This is my first time ever writing a blog, I'm not really sure what I want to do with this blog and I don't really know how to start, so why not just introduce myself. Hi, I'm Sean, or better known as stfeyes. I'm a street photographer living in Hong Kong for the past 7 years. I've been practicing photography since 2017, so just over 4 years now.
I first moved to Hong Kong in 2013, when I was 24 years old. Before I came here, I was working in the security industry in Australia. I was a security monitor, which basically means I was watching a screen and taking actions on alarms going off in peoples homes and businesses. While the pay was good, I simply couldn't take being stuck in a room staring at a screen for 12 hours at a time and in general I was not happy with the direction my life was taking. In early 2013, I decided I needed to make a change and had a "call to adventure".
I had a friend who was living in Hong Kong at the time, so I contacted him and asked him what things were like in Hong Kong. Next thing I knew I had booked a flight. I instantly fell in love with the place and as soon as I got back to Australia, I started the process of applying for a working holiday visa.
In late 2013, I arrived in Hong Kong and had accepted a position as an English teacher. Being an English teacher was fine, as far as jobs go, it's far from the worst I've had, but it still wasn't something that I could see myself building a career around. I had a creative itch, and if there's one thing that the Hong Kong education system seems to hamper, it's creativity. It wasn't until 2017, when a good friend of mine asked me to come along on a hike with him while he took photos, that I found photography as an outlet for my creativity. Back then, I was just taking pictures on my phone. It was fun, and I really liked playing around with editing on my phone.
Slowly I started seeing progress within myself. I was getting better at composing pictures and I was enjoying my time out shooting on the streets more and more. I decided it was time to take the plunge and buy a camera. When I brought this up to my wife, she surprised me by saying that she had a 10 year old DSLR under the bed, which I had no idea about! It was a Canon EOS 40D, a nice little crop sensor and perfect for a beginner. From my first "proper" street shoot, I knew I had found what I wanted to do. I wasn't any good yet, but I found myself really loving the whole process. Walking around, exploring the city, finding those states of hyper-focus - it was all very therapeutic and meditative.
Since that moment, I have been totally infatuated with the art of photography. I have met so many amazing people and connected with a bunch of incredible artists. I'll be writing more about my photographic journey, how I developed my style, share some backstories for some of my best images, some street shooting tips and more in the future.
Great first blog Sean, Ill be back for the next instalment!