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Scavenger Lanes: Photographer captures the back alleys of Hong Kong

Since his arrival in 1995, Hong Kong has never stopped to fascinate photographer Michael Wolf. For over twenty years he has captured the hyper-density of the Asian city through his large-scale photographs of its high-rise architecture.

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Via direct submission

Via direct submission

With his latest body of work, Michael zooms into the beehive-type structures and explores their less glamorous counterpart – the back alleys. Originally referred to as ‘scavenger lanes’, they aren't exactly where you'll find the tourists and most of Hong Kong's inhabitants tend to avoid them.

At best, one might rush through them, merely as a shortcut, trying to avoid the pungent smell of waste, while turning a blind eye to rats scurrying away. But for Michael, these dark, narrow lanes that host a vast range of objects and activities, are something to be explored. In this fascinating series of photographs, we are treated to a different side to Hong Kong.

If you enjoyed these photographs, then make sure you check out Paris Roof Tops – where Michael uncovers a completely different side to the City of Light. Or visit his website at photomichaelwolf.com.

Red rubber gloves and a blue plastic sheet hang on a clothesline next to a yellow hose against a tiled wall in a Hong Kong back alley
Colourful wire coat hangers in red, white and blue stacked against a weathered concrete wall next to a red pipe in a Hong Kong back alley
Red-handled brooms and cleaning tools arranged against a weathered wall and metal door in a Hong Kong back alley
Weathered cream-coloured plastic pipe and electrical conduit mounted on a deteriorating turquoise and grey concrete wall in a Hong Kong back alley
Orange and blue shoes with textured soles lean against a concrete pipe, beside a red ribbon tied around a metal object on a weathered concrete wall
Two blue plastic chairs sit against weathered brick walls in a narrow Hong Kong back alley with a red traffic cone and graffiti visible on the ground
Red fire hose coiled on a weathered wall alongside a red brush and wooden pole in a Hong Kong back alley
Two wooden poles forming a cross inside a narrow Hong Kong back alley with weathered grey-green tiled walls and mops hanging from the structure
Weathered white tiled wall with a black-framed window, metal pipes, air conditioning unit and a small potted plant in a Hong Kong back alley
Three dated photographs showing narrow Hong Kong back alley entrances with white rope lines and mops strung across doorways, taken between 2014 and 2015
Orange plastic basins and metal pipes mounted on a grey brick wall in a Hong Kong back alley, with a black umbrella and red tool visible
Overhead view of a concrete wall with industrial pipes, valves and various plastic containers arranged in horizontal rows in a Hong Kong back alley
White fabric strips tied in loops hang across a dark metal grille in a Hong Kong back alley, with blurred interior space visible behind
Tangled bundle of colourful electrical wires and cables wrapped around a metal pipe in a Hong Kong back alley
Cleaning mops with grey yarn heads hang from wooden handles mounted on a grey metal wall in a Hong Kong back alley
A large black gloved hand sculpture rises from a cluttered Hong Kong back alley lined with bins and air conditioning units
Red gloves and blue umbrella hung on metal pipes against a weathered concrete wall in a Hong Kong back alley
Blue flip-flops and black shoes hung on yellow wires against weathered wooden poles in a Hong Kong back alley
Weathered industrial pipes and cylindrical metal structures stacked in a Hong Kong back alley, with bare branches and coloured fabric visible above
Six pale stone hands rest on weathered horizontal slats in an alleyway in Hong Kong
Colourful plastic gloves and rubber boots arranged against a corrugated metal shutter in a Hong Kong back alley
Pink rubber gloves pegged to colourful wire coat hangers arranged in a tree shape against a weathered concrete wall in a Hong Kong back alley
Two white plastic chairs sit on concrete steps against a corrugated metal fence in a Hong Kong back alley, with palm trees and apartment buildings visible behind
A narrow tiled shower cubicle with an X-shaped wooden pole and two mops hanging from its ends in a Hong Kong back alley.
Crushed cardboard box lying against a tiled wall in a Hong Kong back alley next to a drainpipe
Pair of black leather ankle boots with wooden heels resting on a rusted metal pipe against a weathered concrete wall in a Hong Kong back alley
Weathered metal drainpipe and worn concrete steps in a grimy Hong Kong back alley, with moss-covered tiled wall and cream-coloured cardboard box on lower steps
Red fire hose and brush mounted on weathered grey wall in Hong Kong back alley
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