The challenge we have been set this week is Cityscapes, hosted by Patti on her site P.A. Moed. It’s an interesting one for me as I have spent a lot of time filming specific buildings and streets, but as I found out today, not so much time shooting the whole cityscape. I have though dug out a few of my favorites.
The featured photo I have used is of Skopje, Macedonia. This was taken just after the breakdown of Yugoslavia, and I spent quite some time working there for an aid agency. This was a special time for me, and the local people were very welcoming.
The next shots are of Hong Kong, one of my favorite cities. The first was taken in 1994, before the hand back to China.
Then this next one was taken in 2002, after China had retaken control. It was a very different city in many ways, cleaner, more organised. Although it lacked the mystic of my first trip.
I have to add this next one, the Bank of China Building is just awesome.
Then the following shot was taken in Auckland, a city I have lived in a few times along the way.
And again from a totally different perspective, evening after some rain.
This is Athens, 1999. I love this shot.
And for its absolute beauty, Istanbul.
Living in London I would normally put up a shot or two, but this has has been handled by others and probably much better than what I have.
firehorseworld 
Cityscapes around the world, Wow!! I remember this sight in Athens. Glorious Istanbul!
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Ah … Istanbul, there’s a city to escape to. All the photos are just grand and my favorite is Auckland with light rain. Somehow the beauty shows with the sun in the horizon and the dampness of the street.
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Thank you. I like that shot as well. I have lived in Auckland three times and love the city so much. I will be putting a piece up soon, It’s in my list to do.
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Nice.My, you have been around!
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Yes, I went travelling in about 94 and didn’t really stop until 2002. It was a great and interesting time. It’s only now I am making the time to write about it and get the photos up. I want my boys to be able to see the life their Dad lived.
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The photos of Auckland and Istanbul are my favourites. I don’t know any of these cities but they are places I would be delighted to go and see.
The photo of Athens makes me think of Marseille – the same perspective, the same mineral mediterranean feel.
As for Hong Kong I’ve been once (only for a day) and disliked most of my time there. This is an escape I wouldn’t plan again!
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Véro, thank you ofr the feedback. I love Auckland, and over the years have seen it evolve into almost an Asian sity which gives it more character still. I only had a few days in Istanbul, but the time spent exploring the Mosques and the Grand Bazaar were very fulfilling.
When I first went to Hong Kong it was a crazy place, there were as many people living on the streets as in the buildings it seemed. It was like LA in the movie Blade Runner to me. It changed and became more clinical after the Chinese took over. I always wonder what happened to the street dwellers.
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I like your Athens shot 🙂 All of your other photos are of places I haven’t been yet. If I had to pick a first on my list to go it would be Auckland. My guess would be that Istanbul would be the most unlike other places I have been, so that would be cool too.
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That’s the thing though, everywhere is different. IStanbul was so beautiful, I will go back one days with my boys, they would love the narrow lanes of Grand Bazaar
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Lovely gallery, Gavin. I too love Auckland, and remember it with the fondest smiles. I would love to visit Istanbul – which your beautiful shot tells me. Hong Kong is no attraction to me, but surely it must have been special to you, to visit and see the big differences after the take-over. Love that shot of Athens…frightfully smoggy when I was there, but your photo looks great.
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Thank you Leya, yes these are all cities that have special memories for me.
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…and the Bank of China looks glorious!
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Been to Athens and Turkey, not to Istanbul yet, I’m afraid, nor to Hong Kong, China…this part of the world remains a mystery. One day, who knows….I love reading about it though.
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OK. I will get you some stories then!
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Cool.
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[…] Firehorseworld and Gavin shows us some interesting shots of Hong Kong and more […]
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Thank you Leya
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