Hong Kong airport 2 A.M(2)

2007-10-22 13:32:36 [ Big Normal Small ]    　Comment

In the early hours the mundane became shadowy and mysterious.



The plush sofas in the upper lounges had been claimed by those lacking a bed for the night. Things again stirred around 6 a.m and the airport was ready and waiting. Its opening in 1998 was chaotic due to computer glitches that lost luggage and delayed passengers. Those problems were quickly ironed out and the airport has never looked back. Its newest feature is its 4-D cinema with the largest such screen in Asia. So what do passengers think now? In August 2007 the aviation research organisation Skytrax released its international survey. The 7.8 million surveyed passengers’ principal concern was with waiting times, including security checks. Certainly Hong Kong’s security check was much speedier than the one in Auckland, where I had to empty the contents of my carry-on only to reveal the harmless telephoto lens mount that had troubled X-ray operators. Singapore’s Changi Airport had consistently topped the airport poll but this year it was relegated to second ahead of Seoul, Munich and Kuala Lumpur. Nine years after its difficult opening Hong Kong’s airport was voted the world’s best.

[Photo note: to encompass the expansive interiors I used a 28 mm wide-angle lens. Camera settings were manual and flash was not used as I was interested in capturing the ambient lighting. This was subdued so long exposures were required and as I had no tripod with me. To minimise camera shake and resultant image blurring I placed my camera on firm supports such as balconies and tables.]

Mark Berthold copyright 2007

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