In 2014, Hongkonger Kelvin Yuen Sze-lok stood atop Lion Rock, mesmerised by a sea of clouds. Using a second-hand budget camera, Yuen, who was 18 at the time, captured a moment that would set the course for his future as a landscape photographer.
Over the next year, Yuen honed his photography skills on Hong Kong’s mountains. On Kowloon Peak (Fei Ngo Shan), he took Wild Child Chasing Dreams in the Sky, which shot him to fame as he won first prize in the youth division of National Geographic’s 2015 International Photo Contest.
“At that time, not many people knew about those spots. My friends and I called them our backyard,” he recalled.
“We’d go there after school to take sunset photos and casually capture our daily lives on the mountains ... The photo I took there wasn’t planned or staged.”
Now 28, Yuen has ventured into some of the world’s most stunning landscapes, from Patagonia’s peaks to Death Valley’s dunes, to capture sublime natural scenes.
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Last month, Yuen clinched the top prize and the title of Photographer of the Year at the prestigious Epson International Pano Awards, the world’s largest panorama photography competition. He beat more than 1,100 photographers from 95 countries with his wilderness shots in Patagonia, Tibet and Guilin.
Yuen is the first Hong Kong photographer to win this title – and was also the first to win International Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2020.
Even after traversing many landscapes across the globe, Yuen finds unparalleled beauty in his home city. The Unesco Global Geopark’s unique hexagonal rock columns are his favourite place to shoot in Hong Kong.
“The geopark’s coastlines are incredibly distinct. Even after visiting Spain, the UK or Australia, I found that their coastlines couldn’t compare to Hong Kong’s,” he said.
Looking ahead, Yuen plans to explore more remote spots in Pakistan and the US state of Alaska. He is also working on a long-term project documenting Hong Kong’s natural landscapes.
Dangerous expeditions in wilderness
After the first three years of honing his craft and submitting his photos to international contests, Yuen began receiving invitations for overseas shoots. He started to focus on snowy landscapes and learned how to refine his artistic approach from international photographers.
In 2023, Yuen braved the harsh winter at Monte Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Argentina to capture his recent award-winning series, “Wilderness”. The region is largely deserted in winter due to heavy snowfall, which shuts down roads and shops. Yuen had to plan his trip a year in advance, sourcing supplies and preparing for a month-long stay to wait for the right conditions.
“The ideal time to capture snowy landscapes is right after the first snowfall, and that moment doesn’t last long. After waiting for a couple of weeks, a ... window appeared with a big snowstorm.”
Amid the -20 degree Celsius temperature, Yuen packed 25kg of camping and camera gear and set off. The snow-covered paths made the hike up the mountain twice as long, and he fell into rocky crevices several times. After more than 10 hours of trekking, he set up camp on the only boulder perched on a cliff.
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The next morning, Yuen’s shoes had frozen solid. While using his body heat to thaw them, he glanced outside his tent and saw something unexpected – the Milky Way.
“It wasn’t my original target, but since I was there, I decided to take the shot,” Yuen said.
On this trip, Yuen took on another risky challenge to photograph a mountain that had never been captured before. Although the journey usually takes two to three days, he had only about 10 hours of favourable weather for the 20km round-trip trek. Even after his companion’s crampon broke near the final cliff, Yuen pushed on alone.
“I had to hike non-stop for 24 hours, set up the drone, and capture the shot just before the storm hit,” he noted.
His determination kept him going: “I needed to reach that specific spot. I focused on solving any problems to get there, rather than thinking about how difficult it might be.”
Representing Hong Kong
Yuen’s work reflects a rare blend of technical expertise, artistic vision, and a deep love for nature.
Lately, he spends a few months a year in Hong Kong during spring and summer to work on his long-term series.
“Each year, I might get only three to five good shots,” he said. “I won’t set a deadline for myself because this series of photos showcasing Hong Kong is worth pursuing, and I’ll only publish them when I feel they’re at their best.”
His goal is to present the city’s natural beauty from new perspectives, both to locals and an international audience.
“When we think of pristine snow-capped mountains in Europe or America, photographers have already captured those landscapes beautifully,” he said. “But in Hong Kong, there’s a lack of similar imagery. Few photographers have worked on highlighting Hong Kong’s unique scenery.”
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“I also want to showcase the seasonal changes here – whether it’s the dramatic cloud formations in spring or the vibrant sunsets in summer,” he added.
For aspiring photographers, Yuen noted that physical endurance is more crucial than photography skills for this line of work.
“You need to be strong. To reach these remote locations, good wilderness skills are essential. Photography itself becomes secondary,” he said.
“Another key aspect is your sense of aesthetics. Without a strong sense of beauty, you won’t know where to go, what season to shoot in, or what concepts to pursue.”
Yuen advised staying true to your own creative vision rather than following trends: “If your passion is genuine, that will keep you going for the longest time.”
Stop and think: What is the most challenging part of Kelvin Yuen’s work as a landscape photographer?
Why this story matters: Kelvin Yuen is making his mark in landscape photography, showcasing the beauty of nature around the world. He also hopes to highlight the unique scenery of his home, Hong Kong.
