To both meet some other shooters and network I attended an outing held by the Hong Kong Photography club a few weeks back. I’m not really a social person. The idea of hanging out all afternoon with expats I didn’t know wasn’t particularly enticing. They all had cameras, so we had something in common – which in more than I can say for many Shenzhen, China expats – who sit on bar stools and wax poetic about their past lives or lecture on what is wrong with China and how they would change it.  Sorry, I digress…

A gang of 32+ togs, loaded for bear, met at the Diamond Hill MTR station in Kowloon, Hong Kong. We then moved en masse to Nan Lian Garden, a park-like public garden across the street. I wonder what ran through the minds of the those that witnessed this Canon, Nikon and Leica migration? In a rare double appearance, both the blue sky and sun could be seen intermittently that afternoon, we must have been blessed. I think both have been on an extended holiday. We walked, the group slowly breaking up as people stopped to shoot different things. Everyone was in his or her own little world where the viewfnder is  crucible.

Flowers in the traditional Chinese garden outside the nunnery

Adjacent to Nan Lian Garden is the Chi Lin Nunnery. The temple complex is a massive, 33,000 square meters of buildings, gardens and shrines. The original Buddhist temple dates to the 1930, but the complex was rebuilt in the 1980 in the style of the Tang Dynasty. All the buildings are self supporting – no nails were used in construction. ‘

It didn’t have the same temple “vibe” I enjoy, but it was an enjoyable afternoon. Maybe my justified fear of expats is receding?

This Saturday I am off to meet with some peeps from the Hong Kong Strobist group. Nine photographers, three models, and a make-up artist, with the Hong Kong docks as a back drop. Wish me luck.