As you can see I'm really into color these days and trying hard to make this the focus of my photos. It's not an easy thing to do well as I have always felt that one of the great things about black and white is that it helps to simplify the scene so with color there is a lot more that you have to consider in the frame.
Read MoreHuang Shan- Yellow Mountain Pt 1
Spent a night in Huang Shan city before heading up the actual mountain. The city wasn't really anything special to be honest, well not that we could find but the people are amazing friendly compared to Shanghai. I will split this post into 2 parts, the second post will be about the actual mountain.
Like a tsunami, the newer, bigger apartment blocks and offices engulf the older more traditional buildings.
Shanghai Streets In Color
Shooting street in Shanghai sometimes feels like cheating because there is so much of interest you barely have to walk 20 meters to find a subject but this too comes with it's own problems. I find it challenging to push myself to think of new themes, to look beyond the obvious street vendor shot right in front of me. At the end of the day we all add our own touch to each photo and view the scene slightly differently to everyone else no matter how many times it has been done before, this is how we differentiate ourselves. I am sure that is the goal of many photographers, when you take a shot of something that has been seen before but whoever is looking at it can recognise it's your work by the style of the photo.
The lesson to be learnt is keep pushing yourself, the harder you push the more you surprise yourself. Appreciate the failures, those are the building blocks from which you make success.
The rate at which Shanghai is expanding and modernising is impressive. It also makes for a great contrast, out with the old and in with the new. In a way though, it is sad to see all of these old buildings crushed to rubble.
Korea In Colour
This is the first of a two part post. I have decided to split it because after working my photos it seemed to me that some just worked better in colour and other shots really spoke more to me in black and white.
I spent a few days in Seoul Korea last week. It was literally a breath of fresh air after being in Shanghai for 6 months. The first thing that struck me was the blue sky and how fresh the air felt. I had almost forgotten that feeling. The next thing is how stylish the people are. Men and women old and young, they all seen to spend a great amount of time and effort on their appearances. This is a stark contrast to most people in Shanghai where high fashion and grooming don't seem to be as important. The market in South Korea for personal body care products in huge and can be easily seen when walking in the streets. Lightning fast free internet everywhere is another thing I am not used to and it is awesome.
There seems to be a huge American presence there not only in the number of American people everywhere but also dress style and attitude. I am assuming this is because of the close military co-operation between the two countries.
Where ever I go food is always a big priority for me and Korea did not disappoint. The food was was fresh and tasty but nearly everything is spicy so take note. Sadly I did not experience the famous Korean fried chicken, the closest I got was eating at a Popeyes fried chicken at the airport on my way out.
Special mention to Kim the soldier. Your friendliness and helpfulness was as fresh as your blue skies and clean air I had almost forgotten about. You are a great image for your country.
