HKFP Lens: Lucan Coutts’ ‘timeslice’ photography of Hong Kong’s iconic harbour at dusk

Canadian photographer Lucan Coutts came to Hong Kong for work last year and was struck by how the city felt like “a glimpse of the future.”

“Even before I was introduced to the cyberpunk genre, I was incredibly fascinated to observe the dramatic differences in living standards; the best example is when I spotted a person sleeping underneath a highway overpass surrounded by a skyline of massive corporate skyscrapers beaming their spotlights in the air,” he told HKFP.

“The streets of Hong Kong tell a story that resonated with me on my very first day. High-tech, low-life.”

Coutts said that he was attracted to photography’s “ability to manipulate reality to match your imagination.”

Recently, Coutts scored a hit on social bookmarking site Reddit with a “timeslice” picture of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline at dusk. He took 575 photos at 10-second intervals over two hours: “I selected 50 photos and stacked them in Photoshop. I measured each strip and applied a mask to each layer for this effect,” he said.

“I’m particularly inspired by the dreamlike atmospheres that can be found in the work of some conceptual artists such as Derek Culver (an amazing artist who conveys a sense of awe and wonder through his astrophotography), in addition to Asteryx who is much more focused on showcasing city culture.” Coutts said his style is a combination of both genres.

“I enjoy capturing the everyday moments of the urban environment while telling my stories through the use of light and colour in my edits.”