First Signs of Spring
These started to appear in the garden last weekend. I took advantage of a break in the clouds yesterday afternoon to capture the first signs of spring.
Archive for the ‘Photography’ Category
Experiments in Manual Photography
I’ve taken many photographs up on Hampstead Heath and so, to shake things up a bit, I set the camera to ‘M’ and see what I could do. Going in on full manual was like shooting blind. I had no idea what I was doing and so in order to give myself a fighting chance I gave myself a rule to follow.
Photos From China (Day 10)
On day 10, our last full day in Yangshuo (阳朔), we took two bamboo rafts along the Li River (漓江) to Fuli Old Town (福利古镇). The town appeared incredibly poor and run down. You only have to see the photo of the cinema to realise that most of the youth has long since moved out. Despite this impression though, there was a general feeling that it wouldn’t be too long before the newly rich started to return in order to escape the noise of the larger towns and cities.
Photos From China (Day 09)
Day 9 was a day for exploring on foot. After a late start we decided to walk along the river and then back into town past all the market stalls. I’ve never seen so many market stalls selling the same thing. They must coordinate with each other to ensure maximum spacing between stalls selling the same stuff.
Photos From China (Day 08)
On day 8, we woke up in Yangshuo (阳朔). We hired bicycles and cycled out of town. With no particular destination in mind, our stops were determined by a combination of thirst and curiosity. We were privileged to be able to speak with a 90 year old lady smiling as she dug up her sweet potatoes on her farm. Although brief, this encounter really brought home some of the contrasts that still exist in China today.
Taking Better Photographs: Lessons of a Beginner
Now that you’ve have a chance to see a selection of my photos from Beijing (days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7), I thought I’d give you a break from photos and share a couple of lessons I learned from my first real experience of shooting with a DSLR camera. Next week I’ll [...]
Photos From China (Day 07)
Day 7 we planned to fly down to Yangshuo (阳朔) early afternoon to allow ourselves time to look around and settle in to our hotel. It didn’t quite work as planned. We were woken to cries of, “比尔，北京下雪”. The snow had come early in Beijing and as a result we spent an extra four hours in Beijing Capital Airport. Somehow, we made it down to Yangshuo the same day and settled in to our rooms in the Morning Sun Hotel.
Photos From China (Day 06)
Almost a week in to our stay in Beijing and it was time to visit the extended family, followed by everyone’s favourite, Beijing roast duck (烤鸭). We finished the day with a second visit to the Temple of Heaven park (天坛公园) where Alicia’s father managed to get us access to the chrysanthemum exhibition. Exhausted, we returned home early to prepare for our trip to Yangshuo (阳朔).