will be a pleasure not to worry about hauling lead bags filled with more than 250 rolls of 35 mm film through airports; and the cumulative effect that x-ray machines might have on my film.)
Stay tuned and please email me know if you have any great tips regarding hotels & restaurants.
