Conservation of Heritage Through Photography Class
Why Photograph Historic Buildings? This course explores how photography can be a powerful tool for conserving and celebrating historic buildings. By capturing their architectural beauty and cultural significance, we deepen our understanding, appreciation, and ability to preserve these landmarks.
To truly protect and honour historic buildings, we must first understand them. This course follows a journey through five key stages:
Understanding – Observation – Admiration – Development – Management
Lesson 1 – Understanding Built Heritage
- The basics of appreciating architecture
- Hong Kong’s diverse historic building types
- The significant role heritage buildings play in shaping our cities (HKBHA)
Lesson 2 – Observing Through Cultural Mapping
- Analysing and observing our city
- A city’s ‘image tectonic’
- Distillation observation technique
Lesson 3 – Admiring & Capturing Character (Character Defined Elements CDEs)
- Understanding values with centred imaging
- Prioritising values using the shutter
- Introducing the Characters Defined Elements system (CDEs)
- Photography equipment selection and preparation
Lesson 4 – Developing the Spirit of Place
- Location Shoot Field trip – Mei Ho House
Lesson 5 – Managing Change
- Sharing work
Dates and times of outdoor section are for reference only and may change depending on the weather conditions. Students will be informed of the outdoor section details before lesson.
Tutor
Chan Yiu Hung (Hung A)
Hung A is a photographer and an architectural conservationist of the Cultural Imaging Workshop. He loves the beauty of heritage and diverse cityscapes. He was a UNESCO award-winning director of the HKSAR revitalisation scheme for Tai O Heritage hotel and introduced “Heritage Branding” for sustainable development. Hung A participated in La Biennale di Venezia 2008 as an exhibitor questioning “The power mapping of Hong Kong cityscape”.
He has also collaborated with AIA New York (Center for Architecture, NYC) to produce the photo exhibition/seminar “Hong Kong at 15: Expanding the Public Realm”. Holding a special interest in Hong Kong history, he researched and directed the film “The Battle of Hong Kong” for the University of Hong Kong and taught “Property Rights, Built Heritage and Sustainable Development in Hong Kong” course.
Hung A graduated from the School of Design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and obtained a BA in Photographic Design in 1994 with first class honours. He continued his studies at University of Hong Kong and obtained an MA in Literary and Cultural Studies in 1998, MSc (Conservation) in Architectural Conservation Programme (ACP) in 2009, and PhD in Real Estate and Construction Department (majoring in Film and Heritage Conservation). He is a member of the Hong Kong institute of Architectural Conservationist (HKICON), Hong Kong Institute of Professional Photographer (HKIPP), Hong Kong International Photo Festival, and is the honourable chairman of VTC Design Alumni Association as well as the convenor of the Hong Kong Built Heritage Alliance (HKBHA).
| Period | 27 June to 25 July 2025 (every Friday) No Class on 18 July 20 July 2025 (Sunday: Outdoor section*) |
| Time | 7:00-9:00pm (Friday) 2:00-4:00pm (Sunday: Outdoor section*) *Dates and times of outdoor sections are for reference only, and may change depending on the weather conditions. |
| No. of Lesson | 5 (Total of 10 hours) |
| Fee | HK$3,390 |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Course Code | ASSC-3296C-F |
| Age | 16+ |
| Entry Requirement | Have basic understanding in Photography |
