Reflect: What is the most beautiful place that you have seen?
When he was 18, Hongkonger Kelvin Yuen Sze-lok was mesmerised by a sea of clouds at Lion Rock. Using a camera from his cousin, Yuen captured a moment that would inspire him to become a landscape photographer.
Over the next year, Yuen honed his camera skills while exploring Hong Kong’s mountains. In 2015, he became famous after winning first prize in the youth division of National Geographic’s International Photo Contest. His photo was taken at Kowloon Peak (Fei Ngo Shan), and it was titled Wild Child Chasing Dreams in the Sky.
“At that time, not many people knew about those spots. My friends and I called them our backyard,” recalled Yuen, who is now 28.
“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.”
Olympian Siobhan Haughey shares her biggest struggles and dreams
Last month, Yuen won the top prize and the title of Photographer of the Year at the Epson International Pano Awards. This is the world’s largest panorama photography competition. He beat more than 1,100 photographers from 95 countries.
Yuen is the first Hongkonger to win this award – and was also the first to win the International Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2020.
Still, Yuen continues to believe that his home city’s natural beauty is unparalleled.
“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 take photos in Pakistan and the US state of Alaska. He is also working on a long-term project documenting Hong Kong’s natural landscapes.
Dangerous journeys
In 2023, Yuen went to Monte Fitz Roy in Patagonia, Argentina to capture his recent award-winning series, “Wilderness”. During winter, the area does not have many people because heavy snowfall shuts down roads and shops. Yuen spent a year planning his trip: he had to find the necessary supplies and prepare for a month-long stay to wait for the right weather.
“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,” he said.
Despite the -20 degree Celsius temperature, Yuen headed up the mountain. The snow on the paths made the hike more difficult, and he fell into rocky cracks several times. After more than 10 hours of trekking, he set up camp on a boulder.
The next morning, Yuen’s shoes were frozen. While using his body heat to melt them, he looked outside his tent and saw the Milky Way.
“It wasn’t my original target, but since I was there, I decided to take the shot,” Yuen said. This created an award-winning photo.
Representing Hong Kong
Every year, Yuen spends a few months in Hong Kong during spring and summer to work on his local series.
“Each year, I might get only three to five good shots,” he said. “I won’t set a deadline for myself because ... I’ll only publish them when I feel they’re at their best.”
He wants to show the city’s natural beauty from new perspectives, both to locals and an international audience.
“Few photographers have worked on highlighting Hong Kong’s unique scenery,” he explained.
For anyone who wants to be a photographer, Yuen said strength and fitness were important.
“You need to be strong. To reach these remote locations, good wilderness skills are essential,” he noted.
He also advised staying true to your own creativity rather than following trends. “If your passion is genuine, that will keep you going,” he added.
Why this story matters: Kelvin Yuen is making his mark on landscape photography. His pictures show the beauty of nature around the world. He also hopes to promote the special scenery of his home, Hong Kong.
