MA Arts and Lifestyle Journalism Portfolio Megan Hills

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MA ARTS AND LIFESTYLE JOURNALISM PORTFOLIO

Megan Camaya Hills megchills.contently.com


AKIF HAKAN CELEBI (@AKIFHAKAN)

Rainbow surrealism with a dash of erotica.

Scroll through a tumblr feed and you’ll be able to pick out photographer Akif Hakan Celebi’s photos from a mile away. His Lightroom’s a daydream of exaggerated colouring and out of this world contrast, creating unbelievable scenes scooped right out of a hallucination for your viewing pleasure.

I’ve been following his work for a few years and have been hooked ever since, following him from his quirky fashion shoots to his sensual personal snaps. Armed with a love of director Wong Kar Wai and a flair for improvisation, we’re lucky this Turkish/American photographer decided to make Hong Kong his home - the +852 would be a little duller without him. More on running through the desert and photography gear in our interview coming right up.


How did you get started with photography?

I was working as a cameraman for a TV station in Miami. However, the channel I was working for shut down its national operations and I was left unemployed. I had lots of free time to experiment with other fields and always interested in photography. With all the new digital gear on the market, I wanted to try it more seriously. At the time, seeing what I shot on a small LCD screen right away appealed to me and I enjoyed creating photos instantly.

You’ve got a pretty international background and moved around a bit before settling in HK. How’d you wind up here?

I’ve always been interested Far East Asia and wanted to visit. I also had some online friends from there, one of whom become a very close friend in person. She was also a photographer/model and had always told me good things about Hong Kong. She said I’d really love it here and that I should try it out.

I finally gave myself three months here to try it out and in just my second week, I decided that I wanted to base myself here for a long time. I just love the place. It fit what I want to do perfectly and the lifestyle that I want to have. After being here for the last 4.5 years, I can say it’s helped me polish and establish my own style. The work I’ve done here has helped distinguish me from other photographers. So I’m very grateful to be here.


Your work has this crazy surreal quality to it, particularly your series ‘Desert Freaks of Noah Purifoy’ (below). Drugs aside, how do you come up with your creative vision for a shoot?

That shoot was proposed to me by a friend living in Los Angeles. She told me she had many friends who are street and circus performers and that it would be interesting to shoot something at Noah Purifoy’s desert installation site in Mojave Desert. It was perfect because I’ve done similar shoots in the desert with a fashion designer of mine, so it was something familiar. As you said, I’m always interested in surreal atmospheres. I like to use locations with unusual characters placed in them to create contrast and an out of this world kind of feeling. It’s just what I like to see. I don’t think about it in detail. I shoot what I’m interested in seeing, using what I have in front of me - it’s just on-site improvisation. All the information is in my subconscious and informed by my everyday life, whether I’m observing people on the street, watching movies or looking at other’s work. So who I am and what I like reflects what I shoot, naturally. I don’t shoot photos to characterise my life, I live my life to shoot photos. It all happens organically and honestly.

On your site, you refer to your photographs as stories and every series has an almost poetic title. Do you see every project as a narrative and what kind of stories are you drawn to?

The titles and the stories reveal themselves after I am done with photo taking. I have no idea how the story will evolve before a shoot. I enter it with an open mind and have no boundaries, going where it takes me. And after the shoot is done, the story makes itself known.


Which artists and photographers inspire you?

Nobuyoshi Araki, Shuji Terayama and Wong Kar Wai are my main inspirations. But there are many other unknown photographers I do follow and have much respect as well.

I’ve noticed you’ve launched a couple of side projects where you shoot on polaroids or film. Do you feel like there’s something to those mediums that digital photography can’t offer you?

I like experimentation and surprise of polaroid or film, I never edit them. I keep and share them as they are, since I respect each film’s characteristics and don’t want to modify it. There’s a artistic depth and realness to it. I think fillm still looks much better in print than digital.


My favourite photo series is one you shot in Xitang back in 2013 called ‘Love Stories and Its Confusing Complications’ (above and left) – it always reminds me of the Chinese film ‘In the Mood For Love’ and ‘Lust Caution’. Are you quite inspired by Asian culture and film? I’ve always loved the aesthetics of Asian cinema and the mood Asian models convey. I’m very influenced by Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai’s films - the movie you mentioned by WKW (‘In The Mood For Love’)​is one of my favorite ones. Xitang is a tradional little Chinese town, so it made sense for me to shoot my model there in a Qipao.


You’ve said before you find your models on social media or just on the street. You’re always able to capture this incredible sexual intimacy in your personal photographs, how do you approach models and build that connection?

I don’t talk too much when I shoot, I’m mostly silent actually. I don’t aim to create any kind of sexual intimacy or any other vibes. I want it to happen naturally and I go along with it. It doesn’t happen with everyone: some girls are more distant, so the photos take different angles. I always manage to get best out of what they are willing to reveal.

With the rise of Instagram, camera phones and DSLRs, everyone and their mum thinks they can be a photographer. What do you think makes an amazing photographer? You need to consistently take great photos all the time and be honest with your work. I think if someone really wants to be a photographer, they have to do it full time - otherwise I just see them as hobbyists. I don’t really take them too seriously. They have to dedicate 100% of their time to photography to get my respect. Yes, it’s maybe a bit much to ask but being a true photographer isn’t easy. It takes dedication and sacrifice.


See more of Akif Hakan Celebi’s work hakanphotography.com @akifhakan

Facebook: Akif Hakan Celebi Images courtesy of Akif Hakan Celebi Originally published on SOYJournal.com soyjournal.com/en/people/post/akif-hakan-celebi-interview


WHAT IT’S LIKE FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU MET ON TINDER (We can lie about how we met.) Dating is hard, especially if you’re in a city packed to the brim with people. It’s no secret that Tinder’s become the go-to dating app for our generation and you’ll see people surreptitiously swiping left and right wherever you go, waiting for that sweet, sweet match. While any mention of the app is usually accompanied by a scoff and some offhand comment about hookup culture, here’s a few (anonymous) people who found their Tinderellas and whatever the male equivalent is of that.

THE TYPHOON 10 Why did you decide to get Tinder?

I was looking for easy hook ups at university. Since we were in a small English university town, literally everybody on it was a friend or a friend of a friend so it seemed pretty safe. Hong Kong’s a totally different scene though.

What did your Tinder profile look like?

I had some bullshit ‘message if you’re not an axe murderer’ line and got like seven or eight people messaging me variations on, “I’m not an axe murderer…I promise”. I had a few nice photos and then a random one of me in a T-rex pose to switch things up a bit.


Why did you swipe right?

I was so close to swiping left actually. He had this horrible photo with a moustache, sniffing his hairy armpit with a bizarre look on his face. I thought I’d take a chance because I was hoping it was ironic. (I still don’t know if it was.)

What was your first date like?

Chaotic, but amazing. There was a typhoon 10 that night and I wound up being like 20 minutes late because I went to LKF instead of TST.

How different was the person you dated from their profile?

Can you pinpoint a moment you fell in love?

Do you think Tinder is a good thing?

Are you still together?

There was no one else in the bar and we got on really well, just talking about films and shit. Suddenly we were downing all these long island ice teas and eventually got thrown out. We bought a bottle of 7/11 gin and snuck onto the boardwalk at midnight, which had been shut down because of the typhoon. After that, we went to a McDonalds until 3am and made out a lot. So different. He was way better looking in person. There’s also no way of knowing how much you’ll click with someone, he wound up becoming one of my best friends.

Not exactly, but I remember an important moment. It was his first Christmas alone in Hong Kong, so I bought him a shitty $60 plastic tree from a stationery store. We finished off a cheap bottle of champagne and decorated it together, which took way too long given it was only a foot tall.

I think so, especially in Hong Kong where everyone’s busy all the time and it’s hard to break out of your clique. Sure it’s superficial, but no less so than striking up a conversation with someone at a bar because they look pretty. You’ve just got to be smart about it and be safe, especially if you’re a girl. No, but it was amazing.


THE GIRL ON FIRE Why did you decide to get Tinder?

What did your Tinder profile look like?

Why did you swipe right?

I got Tinder after the end of my last relationship. I liked the user experience because of the limited customisation, which meant I could nonchalantly throw some pictures up without investing that much energy. ‘Swiping’ made me feel like I was actively trying to meet other people without worrying too much about feeling rejected. I’ve never felt I had low self esteem, but being recently single makes you more ‘aware’ of yourself. Predominantly just selfies. I think topless photos on a dating profile is a bit much...

Because she looked fire. I didn’t usually invest much time looking at people’s full profiles. Sharing the same taste in music and humour was a pleasant surprise.


What was your first date like?

How different was the person you dated from their profile?

Can you pinpoint a moment you fell in love?

Do you think Tinder is a good thing?

Are you still together?

We went to a cheap bar and had a nice conversation, then kissed and groped each other for a little bit. Standard good first date stuff, to be honest.

She wasn’t really different, just better. The limited nature of the profile doesn’t account for how comfortable you’ll be around the person on your first meeting. We clicked straight away, which is always a good sign. There’s no specific moment that stands out. I’m a very closed off person. I think I realised something was happening when I didn’t think speaking openly was the end of the world.

I don’t see how you could independently judge Tinder without taking into account all other methods of online dating. Some of the users are SUS. You’re constantly seeing articles about the terrible experiences women of colour have (well women in general, but I don’t think it’s ‘quite’ as bad for some). That’s an issue I have with the male userbase as opposed to the platform itself though. Yeah, we’re still together.

Originally published on SOYJournal.com soyjournal.com/en/life/post/ tinder-love-stories


TOP 10 HIDDEN BARS IN WAN CHAI Renowned for its crazy Wednesday nights, Hong Kong‘s bar district Wan Chai has cleaned up its act and gives its more sophisticated sister district Lan Kwai Fong a run for its money. It’s well worth heading to for a few drinks, whether you’re looking for a casual cocktail bar or a good old sports pub. Stray off the beaten circuit and check out ten of the best hidden bars in Wan Chai for a cheeky tipple.

Djiboutii This one’s a little tricky to find, but it’s absolutely worth it. Forego the Wan Chai Wednesday bar circuit and trip down an alley off Landale Street, where you’ll find all the cool cats lounging on couches and sipping on cocktails at Djiboutii. Grab their signature Djiboulini, a pear and peppercorn twist on a bellini, bask in the purple lighting and Hermes jungle wallpaper. Don’t forget to be sweet to the staff – they might even let you clamp a padlock on fence of vibrant locks outside. Djiboutii, G/F, 2 Landale Street, Wan Chai, +852 9449 0777


Ham and Sherry Located a little further afield, Ham and Sherry’s cerulean tiled entrance is impossible to miss. Instead of walking into the restaurant however, nip down the painted alley to the side to find the hidden speakeasy. It’s one of Hong Kong’s better kept secrets and the mixologists there are amongst the city’s best. With cocktails inspired by countries round the world, the quirky world map menu is the cherry on top. Ham and Sherry, 1-7 Ship Street, Wan Chai, +852 2555 0628

Delaney’s* You might have to be pretty snappish about heading to Delaney’s, as this Hong Kong institution’s shutting down this August. Tucked away on the corner of Luard Road, this raucous Irish bar is the closest thing Hong Kong has to a British pub and is naturally a favourite with the expat crowd. A pint of Guinness is quintessential here and if you’re feeling a bit peckish, there’s classic pub grub on the menu as well. It’s been around for a good 21 years, but thankfully they’ve got a couple of locations out in Pokfulam and Kowloon if you can’t make it before it shuts down. Delaney’s, G/F & 1/F, One Capital Place, 18 Luard Road, Wan Chai, +852 2804 2880

Stone Nullah Tavern Past the wet markets and Hopewell Centre lies Stone Nullah Tavern, home of the most dangerous happy hour in the city. It all kicks off at 5pm every weekday where all house drinks start at $1 and then double in price every half hour afterwards, making it the perfect place to start off Wan Chai Wednesday madness. It’s cosy, down to earth and serves up delicious American food to boot – their Mac n Cheese is to die for. Stone Nullah Tavern, G/F, 69 Stone Nullah Lane, Wan Chai, +852 3182 0128

Coyote Bar and Grill If you see people wandering around Wan Chai with sombreros, you’ll know exactly where they’ve come from. Coyote isn’t as well hidden as some of the other bars on the list, but it’s well worth making a visit to with two floors of boozy Mexican goodness. It’s one of the few places in Wan Chai you can get a fishbowl and if you’re feeling brave then you can do the worm: a shot and a half of tequila with a creepy crawly at the bottom. Wash it all down with their signature nachos and you’re golden. Coyote Bar and Grill, 114-120 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, +852 2861 2221

Scratch Scratch isn’t exactly the classiest joint on the list, but the rows of beer pong tables definitely make it a Wan Chai favourite. You’ll have to walk up a few flights of stairs (no lift, sorry) before making it to dimly lit Scratch, where you’ll be able to spend the night playing pool on one of their five tables or starting up a beer pong championship. Scratch, 2/F, 89 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, +852 2529 8080


The Pawn A favourite of the most discerning crowds, this newly renovated bar blends the best of Hong Kong heritage with cool modern chic. The Pawn reinvented an old school pawn store and made it one of the hottest spots in Hong Kong, complete with a roof garden and a balcony perfect for people watching down below. Aside from serving up some of the best food in Hong Kong (seriously, these guys aren’t kidding around), their drinks menu is nothing to scoff at either. The Pawn, 62 Johnston Road, Wan Chai, +852 2866 3444

Trafalgar Delaney’s is naturally going to leave a hole in our heart when it goes, but Trafalgar seems all set up to become its successor in Wan Chai. Hidden away in an office building in the heart of bar district, this British pub is one of the most down to earth places to grab a drink and hang out with friends. With a pool table and televisions proudly broadcasting sports games, it’s a great bar for socializing and you can bizarrely even order a shisha pipe if you’re sitting outside. See if you can grab a spot on the terrace as the nighttime chaos below is always entertaining. Trafalgar, 5/F, The Broadway, 54-62 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, +852 2110 1535


Koh Thai Follow the staircase lined with stone Buddhas and candles up to Koh Thai, where you’ll be able to take a breather at this cosy bar and restaurant. Expect a whole lot of lime and lemongrass from their Thai-influenced menu; you’ll be able to lounge outdoors under bright red umbrellas and bamboo trees while sipping on their Asian-inspired cocktails and delicious menu. For Wan Chai, it’s also surprisingly quiet and you can easily slip off to the nearby bar strip once you’re ready to party. Koh Thai, Shop 9, 1/F, J-Senses, 60 Johnston Road, +852 3160 8535

Le Bistro Winebeast If beer and vodka mixers aren’t your thing, this modest French wine bar and restaurant is a great option. Run by a group who also retail amazing French wines, they definitely know their reds from their whites and as such have a wine list to die for. It’s an unexpected oasis of calm in Wan Chai and while you might have to call ahead to get a seat, their modern French food comes highly recommended. (Tip: try the duck confit and beef tartare.) Le Bistro Winebeast, 15 McGregor Street, Wan Chai, +852 2479 6833 *Delaney’s is now shut.

Images courtesy of Djiboutii and The Pawn Originally published on The Culture Trip theculturetrip.com/asia/hong-kong/ articles/top-10-hidden-bars-in-wanchai


FILMS ABOUT HOPELESS TRAVELLERS There’s nothing that makes me want to travel more than hearing other people’s stories and luckily, there are about a million films out there waiting to tell them. I’ve come up with a list of my favourite films about travelling, including a number of utterly hopeless travellers who I relate to on a personal level below. From the quintessential American road trip to dalliances in Japan, there’s a world of experiences to be found in film. below. DIRTY DANCING 2

Just kidding. I actually liked this film once. God, what an unnecessary waste of Diego Luna and money.

THE DARJEELING LIMITED

“I want us to be completely open and say yes to everything, even if it’s shocking and painful. Can we agree to that?”

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

It took a long time for me to fall in love with this film, but now I can’t stop thinking about it. This poignant film about three estranged brothers takes its viewers to India, which is drop dead gorgeous with an Anderson-esque colour scheme and full of rattling chaos. Adrien Brody’s character is full of important life lessons about travelling: don’t expect an itinerary to give you catharsis, travel to learn about yourself rather than to escape and the best experiences are sometimes the most unexpected. Take me to India, please.

“Don’t go. I’ll eat you up. I love you so.” I’m a little in love with pretty much any film Spike Jonze creates. His dark, adult adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is all about escapism (something most desperate travellers are familiar with). A boy called Max runs away from his home life and becomes king of a place unlike any he’s ever known before, however through the magic of allegory and clever filmmaking, you begin to realise that your life follows you wherever you go – for the better and for the worse. Maybe some people might see that as a slightly depressing thought, but it’s one that I think is just so important; there are always going to be things you can’t leave behind.


THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY “To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, draw closer, to find each other, and to feel.” So pretentious. So much heart. This is a film that divides a lot of people, but it’s one that leaves you itching for a journey. Ben Stiller’s passion project takes conservative Walter Mitty out of his comfort zone and throws him headlong into a global goose chase in pursuit of Life Magazine’s cover photo. The film is absolutely gorgeous and you can feel Walter Mitty’s exhilaration every step of the way: the wind in your hair as he skateboards through Iceland, the chill of water as he plunges into the Arctic Ocean and the quiet joy of an understated homecoming.

LOST IN TRANSLATION

“Let’s promise to never come back here again. It wouldn’t be as fun.” Sophia Coppola has never made a film more relatable as Lost in Translation and the idea of feeling utterly displaced is a pretty universal one. Having been to Tokyo myself, Sophia Coppola perfectly captures the ity’s dizzying and incomprehensible beauty in unexpected shots – a taxi emerging from a tunnel washed by neon blinking lights, or a gigantic digital dinosaur walking across buildings in Shibuya. And please, like I’d forget Scarlett Johansson’s spontaneous trip to Kyoto. (Alone in Kyoto will forever feature on my writing playlist.) Sometimes the film flitters between awe and flat out exoticism which can be a little uncomfortable, but there’s a lot of love for Japan in there despite both characters’ initial reservations. Lost in Translation is a testament to the secret and utterly private relationship you can have with a city, or maybe with a certain Bill Murray. One can only hope.


THE DESCENDANTS “My friends on the mainland think just becuase I live in Hawaii, I live in paradise. Like a permanent vacation We’re all just out here sipping Mai Tais, shaking our hips, and catching waves. Are they insane? Alexander Payne’s last two films are hyper-sensitive to their surroundings; the more recent Nebraska explores the eternally dead end beauty of rural America whereas The Descendants contrasts Hawaii’s easy beauty with the raw trials of the King family. I love both, but I fucking adore The Descendants. Matt King and his family’s journey to Oahu is at once stunning and claustrophobic as he travels through a world he’s utterly conflicted by. There’s a distinctly Hawaiian sensibility about the whole film that’s both appealing and fragile despite the drama: the traditional soundtrack and sombre ritualistic final scene is hard hitting. After chatting to somebody born and raised in Hawaii, it’s great to hear Payne managed to get the details right – even down to the businessmen in batik shirts and slippers.

SPIRITED AWAY “Once you meet someone, you never really forget them.” Miyazaki was going to pop up at some point, but it was all a matter of which film was going to be part of this list. I ended up choosing Spirited Away because I personally feel like it’s got the strongest cultural sensibility, maybe aside from Totoro. More than that though, it’s about a girl being thrown headlong into a brave new world, trying to reconcile her past with her present. And Chihiro rises to the occasion with absolute grace, kindness and selflessness.


Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN “Play with babies and you’ll end up washing diapers!” Jokes about Dirty Dancing 2 aside, this is a film where Diego Luna actually shines. This Mexican coming of age film by director darling Alfonso Cuaron follows two teenage boys who’ve duped a widower into going on a road trip with them. The sexual tension practically drips off this story and it’s hilarious as well, with no small dosage of gorgeous cinematography (as expected of the guy who brought Gravity to life). As Luisa says, “Life is like the surf, so give yourself away like the sea.” Pour yourself into your journeys and the people around you, you have everything to lose and absolutely everything to gain.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE

“I’m madly in love with you. And it’s not because of your brains, or your personality. It’s because you’re beautiful. Inside and out.” This is a slightly more low-key film: the Little Miss Sunshine crew don’t set out to see places as exciting as India or Japan. However it is a reminder that even a cross country road trip can be life changing. Not only is this film hilarious, but it’s got so much heart (as well as stunning moments of darkness lurking just below the surface) with one of the best surprise twists at the end of the film. It’s a film that’s not about travelling so much as it is about a family reconnecting, with all the faulty pit stops, terrible yellow buses and waffles a la mode obstacles along the way. Images courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Studio Ghibli Originally published on Give Me Chills (personal blog) www.givemechills.com/best-travelfilms/


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