Blair Sugarman

The colourful glow of neon signs was once ubiquitous on the streets of Hong Kong – turn a corner and you would often encounter the lights of large, electric signage illuminating the streets from overhead. It was a veritable paradise for street photographers, many of whom took to the streets in the later hours to document both the signs and the local life that unfolded underneath them.  In recent years, increased building regulations have resulted in the takedown of many iconic neon signs, casting a (literal) shadow over the streets above which they once stood, and the future of night street photography in Hong Kong. Despite their rapid disappearance, several key neon signs remain, serving as worthy pilgrimages for those who wish to bask in their glow.  Photographing these signs is definitely an activity worth doing whilst you still can – neon signage not only represents the heritage of the city and the businesses that built it, but they also serve as 'locational identifiers', specific objects that add uniqueness to your images by providing geographical context and narrative for the scene shown in your photos or videos. The unnatural colours look incredible on a visual medium, providing the beloved 'cyberpunk' effect that many creatives desire in their images. With this in mind, I’ve done the heavy lifting for you. Rather than digging through Instagram to find a location, only to turn up to discover that the neon you wanted has been removed, take a look at the guide below for

Hong Kong is undeniably photogenic, but not everyone wants the same shots of the city. Don’t get me wrong, a stunning shot of the Aqua Luna crossing the harbour against the backdrop of a stunning sunset and glittering skyscrapers is certainly worth capturing – I’d definitely recommend taking an evening to do so. However, sometimes you want something different, more special, and well, a little more… unique. Whilst sunlight and sunset are literally the best light in which to capture our vibrant city, this metropolis has many more places in which you can capture the best that is on offer; from interactions between people to towering megastructures to quiet moments that provoke contemplation.  In this article, I’ll share with you some of the more select hidden locations where you won’t run into large groups of tourists, but can still come away with some beautiful shots that you won’t see every other person posting on social media. This article was written by Blair Sugarman, a multi-disciplinary photographer based in Hong Kong. His work focuses on capturing the architecture of urban environments from the air, and the more intimate moments that unfold within them from the streets. At Time Out, all of our guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.