Inspiring locations for creative photography: My top 5 spots in Hong Kong.
- scapuzzimati77
- Nov 4
- 5 min read
Hong Kong is a paradise for photographers (yes, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again). The city is full of places that invite you to push your creativity and see the world differently through your lens.
Over the years, a few of these places have become my constant sources of inspiration, places where I lost track of time, experiment without limits, or simply watch the city vibrating.
I realized I return to them more often than others, probably because they gave life to some of my favorite shots.
So here it is: my list of top 5 spots for creative photography in Hong Kong (a tough selection, it could easily be much longer…).
1. Portland Street — The city that refuses to sleep
If I have to name a place where my shutter button has probably begged for mercy, it’s probably Portland street.
Portland street is a long road that stretches from Prince Edward to Yau Ma Tei: the section starting right after Langham Place (one of the coolest shopping malls in Hong Kong) heading towards Yau Ma Tei is probably where you’ll get the true essence of the city. It’s packed with small shops, local eateries and the iconic neon signs that, once the sun goes down, transform the whole street into a glowing, cinematic version of Hong Kong.
Sadly, many of those neon signs in Hong Kong have now been taken down in the last few years, replaced by LED ones that have all the charm of a screensaver, but Portland Street still remains one of the most iconic places to feel the city’s unique energy.
At night, the whole place becomes a visual symphony. Red, green, blue: every light sings its own note, bouncing off the walls, the cars, the asphalt.
This is where street photography turns into something really exciting: spontaneous, improvised, full of surprises.
2. The Pedestrian Bridge over Nathan Road — My “Blade Runner” terrace
There’s a moment, standing on the bridge over Nathan Road, when you realize you’re inside a movie you didn’t plan to shoot. Below, a river of taxis and buses; above, the towers pulsing with neon signs and other lights. The air feels electric and the horizon dissolves into hundreds of hues.
This is where I took my “Blade Runner” shots, a series that still surprises me when I look back at it. This scenario for me offers its best while raining, with the wet asphalt mirroring the taxis, cars and buses passing by and the crowd of people with umbrellas rushing to cross the street.
It’s an easy spot to find but a hard one to master. You need to wait for that perfect traffic rhythm, that precise combination of red and cyan reflections. The longer you stand there, the more the city starts to resemble its own sci-fi version.
It's covered, so it's a perfect spot for a photo session during a rainy night: however, rain in Hong Kong might fall horizontally sometimes (yes, it does!), so watch your equipment, bring lot of patience and maybe a Vangelis soundtrack in your headphones.
3. The Pedestrian Bridge in Mong Kok — Umbrellas, Chaos, and Night Mood
Yes, this is the 3rd spot in Kowloon side, I know, but it's not my fault if (at least for me) some of the most iconic places of this city are in what the locals affectionately call the "Dark Side".
There's another pedestrian bridge in Mong Kok overlooking a small fresh market, where colourful umbrellas spread like urban flowers in bloom. The bridge gets packed on weekends, where hundreds of happy maids sing, eat and laugh, enjoying their well-deserved day off, so you’ll have to elbow your way to a decent shooting spot.
But once you find it, you probably won’t move for hours: the umbrellas aren’t just sunshades, they’re part of the choreography, catching light and reflecting the mood of the weather.
Here I played a lot with camera movements, trying to add a sort of surreal rhythm to that chaos.
The bridge itself is also a good source of inspiration, with its symmetry and all that crowd constantly moving, so go there and enjoy shooting.
4. M+ Museum — A Playground for Minimalists
Across the harbour, the M+ Museum offers the perfect counterpoint to Kowloon’s visual chaos. Here, everything is composed, geometric and absolutely photogenic.
The building is a relatively recent construction in Hong Kong, designed by the famuos archistars Herzog&De Meuron and it's like an architectural meditation, a dialogue between shadow and form. Walk around it and every few metres the geometry changes. Lines split, converge, or get swallowed by reflections.
The exterior is rough concrete, a unique bamboo-like cladding and glass. Inside, the light filters in slow, precise and introspective. I love capturing the human scale here: a silhouette framed against the skyline through the window or a couple walking next to the concrete walls and here is where I train my minimalist photography skills.
Perfect also for black and white photography, here I like playing with the rough textures of the concrete. This is one of the few places in Hong Kong where even standing still and staring at a wall feels like a creative act.
5. Mei Foo park — Free models and weekend rituals
Yes, this is also on the Kowloon side, but what can I do? Some things just can’t be ignored. Every Sunday, Mei Foo park becomes Hong Kong’s biggest open-air photo studio. Groups of girls (most of them Indonesian) show up with makeup and super creative dresses.
They pose for photographers (...and probably getting paid by some of them) but if you sneak around carefully, they’re usually happy to pose for you for free. One minute you’re a casual observer, the next you’re walking home with portraits that look like they belong in a magazine.
I also use this spot to practice multiple exposure with portraits and a few of these shots have become some of my favorite.
Conclusion
None of these spots are hidden. They don’t require special access, secret rooftops, or dramatic climbs. They’re open and public and that’s what makes them inspiring.
I've picked some of my favorite ones and realized they're all in Kowloon side, so, maybe one day I'll write another list giving some justice to the Island side as well (...there are a lot there too!).
And you? What are your favorite spots for practicing your photography skills?
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