Making a Moment: Tin Wong Shares His Favorite Photo

In our new article series, Making a Moment, we’re asking photographers to share one of their favorite photos that they’ve taken. We want to know the story behind the final image and everything that went into making it.

For this first feature in the series we’re talking to Tin Wong, aka @tinmaneyes, a photographer, illustrator and printmaker from Hong Kong. He first picked up a film camera over 25 years ago and fell in love with the medium right away. “It clicked with me instantly”, he told us. “I like the sound of the shutter, the feel of advancing films, the feel of the mechanical body and loading films. Everything feels so awesome.”

On Tin’s LomoHome you can find many beautiful black and white photos of Hong Kong streets that seem to emanate a sense of peace and melancholy. But today we are focusing on only one photo. It is Tin’s favorite from those he has taken recently and this is what he had to say about it:

Credits: tinmaneyes

This is when the old meets the new. The old guy is fishing in the front with the modern buildings across Victoria harbour in the background. They don’t really match each other, however I can see the harmony between both of them.

I went for a photo walk that day. I didn’t plan or think of anything. I picked two lenses in my bag, Jupiter-12 and a standard 50 mm Topcor Simlar. I like wider lenses for open areas like this photo and standard 50 mm for most street photography. When I saw this man, who is about my uncle’s age, in front of the beautiful harbour view, it clicked. I had the “older” in front of the “new” thought. I took the photo. After I developed the film and scanned it, it started growing on me. The more I look, the more I like it.

I used Leotax K with Jupiter-12 lenses on Lomography Earl Grey 100 film. The grain looks very fine to me. But I love the middle tone the most, it’s rich.

I like black and white photos because they look vintage to me. I can achieve the 30s pre-war feel by choosing the right lens, such as Fed-10. I can get nice sharp images with an Industar-50 or Canon 35 mm. And I am a filter guy. Yellow and red filters play an important part in my photography, I really enjoy the dramatic look of the filters. I used a yellow filter on this shot.

I love vintage. I love the old stuff in Hong Kong, particularly old buildings. Everything is changing dramatically fast in Hong Kong. Moving back here after 21 years living overseas, I realised there are many changes. I would like to capture the “old” before it’s too late and they are gone forever. Some of the old buildings in my photos have vanished since I started taking records.

I love the idea of new and the old co-existing together. I believe that's why people are still taking films. To me, this imperfection is the perfection.


Visit Tin Wong at his LomoHome to see more of his wonderful photography.

In this series of articles we're asking you to share the story behind your favorite photo. Interested in being featured? Email alex.gray@lomography.com with the subject line - Making a Moment.

written by alexgray on 2022-08-04 #gear #people #places #making-a-moment #black-and-white #hong-kong #vintage #filter #b-w #lomography-earl-grey-100-iso #making-a-moment #jupiter-12-lens #leotax-k

Lomography Earl Grey 100 (35mm)

Add a touch of class and contrast to your shots with this majestic black and white film.

More Interesting Articles