Ivy Choi Captures Hong Kong’s Diverse Facets with the New Petzval 80.5 f/1.9 MKII Art Lens

Meet Ivy Choi, a designer and photographer from Hong Kong, who recently took the New Petzval 80.5 f/1.9 MKII Bokeh Control Art Lens on a photo walk through the streets of the North District and Kowloon East, uncovering the city’s many layers. With a multidisciplinary background, Ivy approaches photography with openness and curiosity, capturing familiar scenes from refreshingly unexpected angles. Let’s take a look at what she found.

Hello Ivy! Welcome to Lomography Magazine! Can you introduce yourself?

Hello everyone, I'm Ivy, a designer and photographer. I work as a freelancer and am passionate about exploring the city and community. With my Sony camera in hand, I navigate the streets to discover various facets of life.

When did you start photography?

Since my student days, I have loved using a camera to document the little moments around me. I truly engaged with photography during my university years in 2016 while studying advertising design. I bought my first DSLR for a project, which marked the beginning of my photography journey. From that point on, I began to focus more on composition, aesthetics, and storytelling, continuously exploring the possibilities of photography.

How would you describe your photography style?

I’m drawn to a documentary style that focuses on street scenes and everyday life. I strive to capture authentic, emotional moments, transforming daily scenes into narrative images through composition and lighting.

How do you explore and develop your style?

I develop my style mainly through continuous shooting and experimentation. For example, I initially focused on daytime scenes, but soon discovered how nighttime and rainy weather can create entirely different moods. Now, I approach photography with an open mind, believing that as long as I have my camera, I can capture unexpected moments.

When I’m out shooting, I think of myself as a quiet observer. I prefer to move through the city without disturbing the moment, capturing scenes as they naturally unfold rather than staged compositions. Over time, I hope to create work richer in emotion and storytelling.

As both a photographer and a designer, how do these roles influence your photography style?

Being both a designer and a photographer, I embrace greater openness and possibility. Both roles emphasize the pursuit and enhancement of visual aesthetics, allowing me to appreciate and capture the beauty of the world from different angles. I also draw inspiration from others' outstanding work to enhance my own skills.

As a designer, I often focus on composition, color, and visual effects, which are reflected in my photography. I consider various presentation angles to find the most interesting perspectives and experiment with composition to shape the visual narrative. My design background also makes me more attentive to detail and overall harmony.

How do you prepare for a photography session? Do you usually plan your shoots or shoot spontaneously?

It depends on the type of shoot. If I’m working on something planned, like a collaborative or location-specific project, I’ll research the area, scout for potential spots, and make sure I’ve packed the right lenses, lighting, and gear. I’ll also coordinate with any collaborators ahead of time.

But for my street photography, I take a more relaxed, spontaneous approach. I’ll pick a general destination, then simply walk and observe, looking for elements that spark my interest and emotions. I find that if I go out with too many preconceived ideas, I risk overlooking the small, unexpected moments. I then choose appropriate compositions and angles to capture these moments. This freedom to respond to my surroundings lets me tune into the rhythm of the city. Unlike commercial work, street photography offers me a chance to relax and unwind.

What was the theme and inspiration for this shoot?

This shoot documented a round trip from morning to evening, moving between North District (Sheung Shui) and East Kowloon (Lam Tin). I participated in a tour that unexpectedly took me to Sheung Shui for photography. As a Kowloon resident, I rarely venture into the North District, so I was curious to explore. With the New Petzval 80.5 mm lens in hand, I wandered through the neighborhood, capturing its historic streets, relaxed atmosphere, charming shop cats, and hardworking scaffolding workers.

On the way back, I passed by the Lam Tin Bus Terminus, where I found historical signage, freshly painted walls, and geometric patterns that created a visual space of both old and new. I documented the scenes of passengers coming and going.

After using the New Petzval 80.5 mm lens, what are your thoughts on it?

I used the Sony A7III with an adapter and the New Petzval 80.5 f/1.9 MKII Bokeh Control Art Lens lens for this shoot. As a manual lens, it slowed me down, allowing me to fully appreciate its capturing characteristics.

What I love was the unique spiral bokeh effect, which I usually set to level 7, where the spiral becomes more pronounced, creating a stronger sense of focus and a dreamy visual atmosphere. As a standard medium focal length lens, the New Petzval 80.5 f/1.9 MKII Bokeh Control Art Lens offers versatile possibilities for my creative work.

Did you encounter any difficulties during this shoot? What were they?

The lens can also be used with Waterhouse special aperture plates, like heart-shaped, star-shaped, and diamond-shaped. During the shooting process, I not only need to pay attention to the accuracy of manual focusing, but also seek suitable light sources to highlight the unique shapes of the aperture. This requires multiple attempts to find the best angles. However, capturing the ideal effect brings a greater sense of satisfaction.

What is your favorite photo from this shoot?

My favorite photo this time is from the scaffolding workers series. The 80.5 mm focal length perfectly captures the unique aesthetics of the scaffold architecture from across the street, showcasing the distinctive features of Hong Kong. The dedication and focus of the construction workers, along with their fearless spirit, truly embody the essence of "real men at work." The interwoven bamboo of the scaffolding creates a three-dimensional grid that conveys both strength and a raw, natural texture. This combination of Hong Kong's architectural beauty and the spirit of labor presents a vivid reflection of a resilient and creative society.

Is the New Petzval 80.5 f/1.9 MKII Bokeh Control Art Lens easy for beginners to use? Do you have any shooting tips to share?

For beginners, this lens may take some time to get familiar with and master. Its special effects require practice and exploration to achieve the desired results. My advice is to shoot frequently and experiment, observing the effects under different lighting and scenes. Finding the application that suits your style is key. Only through continuous practice can you truly appreciate the charm of this lens.

Any future plans you can share with us?

In the future, I will continue to develop my identity as a slashie. Photography is a passion and a creative outlet for me, and I hope to maintain a balance between commercial work and personal projects. I aim to embrace challenges with enthusiasm and motivation, unlocking new possibilities. Next, I will think about and plan the direction of my photography series, presenting it in various ways. I hope to have more opportunities to showcase my work for a wider audience, fostering further photography exploration.

To see more of Ivy's work, visit her Instagram page.

Feeling inspired to transform everyday moments into narratives? Discover our brand-new series of Art Lenses, the Joseph Petzval Focus-coupled Bokeh Control Art Lens series.

written by nikkicheung on 2025-08-09 #gear #people #places #hongkong #petzval Share Article