tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71085604061719514622024-02-09T04:20:53.280+08:00David Brown PhotographyThe photographic adventures of a passionate photographer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-85301861835844081182009-09-16T18:09:00.005+08:002009-09-17T19:12:50.753+08:00We've Moved!Check us out at<br /><br /><br />http://davidbrownhk.com/<br /><br />And feel free to leave any comments and ideas. There won't be any new posts going up here, to avoid duplication, but check out the new address for all our new material, and a much better looking blog overall.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-5673845235136498852009-06-04T09:15:00.005+08:002009-06-04T09:44:46.537+08:00Xiao Long Bao in the steamer<div align="center"><a title="Xiao Long Bao in the steamer by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3542438896/"><img height="500" alt="Xiao Long Bao in the steamer" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3618/3542438896_9f21fc3350.jpg" width="332" /></a></div><br /><div align="justify">Little Dragon Dumplings. More like a little gift from heaven, these things: pork and some soup stock which is chilled until it gets to a kind of jelly consistency, and then wrapped into a dumpling. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">When it's heated, the soup stock obviously gets liquified, and a taste explosion ensues. Just make sure you work out how hot that stuff inside really is, though: my first Xiao Long burned the hell out of my mouth, and eveyone at the table was watching my reaction to eating this Chinese delicacy, so there was no unobtrusive way for me to help myself out of the fire. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I just said my eyes were watering because of the deliciousness. Not sure they believed me, though. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">This shot was taken near Tian Dzhe Fun in Shanghai, of a street Xiao Long Bao seller's stall. I was excited at the find, bought 3 of them, took a bite, and found to my surprise that there was fish in them. Or crab. Or something vaguely piscine. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">And to have that taste hit you when you're expecting pork isn't a happy sensation. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I like the shot, though. Looks better than it tastes, that's for sure.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">This shot hit #61 on Flickr's Explore page on the 18th of May 2009. Nice one, guys, thanks a lot for your support. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-50886287705888606532009-04-22T14:59:00.003+08:002009-04-22T15:10:06.206+08:00Zhezhiang fairytale<div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3452421586/" title="Shanghai (499 of 712)-2 by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3367/3452421586_f0d9d2b423_o.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt="Shanghai (499 of 712)-2" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="justify">Walking through the narrow lanes that make up Zhezhiang, you get to see alot of traditional crafts being put on for the tourists. Most make you feel like you're wandering through a kind of low-budget Disneyland, and the crafts are totally put on show for you. But one area had people who were spinning silk from silkworm cocoons the traditional way, and making shoes, clothes and quilts out of it. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">The stuff they were making was pretty high quality, and the methid employed were certainly unmechanized. But the most striking thing about the scene was the atmosphere: felt like I had slipped down the rabbit hole and ended up in a fairy tale, something like Sleeping Beauty or Rumpelstiltzkin. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">The work of a few seconds to lift out my Nikon D300 and grab a few frames. I'm not even sure they knew I was there. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-23869398496117791282009-04-21T15:42:00.005+08:002009-04-21T16:02:50.067+08:00The view down the alley<p align="center"><a title="Shanghai (581 of 712)-2 by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3459576684/"><img height="1024" alt="Shanghai (581 of 712)-2" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3459576684_308ee631bf_o.jpg" width="680" /></a></p><br />Walking down a lane in the Tian Dze Fan artists area of Shanghai. Saw this scene, and something struck me about it. Didn't last for a long time, but since I was surgically bonded to my NIkon D300 on this trip, it didn't take a moment for me to get set and roll.<br /><br />Not sure what caught my eye here, but I think it was the fact that each house in the little lane here had a washing bar stuck out over the lane, and that gives a nice set of lines at the top of the picture which disappear into the distance, and contrast to the two sets of parralels which run down the corners of the shot. Whatever it is, I came back from a trip with at least one pic that both looks and feels like you're there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-15160962055531577482009-04-20T15:44:00.002+08:002009-04-20T15:51:19.870+08:00Sticky situation<div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3446939593/" title="Traditional Chinese candy by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/3446939593_728c8fd760.jpg" width="332" height="500" alt="Traditional Chinese candy" /></a></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="justify">This is a string of sugar that allegedly came from wheat, if my translation serves. It was being worked into a VERY sticky candy in a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">traditional</span> Chinese method at a candy store in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Zhezhiang</span>, near Shanghai. </div><div align="justify"><br />The man who was working with this mess kept grabbing that stick, pulling the sugar out into a long line rather like you stretch a piece of gum, and then winding it back together. I bought some of the end result, but didn't enjoy it: way too sugary and so sticky I couldn't talk for at least 15 minutes. Toffee has nothing on this stuff. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3451602789/" title="Shanghai (416 of 712) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3318/3451602789_e03bec9f16.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Shanghai (416 of 712)" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3451604603/" title="Shanghai (426 of 712) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3331/3451604603_91ca1af127.jpg" width="500" height="332" alt="Shanghai (426 of 712)" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-20186466972433035352009-04-17T11:43:00.002+08:002009-04-17T11:48:24.428+08:00It's Friday! Time to break out my happy shoes!<div align="justify">And here they are:</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3447754744/" title="Shanghai (504 of 712)-2 by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3601/3447754744_b390273c9a_o.jpg" width="1024" height="680" alt="Shanghai (504 of 712)-2" /></a></div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">This was shot in a craft store area in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zhezhiang</span>, a Ming-dynasty era town near Shanghai. Filled with canals, crafts and ancient houses and structures, it's well worth the visit. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">As I was walking down one of the narrow lanes between the buildings, I noticed these traditional Chinese children's shoes in a store. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Irresistible</span> image.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-255822491645421442009-04-16T15:50:00.011+08:002009-04-16T19:21:37.252+08:00On the back of the Bund<div align="justify">Spent a lot of time walking round the streets of Shanghai. Since I resisted the urge to pack <em>all </em>the gear I thought I could use, and restricted myself to my Nikon D300 and a 50mm 1.4 slung over my shoulder, and an Sb-800 flash (which I strapped to my belt, embarrassingly) I was travelling light and had everything ready all the time. </div><br /><div align="justify"> </div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Using this rig, I also got to know the variations of that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Nikkor</span> 50mm pretty damn well in all the F-stops: where the sharpness was a little lacking, where it was so damn sharp you could cut yourself, how it reacted to bright light at midday, and when it struggled to focus in the dark. No changing to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">a lens</span> that would be more suited to the conditions: if I wanted the shot I had to work to make it happen. Realised that sometimes limitations are really <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">liberations</span>. Plus it's really small and light, and although it's a little tight on a crop sensor, it's great for people and for isolating parts of the image. I stuck a circular <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">polarizer</span></div> on the front of it to enhance in the usual way, but also to act as a neutral density filter and give me 2-3 stops of grace in the midday sun, and it worked like a charm.<br /><div align="justify"> </div><br /><div align="justify">One thing that struck me about Shanghai was the juxtapositions: drab grey concrete pavements with the colour explosion of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Tai</span> Chi class going through their movesin front of it. Young beggars on the old glory of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bund</span>. It's often all mixed up there, and I'd find myself decoding a completely different story to the one my wife was looking at, although we were looking at the same scene. And amid the feeling of new prosperity, there was the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">constant</span> reminder that life is still really tough for many people there, and for many their next meal is in no way guaranteed.</div><br /><div align="justify"> </div><br /><div align="justify">Just behind the post office on the Bund, in an area filled with monuments to money - the old money of the original Bund buildings, all granite marble and brass, and the new buildings that call out to them from Pudong, across the Yellow River - I stumbled on a lean-to with a tiny kitchen, a bed, and some clothes. Nobody was around, but someone calls that place home. I didn't intrude, just grabbed some shots from the pavement, and went on my way. </div><br /><div align="justify"> </div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3444916158/" title="The back of the Bund by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3663/3444916158_7a72c4b475_o.jpg" alt="The back of the Bund" width="1024" height="597" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3444917404/" title="Shanghai (22 of 712) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/3444917404_ac43645c70_o.jpg" alt="Shanghai (22 of 712)" width="1024" height="680" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3444098517/" title="Shanghai (21 of 712) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3444098517_28e483c26e_o.jpg" alt="Shanghai (21 of 712)" width="1024" height="680" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-5701176175546526882009-04-15T14:26:00.005+08:002009-04-15T17:15:14.832+08:00Back from Shanghai.<div align="justify">You may have noticed the lack of posts recently. Took a great Easter weekend out in Shanghai. Back at work today, and feeling lot like this:</div><br /><p align="center"><a title="Fast food? by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3442048828/"><img alt="Fast food? " src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3366/3442048828_8598e80c3b_o.jpg" width="1024" height="680" /></a></p><div align="justify">This is a shot of a fast food vendor in the old section of Shanghai, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Yu</span></span> Gardens (or to give its Chinese name, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Yu</span></span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Yuen</span></span>) area. Crazy place, Shanghai, and surprisingly old world: much of it remains <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">the</span> same as it was in the Ming Dynasty. Anywhere else that I've been in China seems to be about 20 years old, tops. The Cultural Revolution did a great job of erasing the past, and rampant industrialization and economic development have finished the job off. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">But not in Shanghai and the surrounding countryside, and the city gains a lot for it. Travelling around <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Shenzhen</span></span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Guangzhou</span> can be a depressing experience: miles of industrial compounds and heavy industry, which has changed the landscape from green to grey. Shanghai and the area around it was refreshingly beautiful (well, parts of Shanghai, anyway: some parts are quite depressing as well). </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Speaking of the pic above, I'm not sure if that makes anyone hungry. Seemed to be a popular snack, though: beef balls in noodle soup. I think the reason they put the skull in there was to infuse essence of beef into the soup stock. Maybe it was just a neat way of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">advertising</span>: I wasn't having any, but then I went to Shanghai looking for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Xiao</span></span> Long <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bao</span></span>, which they had in abundance. Just that most of them were made of hairy crabs, not pork, and that's a nasty surprise to get sprung on you: expecting pork and you get a fishy-tasting hairy crab ball. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Got lots of food shots of Shanghai, too, which are going to go up here soon. More posts, many many more posts, to follow. I made a lot of images out there, and now I'm slowly going through post. Which is another reason I feel as if my skull is immersed in a vat of boiling water.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-37154530086135094362009-04-06T17:41:00.005+08:002009-04-06T18:43:08.806+08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3411510452/" title="The view from my fire escape by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/3411510452_e941d4c36c_o.jpg" alt="The view from my fire escape" width="1024" height="680" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Took out the trash yesterday. The communal bin and the recycle bins are out on the landing of the fire escape. I've lived in this building for nearly two years, all told, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">and</span> taken the trash out plenty of times. I've never looked out of the window in there.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Not sure I did, yesterday. Glad I did, though, 'cos there is something about the view out ther that grabbed me. Went inside, grabbed my Nikon D300 and the Nikkor 50mm 1.4 that'always on it these days, and took a few frames.<br /></div><br />Liked the result.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-33137493111044406552009-04-01T09:32:00.008+08:002009-04-01T23:05:05.919+08:00Busy, and busy planning for Shanghai!<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/472297513/" title="My desk: 25th April 2007, around six o'clock. by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/208/472297513_6064e354b8_b.jpg" alt="My desk: 25th April 2007, around six o'clock." width="1024" height="688" /></a><br /></div>Madness right now. I'm just trying to finish my first chapter of my M. Phil. thesis on Joseph Conrad. So my desk looks something like this again, although this is an older photo from when I was doing a proposal for a different academic project (and, surprisingly, it's my second most popular photo on flickr. Messy desks seem to resonate with people...). But work like this really eats into the photo time, you know? I've got to get it done this week, though, especially because I've decided that next week, during Easter, I deserve a break, and I'm heading off to Shanghai. </div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Never been there before, although I've been living in Asia for ages, and in China for between 5 and 8 years (depending on your definition of China: I lived in Taiwan for three years before moving to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Hongkers</span>). So I'm totally excited at the prospect. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">This means I get to play my favourite <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Flickr</span> game: plan-your-trip-by-using-our-search! <a href="http://davidbrown-photography.blogspot.com/2009/03/shibuya-crossing-at-night.html">(I outlined it in yesterday's post)</a>. And there are some crazy <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">photogs</span> in Shanghai. I've stumbled across these folks already: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lifemagic/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">lifemag</span></a>e, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/theshanghaieye/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">theshanghaieye</span></a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tommyoshima/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">tommyOshima</span></a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Still working out the details, obviously want to take in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bund</span> and the view of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Pudong</span>, but not 100% sure about what's available in Shanghai, so I'll be doing more research on this during breaks from my <em>other </em>research. If you have any ideas or recommendations of what to do in Shanghai, give me a shout out in the comments section.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Gear wise, I'll have to travel quite light, and I'm toying with the idea of just hooking up my Nikon D300, a 50mm 1.4 and a 20mm. Only. No zoom, no macro. Not even a flash, maybe. Just want to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">unencumber</span> and focus on getting great people and street shots with these to tack-sharp, creamy-buttery-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">bokeh</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">nikkor</span> lenses. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-10193617519843363482009-03-31T11:52:00.006+08:002009-04-01T23:02:41.737+08:00Shibuya Crossing at Night: /\ltus's Tokyo.<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/altus/309451832/"><img style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); width: 467px; height: 354px;" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/110/309451832_5c7b91d189.jpg" width="450" height="374" /></a><br /><br /></div><span style="margin-top: 0px;font-size:0;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/altus/309451832/"></a></span><strong> This image taken by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36015194@N00/">/\ltus, check him out on Flickr.</a> </strong><br /><br />Before I went to Tokyo, I did a Flickr search of the places I would be going to, to see what other people had done there, and which areas had the most picturesque appeal for me. I always do this, I find it helps me plan my trip much more effectively than reading a guide book: Lonely Planet doesn't have much in the way of photo-specific info.<br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><br />So I'll check around Flickr, trying to see what a certain place looks like at night, at sunrise, at dusk etc. I'll also check to see what a given location will look like in the season I will be there: no sense in arriving prepped for cherry blossoms, only to find that you're two weeks late for that. And I always browse for " Most interesting" rather than " Most relevant": it's nice to see how far you should be pushing your shots.<br /><br />While I was looking round Flickr, I found a name that kept topping the list of the "most interesting..." of almost anywhere I checked out: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36015194@N00/">/\ltus</a>. When I checked out his stream, he had a phenomenal amount of high-quality shots of Toyko: adjectives fail me a little, especially since he's an HDR-shooter most of the time, but I can say his photostream is interesting and, to a prospective phototourist looking to go the same area, exciting. I found myself thinking "Wow, is Japan going to give me shots that look like <em>that </em>?"<br /><br />It didn't, obviously, 'cos his photos are highly idiosyncratic, and the colours are quite something. HDR isn't an area that I've found myself working in, either. But in the right hands... <a href="http://flickriver.com/photos/36015194@N00/popular-interesting/">Have a look at his most interesting shots to get an idea of what I mean</a>.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This shot also shows my favourite Starbucks for shooting pics in Tokyo: click through to the image and look at the notes. My <a href="http://davidbrown-photography.blogspot.com/search/label/Starbucks">blog post about this is here</a>.<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-55010024926656252882009-03-26T10:56:00.013+08:002009-04-01T23:07:42.518+08:00Tokyo essentialized.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2821689152/" title="Street Scene, Shinjuku, Tokyo by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2821689152_3d6ca5db72_b.jpg" alt="Street Scene, Shinjuku, Tokyo" width="1024" height="683" /></a><br /></div><p align="justify">This shot sums up Tokyo for me: Pachislot and vending machines. Sure, Tokyo is busy and crowded, but actually I wasn't too impressed by that. Maybe because I live Hong Kong, a place that has a smaller but more concentrated population. I was expecting to be wowed by the crowd there, and even awed by it. But even the fabled light-change at Shibuya Station wasn't as crazy as I thought it would be. I loved looking at it, <a href="http://davidbrown-photography.blogspot.com/2009/03/shibuya-starbucks.html">like I outlined in this post</a>, but that was more for what I could see <em>in </em>the crowd than how big it was. Drive down Nathan Road in Mongkok on a Sunday night, and watch the pedestrians cross the road when the traffic lights change: now <em>that's </em>an awesome crowd scene. No, crowds of people aren't what I think of when I think of Tokyo.</p><br /><p align="justify">Tokyo for me means wandering around at night, down small lanes, grabbing beers and ramen in basement eateries, looking at interesting, happy people going by. Tokyo means street music like I've never heard before, performed by really talented artists who are listened to by the people around, not just dismissed with a glib " Not my style of music". Tokyo defininely has a lot going in the daytime, but like many great cities, Tokyo only properly wakes up at night.</p><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2820886447/" title="A street scene in Shibuya, Tokyo by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2820886447_f513e8e12a_b.jpg" alt="A street scene in Shibuya, Tokyo" width="1024" height="683" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-52435422311436272492009-03-25T10:28:00.003+08:002009-03-25T10:46:54.229+08:00Pants...<div align="justify">Mad thought for the day from <a href="http://engrishfunny.com/">Engrishfunny.com</a>. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Maybe it' s because I've been living in Asia for so long now, but this site is strangely compelling. Too compelling, and totally laugh out loud funny, I've been getting odd looks from co-workers as I try not to snort my morning coffee out my nose while laughing. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">But laugh all you want: some of this inadvertently hits the Truth, capital T. There's wisdoms contained inside hilarity thinks. Take look, be learning!</div><div align="justify"></div><br /><br /><a href="http://engrishfunny.com/2009/02/16/engrish-pants-are-key-to-happyness/"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5943" title="engrish-funny-pants" src="http://engrishfunny.wordpress.com/files/2009/02/engrish-funny-pants.jpg" alt="engrish-funny-pants" /></a><br />see <a href="http://engrishfunny.com">funny english mistakes</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-82061676567175253902009-03-24T09:46:00.007+08:002009-04-01T23:09:30.961+08:00Harajuku style<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2821745534/" title="Gotta love Harajuku styles... by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3134/2821745534_839bf0f2f6_b.jpg" alt="Gotta love Harajuku styles..." width="1024" height="683" /></a><br /></div><br /><div align="justify">That's what I really love about Tokyo. You never know what you're going to see around the next corner. It really surprised me, with all you hear about how conformist Asian cultures are, and how there is no space for the individual , it's all about society and the good of the many. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">I grew up in a small mining town in South Africa, and it was a <em> lot </em> less individualist than Tokyo. And certainly a lot less than Harajuku. I once went to our local pub back home with a friend of mine who had dreadlocks - nearly got the <strike> shit </strike> fun kicked out of us. Yet here we are, in a small but busy shopping street called, appropriately enough, Takeshita Street, just off Omote-Sando in Harajuku, and people dressed like this wander around without causing so much as a raised eyebrow or a second glance. </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Wicked place to walk around, with people like this popping up - you feel like you're in the world of Akira or Ghost in the Shell. I think I created more of an impact than he did as he went by me, switching from my nikkor to my sigma, backing up to grab the shot, getting the Lowepro Slingshot in the way, out the way. He belonged. Obviously, I didn't. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-60952299101434532682009-03-23T08:42:00.008+08:002009-04-01T23:11:18.396+08:00Shibuya Starbucks<div align="justify"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2821046111/" title="Cyclist, Shibuya, Tokyo by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/2821046111_81276771bf_b.jpg" alt="Cyclist, Shibuya, Tokyo" width="1024" height="683" /></a><br /></div><br />Did a <strong><em>lot</em></strong> of walking round Tokyo in the hot summer sunshine when I was there last. There's just so many places to go to, and so much to see, that you really can't keep in one place for too long. Well, I couldn't, but then I do have that problem when travelling. Just can't be satisfied with where I am, I need to see what's round the next corner - same as when I watch TV, channel-flipping every thirty seconds, totally obsessive-compulsive. The great thing in Tokyo: whatever's round that next corner is always<em> </em>going to be interesting.<br /><br />The problem with my channel-flipping style, though, is that you literally can't go on forever. There's going to be a time in your day when your energy levels bottom out, and you need somewhere to regroup and refuel.<br /><br />My favourite spot for this, in the middle of the day, was Starbucks. Boringly. But not just any Starbucks. The Starbucks in Shibuya, overlooking one of the busiest intersections in the world, where 1500 pedestrians cross the road each time the traffic lights change.<br /><br />The thing about people in Tokyo is that they're just interesting. There are a load of different styles and cultural subgroups, and how you dress is a very important way of identifying which group you're in. Gothic, cosplay, kimono, punk, post-punk, arthouse, modern, 1920's, salaryman, pretty much any style you can think of you'll see walking round, and all pulled off really well. Here in Hong Kong, people don't have the same sense of style, and most of the street culture here is pretty monolithic - folks aren't creative about how they dress. There is some punk and very rarely some cosplay/dress-up, but you can tell the people are doing dress-by-numbers from a magazine. In Tokyo, you can tell people<em> really live </em>their subgroup. They don't look out of place at all.<br /><br />The best place to see this, of course, is Harajuku, not Shibuya. But in Shibuya I could sit on the second floor of the Starbucks, armed with a 70-300mm, and drink my coffee while waiting for interesting things to happen. When they do, you just need to lift and shoot, and then go back to your coffee. With the crop sensor on the Nikon D50, I was able to get even closer to the action.<br /><br />And when I got tired of people watching, there was a great Tsutaya to go and rifle through, looking for all the music that's hard to find in Hong Kong Records: Booka Shade, Justin Robertson, whatever I looked for, I could find. Pity there was only so much I could buy.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2821689164/" title="Kimono shoppers, Shibuya, Tokyo by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/2821689164_1f3ef8a4ee_b.jpg" alt="Kimono shoppers, Shibuya, Tokyo" width="1024" height="683" /></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-41731208780816994622009-03-20T09:07:00.005+08:002009-04-01T23:15:12.208+08:00Lake Toya<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2827198351/" title="Volcano sunset by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3238/2827198351_19b5c5582d_b.jpg" alt="Volcano sunset" width="1024" height="683" /></a><br /></div><br />Following on from yesterday's post, I'm thinking about Lake Toya in Hokkaido. Caldera lake, active volcano area, beautiful scenery and fantastic onsen. This really would be a great place to visit in winter. And I'd really like to be there right now, just wandering round in the dressing gown like everyone else in a Japanese spa resort town. Seriously, that was one of the more bizarre sights of my holiday: pulling in to the town on the edge of Lake Toya and seeing eveeryone strolling round in bathrobes with their hotel's name all over. Good way to see the most popular hotel, I guess, and all advertizing is good for business.<br /><br />This is the view across the lake, to the island:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2824365749/" title="Statue by the lake, Lake Toya, Hokkaido by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2824365749_cc892e23be_b.jpg" alt="Statue by the lake, Lake Toya, Hokkaido" width="1024" height="683" /></a><br /></div><br />and a final view of some weird statue, and the last sunset at Toya:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2821046119/" title="Statue and sunset, Lake Toya, Hokkaido by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2049/2821046119_e0b3910361_b.jpg" alt="Statue and sunset, Lake Toya, Hokkaido" width="1024" height="683" /></a><br /></div><br />Here's the room we stayed in. Traditional Japanese style, or <em>ryokan. </em>Looked greta in the beginning, but there's nowhere to put your stuff, so the room was a total mess in about 3 minutes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2824365747/" title="Our room in the Ryokan (Japanese hotel), Lake Toya, Hokkaido by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2824365747_6037d96833_b.jpg" alt="Our room in the Ryokan (Japanese hotel), Lake Toya, Hokkaido" width="1024" height="683" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-11765161602900376172009-03-19T10:38:00.006+08:002009-04-02T10:28:27.214+08:00Hokkaido Calling!<div align="justify">Spring seems to have started here in Hong Kong, which always makes outdoor photography difficult: overcast, foggy, rain, rain, rain. Not saying that you don't get moody atmospherics, but you definitely need some hardcore covering for your gear. I'm not sure even my Nikon D300's famed weather seal would hold up to it: it definitely wouldn't have through last June's downpours, when we had a record 1346.1 mm according to the <a href="http://www.hko.gov.hk/cis/data/drf/drf_HKO2008_e.htm">Hong Kong Observatory</a>.<br /><br />SO seeing the grey clouds this morning, and the fog, while I was in bed drinking my morning coffee, I just felt the call of a Furano summer in Hokkaido, Japan. I went up there last year, and I've been longing to go back there ever since. Definitely not my last trip.<br /><br />Here's the antidote to grey skies:<br /><br /><a title="Flower Field, Biei, Hokkaido by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2827193513/"><img height="683" alt="Flower Field, Biei, Hokkaido" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/2827193513_db0a616380_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br /><br />Same field, different angle:<br /><br /></div><p align="center"><a title="Flower Field, Biei, Hokkaido by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2827211777/"><img height="683" alt="Flower Field, Biei, Hokkaido" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2827211777_5320e23676_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a></p><div align="justify"><br /><br />And this is a another view from around the same field:<br /><br /><a title="Flower Field, Biei, Hokkaido by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2827193489/"><img height="683" alt="Flower Field, Biei, Hokkaido" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/2827193489_2beceef26b_b.jpg" width="1024" /></a><br /><br /><br />These shots were taken in a field between Furano and Biei, which really is heaven in summer, and seems like a great ski place in winter, too. If there's any way I can get to spend a couple of years up there, I'll grab the chance. 'Till then, I'll keep dreaming, especially during Hong Kong's spring rains.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-67002076649880354362009-03-18T07:59:00.008+08:002009-03-18T10:42:56.606+08:00New must have book: The Hot Shoe DiariesI don't often plug for gear, but there are some things that really are essential.<br /><br /><br /><br />I bought Joe McNally's last book, "The Moment it Clicks", last year, and since getting it I've read it constantly every time I need inspiration and advice. It's more than a standard camera book, and the how-to's are peppered with stories that Joe has about his tremendously varied and amazingly high-standard photographic career. <a href="http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/">Take some time and head on over to Joe's blog</a>, for some of his kind of behind the scenes advice, great images and the classic Joe McNally style of writing, that really seems to jump right out at you and make you want to get out and raise your own photographic bar.<br /><br /><br /><br />Good to see that his new book, "The Hot Shoe Diaries" is out, and I'll be getting it as soon as I possibly can. From the looks of it, it is equally packed with great advice about how to use flash and camera in the field, with real-world examples. There's a link to a PDF preview of the book on <a href="http://www.strobist.blogspot.com/">Dave Hobby's Strobist site</a>, so head on over and have a look at it. Just be ready to grab you camera and shoot straight after you take a look, because there is no way you'll be happy to just around.<br /><br />Here's that link again:<br /><br /><a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html"><img height="100" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3792/2480/1600/200x100black.jpg" width="200" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-56724891945994281292009-03-09T11:17:00.017+08:002009-04-06T11:53:40.481+08:00Bad weather at the Big Buddha<div style="text-align: justify;">One of the first overtly tourist places that I went to after moving to Hong Kong was head up to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. Mid-July, sunny and so typically-Hong-Kong hot and humid that I thought I may pass out on the stairway up to the buddha statue.<br /><br />Po Lin is kind of out of the way for me, though, and since there's not really too much going up there for locals, I haven't been back in the four years since then. Enter the Year of The Goat, and the year has just been one damn thing after another. Bad luck, according to our more superstitious frineds and relatives: I'm a Horse and my wife is a Goat, and apparently, this isn't the greatest year for either of these two Chinese zodiac characters. The advice from my grandmother-in-law was that the only way you can cure this is through a visit to a couple of specific temples in Hong Kong. You guessed it: Po Lin is one of them.<br /><br />So this put the idea of a trip out there firmly into our consciousness, but it still wasn't exactly a burning issue for us. But after finding ourselves at alittle bit of a loose loose end last weekend, we decided on Saturday that a trip back to Po Lin, more for a look around again and a ride on the Nong Ping cable car than anything about the luck changing, may not be a bad move. Even with the bad press surrounding Nong Ping, the tourist village up there, and especially the cable car, which has been plagued with some Very Bad Things since its opening, climaxing in the time that one of the gondolas came right off the cable and crashed to the mountain below. Luckily empty at the time.<br /><br />Plus, Nong Ping had to a tourist trap, right?<br /><br />So, we wake up on Sunday morning, look out the window (our bedroom has a view right across the channel to Tung Chung, and the cable cars going up the mountain) and we see grim weather. Coffee and discussion in bed follow, and we nearly stayed in bed and waited for more auspicious weather. But in the end, we decided to head out, no matter what the weather was like, so long as we left early to avoid the crowds.<br /><br />Weather didn't improve. We didn't exactly have the best view from our gondola on the way up to the temple:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3407027394/" title="Big Buddha (76 of 76)-Edit by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3407027394_03cd06aa37_o.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (76 of 76)-Edit" width="1024" height="680" /></a><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">And this was the sunny face of Nong Ping, waiting to greet us:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3318295695/" title="Big Buddha (1 of 76) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3555/3318295695_e87b562b16_b.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (1 of 76)" width="680" height="1024" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Still, the Buddha statue in was much more moody in the mist than in the bright sunlight, like last time, and the atmosphere was pretty intense. Felt like we were headed off to learn one of the great secrets of the Universe, known only to a few and half-hidden through th ages by a band of select Shaolin monks (who apparently do daily shows for tourists at Nong Ping, so there you go).<br /></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3319180424/" title="Big Buddha (29 of 76) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3364/3319180424_a33b26790b_b.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (29 of 76)" width="680" height="1024" /></a></span><br /></p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Seems like we weren't the only ones headed up there with a view to getting good things:</p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3319140070/" title="Big Buddha (4 of 76) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3357/3319140070_5d33da2c36_b.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (4 of 76)" width="1024" height="680" /></a></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />A new addition to the temple complex is the Garden of Knowledge, which is on the Path of Wisdom (10 minutes walk, which is the quickest way to get wise available) :<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3407023810/" title="Big Buddha (40 of 76) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3552/3407023810_8b6d8f2741_o.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (40 of 76)" width="680" height="1024" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3407023124/" title="Big Buddha (38 of 76) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3467/3407023124_7cb7533890_o.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (38 of 76)" width="1024" height="680" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Not that it got me any wiser: can't read Chinese, so I couldn't read the inscriptions. Still, a very strange spot, and well worth the walk. Nice details, too:<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3406213753/" title="Big Buddha (39 of 76) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3452/3406213753_3e6aaa4b11_o.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (39 of 76)" width="680" height="1024" /></a><br /></div><br />Speaking of details, this is a floor detail of the main temple:<br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3318347863/" title="Big Buddha (28 of 76) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3318347863_5693b4e9c7_b.jpg" alt="Big Buddha (28 of 76)" width="680" height="1024" /></a></span><br /><p style="text-align: justify;">All told, it's worth a visit. Just try not to get taken in by the prices up on the hill there, becauce they are very different to those down the bottom, and get in early to avoid the tour groups, which tend to go up there for lunch. You can read more about the place in this wikipeida entry:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Tan_Buddha">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Tan_Buddha</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-54761117150978131002008-12-08T10:12:00.007+08:002008-12-08T13:29:14.759+08:00How to photograph lightning<div align="justify">Photos of lightning rank among the most spectacular of any type of photo. This is the result of two factors working together in a photograph that are specific to the medium of photography: </div><div align="justify"></div><ul><li><div align="justify">The ability to arrest time (here still photos have the advantage over movies), </div></li><br /><li><div align="justify">The ability to condense time onto a single image (so that multiple lightning strikes become overlayed into a single megaburst in the print) </div></li></ul><p align="justify">Here's an example that I shot from our of my window a couple of years ago. Feel free to click through to my <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/303575175/sizes/l/">flickr page to see it large</a> (it looks way better that size anyway.)</p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 500px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 333px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/110/303575175_6a6e37b1e0.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="justify"></p><p align="justify">Bearing this in mind, lets have a quick look at how to set up and shoot lightning without becoming a statistic. Just remember that lightning is VERY dangerous, and the rain that usually accompanies lightning does no good to you camera. For this reason I tend to do my lightning shoots indoors, usually from my apartment window. I don't like to go wandering round hillsides and fields, just asking for a quick zap as I hold onto the steel of my tripod and put it into puddles of water.</p><br /><p align="justify">In terms of camera settings, you need to use manual settings on you camera for this, and you definitely need to use a long exposure. It's hard to guess the exact moment when lightning will strike, so what I usually do is set my camera on bulb or between 20 and 30 second exposure times (tripod essential), and shoot while hoping that the strike will hit during that time. This can be frustrating, and requires patience, but here again the advantage of being safely indoors makes itself clear. Rather than freezing in the rain on some blasted heath, I prefer to be warm, dry and having a coffee or a whiskey. You will find that lightning tends to strike between frames, no matter how short you keep your time between button presses. </p><br /><p align="justify">For the F-stops, the key is to maximize your depth of field: it sucks to get a perfectly exposed, perfectly timed shot of lightning that has a great foreground and blurry lightning. So, minimize the bokeh, and shoot between f16 and whatever the minimum on your lens is. </p><br /><p align="justify">I also usually shoot my lightning at night: I'm at home more (the day job does tend to get in the way of these kinds of experiments) and I can also be more sure that a long exposure won't overexpose my shot. I still go for quite a low ISO rating, especially on my older Nikon D50, which tends to be very noisy. </p><p>Compositionally, I try to put some other things in the frame. A photo of black sky and a streak of lightning doesn't look great, but a shot of a hillside or a house or some other feature gives balance, interest and scale to the shot. </p><p>And that's how I shoot lightning. Feel free to check out the incredible lightning shots in the <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/top20lightning/">Flickr Top Twenty Lighning Shots pool</a>, or look at <a href="http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic </a>for more great photos. And you can always read the National Geographic Field guide to Landscape Photography for more on how to shoot this incredible natural phenomenon.<br /></p><p align="justify"></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-52989523903328187252008-12-02T21:41:00.006+08:002008-12-07T21:56:58.318+08:00Cantonese Opera Again!<div style="text-align: justify;">After running all my Cantonese opera shots through Lightroom ( which is a total Godsend, I can't believe it's taken me this long to get involved in it) I've found that I have quite a few that I really like. Stage lighting helps, but I think the thing that contributed most to the final look of the day was my new Nikon D300.<br /><br />This camera rocks, seriously. Much better in low light than my old Nikon D50, which couldn't go above ISO 800 in most situations, and which didn't have the megapixel depth for much cropping and post-processing.<br /><br />You can clearly see a differnence between these two cameras, if they are used side by side under the same conditions.<br /><br />Here are more of the shots, and I have to point out that these were taken during a performance of a very famous opera company, with no flash allowed and very tight angles (I had to duck down at the fornt of the stage and not bother anyone who was trying to appreciate the show).<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3073413701/" title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (59 of 21) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3206/3073413701_40b6fbd864.jpg" alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (59 of 21)" width="500" height="299" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3074246614/" title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (57 of 21) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3022/3074246614_9af518a61b.jpg" alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (57 of 21)" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3073410597/" title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (56 of 21) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3010/3073410597_4978036360.jpg" alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (56 of 21)" width="500" height="333" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3074240116/" title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (52 of 21) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3025/3074240116_d52fbf1c7b.jpg" alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (52 of 21)" width="450" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3073404183/" title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (51 of 21) by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3014/3073404183_f2c291792e.jpg" alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (51 of 21)" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-25990240187882886922008-11-27T09:23:00.012+08:002008-12-04T17:37:08.986+08:00Cantonese Opera at Tai Ping Festival in Hong Kong<div style="text-align: justify;">I went up to Lam Tsuen in Tai Po (Hong Kong) over the weekend, to a once-in-ten-year festival that they were having up there. Crowded as all hell, but that's part of deal here in Hong Kong. It's even part of the criteria for judging whether an event is enjoyable: it needs to be "hot" and "noisy" to be good, or in Cantonese " Yi-Lau". It was both of those, and very good spirited and relaxed as well. I wish I could find more events like that here.<br /><br />It was really my first time to see a full Cantonese Opera show live, and it was a spectacle. I was lucky enough to be able to go backstage to see the preparations, and to do this with a very famous opera company: Ming Chee Sing Chinese Opera.<br /><br />Here are some of the shots that I got from Sunday, and there are a lot more on my Flickr stream:<br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (3 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3061373478/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (3 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/3061373478_24922ea003.jpg" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (5 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3060538929/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (5 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/3060538929_84c56c6179.jpg" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (11 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3061383314/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (11 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3159/3061383314_0b523d3b0e.jpg" width="332" height="500" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (17 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3060552659/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (17 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/3060552659_458fc2e341.jpg" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (25 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3061398334/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (25 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3212/3061398334_f0440018b4.jpg" width="500" height="499" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (41 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3061415664/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (41 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3281/3061415664_ec55ec0476.jpg" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (42 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3061416792/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (42 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/3061416792_bafaa3a431.jpg" width="500" height="332" /></a><br /><br /><a title="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (43 of 95) by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/3060580841/"><img alt="Cantonese Opera at Lam Tsuen (43 of 95)" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/3060580841_a3ca939314.jpg" width="332" height="500" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-80448839916047691122008-06-21T19:16:00.005+08:002008-12-04T17:37:55.347+08:00Clear Skies and Stressbusting Shots<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Yesterday was the first really good day we've had for while here in Hong Kong: it's been raining harder than I can remember it doing through the other spring and early summer stretches I've experienced here. So, in honour of this and to relax after a horrific week at work (and with the prospect of a week designed by Heironymous Bosch coming next week) I headed off to two of my best shooting spots: the marina over the road from us, and the beach next to it.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After shooting about 120 frames, I came home and hooked in about four or five shots that I'm happy with.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2596719381/" title="Gold Coast Marina by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3120/2596719381_ecdbf169da.jpg" alt="Gold Coast Marina" width="500" height="333" /></a></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Just good to be outside shooting again. This one was done with a polarizing filter, a -2 grad and a yellow filter to warm up the overall light.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2596815543/" title="Gold Coast Marina by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/2596815543_119f14b8b4.jpg" alt="Gold Coast Marina" width="500" height="325" /></a></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Another one of the stressbusting, clear-sky-celebrating set of shots I made yesterday. Again, Polarizer, -2 grad ND, yellow filter. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2596714243/" title="The beach at Gold Coast, Tuen Mun by daveb_za, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3041/2596714243_f00a5eb067.jpg" alt="The beach at Gold Coast, Tuen Mun" width="500" height="329" /></a></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This is another shot while I was out enjoying the clear skies and lack of rain. I made this one without any filters, but with me running down the beach to the lifeguard watchtower shooting my flash across the sand to pull details in the foreground.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I think I needed to change the batteries, looking at how the flash power faded through the run.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">But hey, I can always go back an try again. The beach is just over the road from me. </span></span><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-78024855659971245722008-06-19T08:58:00.009+08:002008-12-04T17:38:18.275+08:00Weighing in on HDR<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/205407028/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/66/205407028_fd67e5bbf4.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/205407028/">Aurorus Reflectus Colosseo</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stuckincustoms/">Stuck in Customs</a>.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >This is the first HDR image I ever saw, and I was blown away by it. I sat staring at my computer screen and thought “Wow. How did they even do that?”<br /><br />Then, I saw the flickr tag [HDR] attached to the image, clicked it, and the door to a whole new world of image possibilities was opened. I’ve tried a few of my own HDR images, which don’t compare to the masters of the art but which are fun to shoot and intriguing to play with. The problem is, ever since I’ve started seeing these images, I’ve seen comments underneath them which decry them as being fake, or not really photographs. This is a position that I don’t accept at all, and I always feel that people have a weird, narrow and close-minded idea of what a photograph is.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><u>Photography is an Art, not a Competitive Sport.<br /></u></strong><br />Sport needs rules. FIFA, IOC, NBA, ICC and a whole host of international and local acronyms exist to evaluate performances, equipment and rules of every game invented, to make sure that what happens on the pitch, court or field is cricket, football, golf or basketball or whatever, and that each event is fair and the playing fields are level. Photography is not like this. There is no International Photographic Committee, which regulates which cameras, lenses and tripods are acceptable, and which technique is allowed to you on game day. There are no performance-enhancing techniques that are banned, and there is no way of making an image that is outlawed due to an unfair advantage.<br /><br />Photography is a communicative art form, and that means that anything goes when it comes to making an image: if you can communicate the picture of the world that you had in your imagination to someone else through an image, you’ve succeeded. End of story.<br /><br />All media are less than perfect at representing the world due to technical limitations which arise from the physical characteristics of that media, and it would be a dumb to try and limit development of a medium <em>because</em> it will be better than it was before. The essence of development is extension and improvement, and this has been happening to photographic media ever since the first silver nitrate image was made. HDR techniques are the latest imaging trend in a long line of developments which can be traced back to at least 1280 AD, and the development of silver nitrate by Abertus Magnus. Yes, people. 1280 AD.<br /><br />It always gets me when people say “Nice work, but it’s not really photography – more like cheating” when talking about an imaging technique. I guess Man Ray may have had some of these comments while showing his solarized images – but it seems that in the digital imaging age, more techniques are being developed, and more people are taking photography seriously. Many of these people seem to have forgotten that “image” and “imagine” come from the same root, and that Latin root “imago” refers to “an idealized mental image” of another person or of the self.<br /><br />It’s that definition of image that we should remember with photography. There really is no such thing as photographic realism – even for journalism. In the old days of “pure” analogue photography the photographer could select image elements and manipulate them with camera settings and darkroom techniques. Photography could only approximate reality, but never truly represent it. A photographer should realize that their craft occupies a nexus between their experiential world and their inner world, and that any method of realizing either of these worlds in a two-dimensional format is fair game. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><u>Hello HDR</u></strong><br /><br />Enter the High Dynamic Range image. And it’s kind of disappointing to see that even in this small and contested niche of imaging, there are 2 separate debates as to HDR’s authenticity as an imaging method. The first is whether HDRs are photographs, and the second is which method of creating an HDR is the “true” method. So I’m going to talk first about what an HDR image is, and then we’ll see that there really is no such thing as a “true” or a “false” HDR image.<br /><br />An HDR image is a single image which has used more than one exposure value to create a dynamic range which extends beyond what is possible to capture with a single exposure. There is more detail, from shadows to highlights, than would be possible in an image using other techniques.<br /><br />To create an HDR image, you generally need a digital camera that shoots at above 8-bit resolution and software that can overlay your images to create that heightened dynamic range in a single image. Of course you can use a scanner to scan your negs or prints, and people have developed techniques for brute-forcing JPEGs into HDRs, but to keep it simple I’ll just describe the RAW version.</span></span><a href="http://www.hdrsoft.com/download/win.html"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Photomatix</span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> is both easy and free to use, but leaves a light watermark until you pay for it.<br /><br />"<strong><u>Pure" HDR images:</u></strong></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The easiest way to create your HDR is to find a non-moving scene with a lot of contrast from dark to light, and set up your camera on a tripod. First, set your light balance to manual, and adjust it according to your scene. Then, find the master exposure by shooting the scene at your camera’s recommended exposure. From this, you will adjust your shutter speed to shoot 3 images at lower exposure levels (by stopping down in 3 successive steps) and then you’ll return to the master exposure level and then shoot three images at higher exposure levels by stopping up in 3 successive steps).<br /><br />You do this so that the camera has captured a range of images which will show detail from the vary dark areas of your scene into the very light areas.<br /><br />Then, when you get home, open each image in camera raw, make sure that they are all the same white balance, and open them in your HDR generating software. The software will overlay the images, and then you will begin to have creative control over what the final scene will look like – from realistic but detailed to very saturated and akin to an oil painting done by an old master or renaissance era painting. </span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >The other kind of HDR</span></u></strong></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >That's great, if you can find a scene that doesn't move. But what happens when you have things in the frame that won't godammed settle down. Trees blowing in the wind. People. Animals. Cars. Even clouds or waves, if you are using longer exposures. Well, then you use your single raw file, adjust the exposure level using camera raw in the manner described above (Master, 3 incremenal stops down and 3 incremental stops up) and save the files as copies. Then, open in your HDR software, blend, rinse and repeat. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><u><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Making it look right (or wrong, depending on what you're trying to do)</span></u></strong></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >I can’t do better than </span><a href="http://range.wordpress.com/2006/07/15/modern-hdr-photography-a-how-to-or-saturday-morning-relaxation/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >this blog</span></a><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > at describing what that creative control of an HDR image entails, so I’ll send you on over for further reading. It's a great read, and it's got some stunning HDR images to keep you turning the digital pages, so have a look - it didn't start a wave of interest that redefined blog reader statistics for nothing!<br /><br />So, there we have it. HDR. Hardly a tool of the devil, now is it? Certainly not going to bring civilization as we know it to its knees. Just a very nice tool for you to render your mental image of a scene in a two-dimensional way. And if you want to see why you may want to do this, have a look at these phenomenal HDR images, and keep going back to the </span><a href="http://flickr.com/groups/hdr/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >HDR group</span></a><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" > on flickr.</span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iceman9294/2368787728/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/2368787728_f5e3266353.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iceman9294/2368787728/">Cloud Gate</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/iceman9294/">iceman9294</a>.</span></span></span></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" >A perfect example of a little HDR processing going a long way. The photo doesn't look blown out into the realm of painting, but there is a range of detail across the light spectrum which adds to the "interestingness" of the image. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/300341306/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/118/300341306_9e15b08472.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/300341306/">One Night in Bangkok</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/stuckincustoms/">Stuck in Customs</a>.</span></span></span></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" >I love this one, not just because of the techinical skill (although Stuck in Customs does have a lot, and many other photos display it to greater advantage) but because I used to live justg behind this temple in Bangkok, and I would see it every day on my morning and evening ferry trips to work. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/2208867228/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/2208867228_b5ccdca0be.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dotdoubledot/2208867228/">Sun and Signs</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/dotdoubledot/">.: sandman</a>.</span></span></span></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" >Another great photorealistic HDR, although the shooter argues that at the time he took this photo the sky didn't look anything like it does in the picture. This image is a poster child for HDR processing: I've tried very similar shots to this one at a turnoff to Nieu Bethesda in South Africa, and been very disappointed with the results: traditional camera techniques are inadequate for this kind of image. You could never get detail in the sign and have the sun behind it. </span></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" >A great shot, and deceptively simple. </span><br /></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/petervanallen/486476524/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" alt="" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/198/486476524_82dd311bf8.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/petervanallen/486476524/">The Chesil Beach at Portland - Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/petervanallen/">petervanallen</a>.</span></span></span></div><div style="padding: 3px; text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;" >Here again we have that warm, rich "HDRness". And again, this image looks very much like a traditional photo. The crisp colours, and details in all of the shadows (even those pebbles have full shadow depth) is incredible. Again, this photo is shot <em>into</em> a setting sun, but we have colour, texture and perspective. Traditional methods would yield a silhouette. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7108560406171951462.post-68372819404777768172008-06-17T20:56:00.007+08:002008-12-04T17:38:32.528+08:00Tuen Mun Dragonboat Races 2008<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >So, a very successful day's shooting, I shot around 650 frames out there in the hot sun. Been processing like mad since then, and have a few shots ready for display here.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >It was tough as ever to get the shots, more so this year than last 'cos I was being hounded by security guards to move along from the quayside. There were more shooters there this year, too.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Exposure-wise, I was shooting with my Nikon SB-600 almost all the time, and was amazed at how well it took care of all the details, and how far it could shoot and recieve information to adjust the exposure. The cycle time was crazy, as well, even shooting 3 frames per second it could keep up.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >Different day, different conditions, though: last year was bright sun, this year was overcast and threatening to rain in the morning. Which meant that the water was often a junk-coloured grey, and since it had been raining non-stop for the entire week before the races, the water was full of debris and mud. There was even a dead and bloated duck floating round. Yummy.</span><br /><br /><a title="The floating offering by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2587309890/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img alt="The floating offering" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/2587309890_dc82900909.jpg" width="500" height="281" /></span></a><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >These offerings were made and released onto the waters early in the morning of the dragon boat races. Obviously meant to create good luck for the teams, they staged an impromptu race of their own before anyone got out onto the water.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >you can also see how dirty the water was here in Hong Kong, after the heavy rains we have been having. The day before boat races saw the heaviest floods in 126 years on Hong Kong Island and the Lantau Expressway. </span><a title="2 and 3 by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2587317312/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img alt="2 and 3" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3041/2587317312_4663a8598a.jpg" width="500" height="333" /></span></a><br /><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >2 of the middle-size boats in action. I was quite happy with the symmetry of this shot, but for some reason blogspot is cropping it. Just click through to my Flickr page, which is hosting this photo. </span><br /><a title="racing to drum beat by daveb_za, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/daveb_za/2586490441/"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" ><img alt="racing to drum beat" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2586490441_6f505c8d1e.jpg" width="454" height="500" /></span></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">This is another reason I like to hang out in Tuen Mun for the boat races: we have the biggest boats. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, size does count. And, for these boats, speed counts, too: because of the extra manpower, these boats really took off out of the water at the start line, and shot across the course. It was very difficult to get a shot of them, because they were absolutely flying. I managed to get some nice pics of the big boys, though - but it was more a case of shotgun than scalpel with the camera . </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0