Streettogs Gallery Feature: “The Old of Hong Kong” by Gary Tyson

Eric’s Note: Streettogs Gallery is an on-going feature and intiative by Manila-based street photographer A.G. De Mesa. Check out more info here.

A.G.: Gary Tyson is a great commercial photographer and has been in different locations around the globe. He is also the co-insturctor in Eric’s previously concluded street photography workshop in Hong Kong so I was really delighted whe he sent in a link of a collection of his street photographs.

What I usually do when a collection is sent instead of a series is I try  edit properly to show things in common. It could be aesthetic similarities, strong themes, or repeating subjects. So I pointed out to Gary a subject that continually pops up in his street shots:

Elderly people.

I may not be sure if he tried to consciously seek out these elders or they just really caught his eye. But I guess is it really doesn’t matter. What counts is he sees things that interest him and takes a shot. And as an experienced working photographer, he gets the shot. That is what happens when you have a developed instinct like Gary’s.

What made this project extra interesting is that Hong Kong is a place that continuously clashes with the old and the new. In this series, we can clearly show his elderly subjects wearing modern clothing but in the background is the traditional Hong Kong. It is a simple approach with humor and you can go as far as saying it is making a statement against agelessness.

Here is The Old of Hong Kong by Gary Tyson.

Gary has an impressive and great website here which also contains his blog filled with great information and of course, good photography.

Keep sending in your works and click here for more information on how to get featured in the #streettogs Gallery.

What do you think about Gary’s work? Have you looked at your images lately and noticed a series can that be built around it? Are you also on the lookout for common themes or do you just hunt and shoot what interests you? Share your experiences in the comments below.