Through the Lens: An Interview with Austin Bell on Hong Kong’s Hidden Basketball Courts

In Hong Kong, neon pulses like a heartbeat, skyscrapers stretch toward the clouds, and hidden in plain sight, tiny islands of color and chaos thrive: basketball courts tucked into rooftops, alleys, and quiet corners, waiting for someone to notice. This is where the American #photographer Austin Bell, with an eye for stories, spent years capturing 2,549 courts, each one alive with movement, light, and life.

Austin’s camera became a bridge between the city and the people who inhabit these courts. Some are tucked in narrow lanes, their surfaces cracked and faded, yet alive with energy from countless games played under streetlights. Others perch on rooftops, offering panoramic views of a skyline that glows as the sun sets. Every court tells a story — of sweat, laughter, competition, friendship, and the small triumphs that make life in the city vivid.

Walking through neighborhoods, Bell didn’t just take pictures; he captured moments. A teenager leaping for a slam dunk as the city glimmers behind him. Friends laughing mid-game, their shadows stretching across the concrete. Nets swaying in the wind, bathed in golden evening light. Each image frames more than a court, it frames a life, a moment, a connection between people and space.

An Interview with Austin Bell on Hong Kong’s Hidden Basketball Courts

Austin Bell wears his amazing project on a T-shirt

Courts as Windows into Hong Kong Life

The beauty of Austin’s work lies in its intimacy. His photographs invite viewers to see Hong Kong from a different perspective, where concrete and steel are not just structures, but stages for human passion. The courts are characters themselves, some meticulously maintained, others weathered and worn, each one echoing the resilience of the communities that care for them.

Through his lens, he reminds us that the heart of a city isn’t always in the obvious places. Sometimes it’s found in quiet corners, in spaces where people gather not for fame, but for love of the game, for friendship, for the sheer joy of playing. His work captures the poetry of Hong Kong’s hidden courts and shows how sport, culture, and community intertwine, frozen in every frame of his camera.

We asked him to take us behind the lens, to reveal what drew him to these hidden courts, the shots that blew his mind, and the stories that still make him grin.

Through the Lens: Austin Bell Captures Hong Kong’s Hidden Basketball Courts

Behind the Lens: Austin Bell on the Stories and Surprises of 2,500+ Courts

1. What drew you to photograph Hong Kong’s hidden basketball courts in the first place? How did the idea of capturing over 2,500 courts evolve over time?

Austin Bell: While I was exploring Hong Kong, I kept finding basketball courts with amazing color and surroundings—at housing estates, on top of car parks, and then seeing them stand out from above with my drone. After intentionally returning to shoot them for a few weeks, I kept finding striking ones and then realized I needed to find all and not miss one.

2. Was there a particular court or neighborhood that stood out to you as especially memorable or moving?

One of the first places I discovered courts was in Tin Shui Wai — it’s a relatively new area that is remote and not visited by people who don’t live there. I happened to be going to the wetlands next to it to look for birds, so I was wandering around beforehand and found a court on top of almost every car park. It was like they were all hidden waiting to be discovered.

3. Did photographing these courts change your perspective on Hong Kong or urban spaces in general?

I think I always had the idea of Hong Kong’s visual intrigue and shooting just expanded it and gave me a seemingly infinite amount of examples, while also showing me the differences in the areas of the city.

4. Did you build relationships with the people who play on these courts? Any stories that stayed with you?

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While I was shooting I really did not. The combination of language barrier and that I was usually out early in the morning shooting meant that I rarely interacted with anyone. However, during the show it was really cool to have people come visit and tell me about their local court. One guy mentioned that the first time he broke his nose at the court with the subway going over it. I thought—first time? This guy has broken his nose multiple times??

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5. Are there other hidden aspects of cities you’d like to explore through photography? Did you discover anything about yourself through photographing these courts?

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I definitely have found a lot of other things to document in Hong Kong, perhaps not as extensively as basketball courts, but I find that there are many elements of the city that are visually striking that people may not experience regularly that I am working on capturing and showing. I think if anything I just discovered that I have the drive, however maniacal or reasonable, to complete such a crazy project.

6. Do you have a favorite image from the series? What makes it special to you?

Austin: One of my favorites is the shot of the subway/MTR going over the three courts. It is very Hong Kong and just plays so much with the mind, and it was a standout on the wall in the exhibition.

Artgasmic: We appreciate you letting us see the world through your lens!

Through the Lens: Austin Bell Captures Hong Kong’s Hidden Basketball Courts

AustinBell_ShootingHoops

Yes, Austin Bell’s hidden courts are a love letter to curiosity, color, and chaos. They remind us that the world’s best stories aren’t always on the map, they’re tucked in corners, bouncing with energy, and waiting for someone bold enough to capture them.