Hong Kong needs a break

Title: Hong Kong needs a break
Camera: Nikon F4
Lens: Nikon AF 35-70mm f3.3-4.5
Film: Kodak ColorPlus 200

In the last month of 2021, I'm glad I was able to pick up a new skill, film photography. I bought a Nikon F4, the same model my dad used for his professional work more than three decades ago. I self-learned how to load a film and anything else.

I must confess film photography is a complicated process: you need to choose film, know the light and speed, and catch the moment. And just a gentle reminder -- you only have 36 (or 37 if you are lucky) chances to catch the moments for one roll, and you won't know how good or bad the moment is for you until you get your film developed in the dark room.

So why do we need to go back to the basics and go back to the complicated process as we already have our smartphone to snapshot anytime easily like never before? Maybe it's because you know you have the limited times (up to 36) to catch the moments, you have to stay more focused and determinated to make that moment(s) happen.

Film photography is all about being focused, calm, and perhaps also being bold sometimes. When you shoot film, it kind of gives you a moment of zen, a new perspective to seize the moment.

"A moment could never be complete in itself, since it belonged to a context of movement and mood, and only in this context had meaning; and moreover part of this context was the observer himself, interpreting the moment in the light of his own mind -- his own personality and knowledge," writes Richard Mason in his famous 1957 novel about Hong Kong, The World of Suzie Wong. That has been my favorite line to define the uniqueness of photography since I read Mason's book more than 15 years ago.

People love to talk about NFT these days. Actually I believe film photography shares the same concept of NFT. The famous Andy Warhol used to produce very limited edition of his photography work. That did help to push up the market price in every single art auction.

Each film has its own life, or "destiny" I should say. You can easily screw up one roll for whatever the reasons could be. Film also carries a sense of mystery because you only see your work when it is fully developed. That could be several days or even months later. Time and space are all relative when it comes to film photography and to the whole journey for one roll.

I happened to catch the moment of this 7-Eleven photo when I carried my Nikon F4 on way back home in Happy Valley. I didn't hesitate at all, as I knew that was the moment and this moment could mean something.

After I got the film developed -- Kodak ColorPlus 200, in fact my very first roll since I bought the F4 and began to shoot film just about a month ago -- the 7-Eleven photo naturally became my favorite moment of the full roll. I decided to title it "Hong Kong needs a break" as 7-Eleven represents our daily life. Btw, this particular 7-Eleven shop located at 15 Wong Nai Chung Rd in Happy Valley is actually the first 7-Eleven opened in Hong Kong in 1981 on the same location.

Every photo is your point of view, about the world, people and everything and every idea around you. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Nikon made F4 in 1988. I began to learn how to shoot film in 2021.