Canadian photographer Lucan Coutts came to Hong Kong for work last year and was struck by how the city felt like “a glimpse of the future.”

“Even before I was introduced to the cyberpunk genre, I was incredibly fascinated to observe the dramatic differences in living standards; the best example is when I spotted a person sleeping underneath a highway overpass surrounded by a skyline of massive corporate skyscrapers beaming their spotlights in the air,” he told HKFP.

Photo: Lucan Coutts.

Photo: Lucan Coutts.

Photo: Lucan Coutts.

“The streets of Hong Kong tell a story that resonated with me on my very first day. High-tech, low-life.”

Photo: Lucan Coutts.

Coutts said that he was attracted to photography’s “ability to manipulate reality to match your imagination.”

Photo: Lucan Coutts.

Recently, Coutts scored a hit on social bookmarking site Reddit with a “timeslice” picture of Hong Kong’s iconic skyline at dusk. He took 575 photos at 10-second intervals over two hours: “I selected 50 photos and stacked them in Photoshop. I measured each strip and applied a mask to each layer for this effect,” he said.

Photo: Lucan Coutts.

“I’m particularly inspired by the dreamlike atmospheres that can be found in the work of some conceptual artists such as Derek Culver (an amazing artist who conveys a sense of awe and wonder through his astrophotography), in addition to Asteryx who is much more focused on showcasing city culture.” Coutts said his style is a combination of both genres.

Photo: Lucan Coutts.

“I enjoy capturing the everyday moments of the urban environment while telling my stories through the use of light and colour in my edits.”

Photo: Lucan Coutts.