Saturday, May 21, 2011

Cluttered (This week's Photo Hunt theme)



If truth be told, one very easy way for me to get appropriate photos for this week's Photo Hunt would have been to go about snapping shots of the cluttered interior of my apartment. But rather than doing that, here's presenting more interesting and colorful sights found while strolling about in Hong Kong!

Looking at those photos as well as around me as I write this entry, I got to thinking how there can be a fine line between clutter and outright mess; and how although the photographed street scene and shop store front may look to have many jumbled up elements at first glance, it also is so that there actually is an order to the overall pictures -- a method to the apparent madness, if you will.

In the case of the street scene, its cluttered "feel" comes from such a narrow vertical space having so many horizontal layers. Put another way, take away the individual store signs hanging one or more floors above street levels and the similar profusion of shop awnings that protect the space below from sun and rain and that area surely won't feel that cluttered!

As for the store in the second photo: I'm sure its manager/proprietor knows exactly what is where and will be able to locate an item from that clutter very quickly should a customer ask for something it stocks and sells (even if the customer might feel too visually overwhelmed to find it him- or herself)!

Something else to consider is that people unaccustomed to viewing Hong Kong shop displays are likely to be thrown off by how many street-level shops here have open store fronts and regularly maximize their floor and overall display space by putting things right up front. To me, this says something not only about how space is at a premium in this part of the world but, also, how unlikely it is here that someone would think to take criminal advantage of this display propensity to shoplift or run off with an item or more off those front displays -- thus showing in one more way how Hong Kong really is a place with a very low crime rate (touch wood! But, more seriously though, yes, it's something for which I do regularly feel very grateful).

22 comments:

magiceye said...

cluttered is such an urban friendly theme!
lovely take!

Anonymous said...

oh that is cluttered all right. pretty clutter I'd say.

Colin Campbell said...

These are great. Reminds me of many parts of Asia with the very cluttered look and feel of markets and narrow streets. Have a lovely weekend.

Liz said...

Nice take on the theme. And it looks like a very busy street, too.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Liz @ MLC

LifeRamblings said...

looking at your first picture reminds me of Tsim sha Tsui, the hotel where i stayed, with all those protruding store signs. it brings a lovely cluttered look.

Unknown said...

i like the busy street signs of HK. it's a dynamic city, always throbbing with energy.

cluttered

jams o donnell said...

WOw the fist photo really does give a feel for the crowded and cluttered nature of the street. It has a certain beauty and it most definitely is a great take on the theme.

YTSL said...

Hi magiceye --

Agreed re cluttered being an urban friendly theme. :)

Hi ewok1993 --

Ya, just because it's cluttered doesn't mean it's ugly! :)

Hi Colin --

I know what you mean... these are the parts of Hong Kong that don't feel so "Western"/"international" as its skyscrapers, right? :)

Hi Liz --

The street in the upper photo's not particularly busy by Hong Kong standards -- after all, it's not a bus or mini-bus route... being too narrow for that! :b

Hi Life Ramblings --

FYI, both the photos in this entry were taken on the other side of Victoria Harbour -- with the upper photo having been taken in Central. :)

Hi Luna Miranda --

Me too! :)

Hi Jams --

Glad you like the photo... and FWIW, I do think of it as very Hong Kong. :)

gengen said...

Nice entry shots. happy weekend and mine is up.

Annie said...

Nice urban landscapes. You are lucky that HK has a low crime rate, that's great.

Carver said...

I love the way city streets look full of colorful wares and the hussle bussle of passerbys.These shots are very appealing to me. Where I live some of the stores in suburban shopping areas have some of their wares outside in front of the store, especially book stores and camping supply stores. I've also thought about the safety issues but apparently it's fairly safe.

If I'd photographed the inside of my house it would have been perfect for WHAT A MESS !

YTSL said...

Hi gengen --

Thanks -- and so far, so good re the weekend... despite rainstorms more than once today. Hope you have a good weekend too. :)

Hi Annie --

Like I wrote, touch wood and all -- but yeah, I really do feel much safer here Philadelphia (probably the least safe feeling place I've lived in, actually!). A friend of mine -- now in Hong Kong but who also lived for a time in Philadelphia -- and I talk about how grateful we all to be here rather than Philadelphia almost every time we meet!

Hi Carver --

Sounds like your part of the world has low crime too. I'm glad. :)

CherryPie said...

Very nice shots for cluttered.

Susan Demeter said...

I would love to visit Hong Kong one day! A good friend is visiting as I type and has posted some great photos on his Facebook. Love the cluttered look, it adds to the charm of the city :)

peppylady (Dora) said...

Living close to a town with about 2,000 people. I believe I would find it confussing with all the sign on one street.

Coffee is on.

stan said...

Haha. I seriously think cluttered stores are an Asian speciality and characteristic!

My clutter clutter

PSST! If you are on Facebook, please help support my PHOTO ENTRY to win an iPAD for use in teaching. It only takes 2 simple steps. Thanks!

Arti said...

Great pics... So much resemblence to Mumbai!! Or indeed India!!
Beautifully captured, does full justice to the theme clutter!!
Great blog you have, look forward to more visits here...
Have a great Sunday:)

Gattina said...

Interesting clutter post !

YTSL said...

Hi Cherry Pie --

Thanks! :)

Hi Dora --

Sounds like we're almost on opposite ends in terms of the places we live in! ;b

Hi Stan --

Hmmm... in some parts of Asia, ya. But I think I can remember going into some pretty zen-stark stores in Japan! ;D

Hi Arti --

Thanks for liking the entry -- and yes, do please feel free to visit some more. :)

Hi Gattina --

Can I take it that you like the post? ;b

Rekha said...

Truly cluttered all right...but I love that...seems more like back home to me

Lew said...

One person's clutter is another person's showroom! And the small shops seem to have large inventories. Great shots for this week's theme!

YTSL said...

Hi Rekha --

So... back home is Asia, I take it? :)

Hi Lew --

Too right re small shops often having large inventories. One often feels spoiled for choice when shopping here -- even in small shops! :b