SCAD Hong Kong: Photo essay by Rachael Horst.
This was a difficult assignment. Now, let me explain. Hong Kong cannot be summarized. I will spend my whole life explaining what my trip was like and never be able to capture all that it is. It is something that demands to be experienced. Hong Kong has my heart, it is completely unique in all that it is and has to offer. If you’re anything like me, I have stayed on the west side of the hemisphere for all of my life. So, needless to say,moving to Hong Kong was definitely a culture shock. Culture shock is the best thing that you can expose yourself to. As I have now spent almost seven months back in America, I realize how amazing and enlightening the entire trip was. I won’t lie to you, there were a lot of aspects that made me uncomfortable, but that is the beauty of it all, and it forced me into a place of growth. Hong Kong in itself has so many facets. Its long history offers so many rich cultural traditions, while the city itself offers a new modern environment. I think everyone who has the opportunity should study abroad, especially somewhere like Hong Kong. One of my favorite areas of photography is documentary, so Hong Kong was like a treasure hunt for me. From Sham Shui Po, the area SCAD is located in, to Tai-O a local fishing village, there was constantly something new and exciting to see. Overall, I know that this all sounds like your cliché study abroad speech, but, as an artist and a person, my view and perspective (quite literally as a photographer) has evolved. One of my professors in Hong Kong defined art as “an expression of the human experience.” Photography is all about perspective and seeing the photographer’s point of view. I was surrounded by people with different life stories.Taking my own human experience and others experience expanded my photographic perspective.