Back from Hong Kong...again

Just got back from Hong Kong a couple days ago where I was visiting my parents. My parents were on their way to Jakarta for a wedding so it was a good opportunity to head for some warmer climes and catching up with them. My time in Hong Kong was basically spent spending time with my parents, eating with my parents, more eating with my parents, taking photos, and did I mention eating with my parents? I think I now know where I get my foodie tendancies...

As for photos, I took a whole bunch of them in Hong Kong with the D700. I had been shooting with my newly acquired camera on my last few outings in Beijing but it was only in Hong Kong where it was starting to feel second nature and I was getting use to the new field of views. Will post up picks soon.

G

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra...in Beijing?!

No, I had never had the opportunity to watch the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) perform in Vancouver. So how happy was I when I found out that they were going to be in Beijing! I got a ticket and went to watch the performance that marked the first Canadian orchestra to play in China in 30 years. The performance also featured Hilary Hahn a young and talented violinist.

I am no expert on classical music, but the performance was a joy to watch. Hilary Hahn performed three encore performances prior to the intermission before the over-zealous(?) crowd let her depart the stage. The VSO also did three encore performances, though these seemed to be anticipated. One of the encore pieces, entitled Nimrod, was dedicated to Canada-China relations and was very well received.

Watching the VSO perform was on my check list of things to do in life, and I am glad that I got to check that one off. I just did not expect to check it off in Beijing.

G

Lighting the Paralympic Flame

Not sure how, but this photo turned out great - the dim stadium lights as the background, the light falling on Hou Bin properly white balanced, and the fluke of catching that flash in the background. This was a very dramatic finale to the opening ceremonies and had the entire stadium awe struck, emotional and cheering. Hou Bin, China's triple Paralympic high jump champion with only one leg, lit the cauldron for the Games, pulling himself up the height of the stadium with his two hands.

Date: September 6, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter speed: 1/20
ISO: 400
Focal length: 1/20
Format: NEF

White Halo 2

This photo was partially post-processed using Nik Software's Color Efex Pro 3.0 which I am demo'ing. This is certainly one of my favourite effects. Sure some may say it is overdone, but I enjoy it a lot and found this effect to be perfect for what I wanted to convey: the beauty of the performance and the performers.

The burst mode and Nikon's vibration reduction (VR) in my lens made sure that I got some keepers in the stadium's dim lighting.

Date: September 6, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter speed: 1/15
ISO: 200
Focal length: 200mm (300mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

White Halo 1

Date: September 26, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/5
Shutter speed: 1/10
ISO: 200
Focal length: 62mm (93mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Paralympics Opening - Wide Shot

One of a number of amazing performances from the Paralympic Opening ceremony. Catherine and I were lucky enough to procure some tickets and had an absolute blast at the wonderfully done, thoughtful and moving opening.

Date: September 6, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/4
Shutter speed: 1/13
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 24mm (36mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Chinese Female

I guess this person noticed that I snapped a photo of her, but she didn't seem to mind. I desaturated the photo, blurred the background and then used the history brush to bring back the colour in her sunglasses which are being lit by the warm sunset atop of Jinshan Park, just north of the Forbidden City.

Date: August 31, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/5.0
Shutter speed: 1/400
ISO: 200
Focal length: 65mm (98mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Temple of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven is a great place that shows off traditional Chinese architecture. Sure enough, plenty of tour buses are unloaded here daily, and doubly so on the weekends. But I've discovered that the best time to go is early in the morning, say on a weekend, at around dawn, and you will be able to see all the locals come to the park surrounding the Temple of Heaven come and do their various exercises and warm-ups. You see people dancing, singing, jogging, stretching, playing various sports, etc. It really makes for a real Chinese experience.

Date: August 31, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/640
ISO: 200
Focal length: 20mm (30mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Chinese Flag with Beijing Volunteers

I think one of the neatest things about the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics was the endless number of Chinese volunteers that were everywhere. There were information stations set up across Beijing and streets would be lined with these blue and white t-shirt wearing folks, always willing to help out. There were times that Catherine and I would use a volunteer booth just to make sure they felt they were being useful! The volunteers really were the front line and the backbone of Beijing's successful games.
Here they are carrying China's flag for the Paralympic torch lighting rehersal at the Temple of Heaven.

Date: August 25, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/5
Shutter speed: 1/640
ISO: 200
Focal length: 20mm (30mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Red and White

Taken at the Paralympic torch lighting rehearsal at the Temple of Heaven, these performers were getting their costumes ready while taking their places.

Date: August 25, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/320
ISO: 200
Focal length: 130mm (195mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Contemplation

Date: August 25, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/125
ISO: 200
Focal length: 75mm (113mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Mushu

Those of you who have seen Disney's Mulan will get the title of this photo. I took this photo at the Source of Law temple here in Beijing. It is a working temple that is a bit of a ways off from the usual beaten tourism path here in Beijing. Tranquil and quaint.

Date: Date: August 25, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX VR
Aperture: f/7.1
Shutter speed: 1/50
ISO: 200
Focal length: 60mm (90mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

The Bird's Nest

I've mentioned the Bird's Nest in a few of my previous posts. Here is a night shot of the stadium in all its lit-up glory. Taken from a gorillapod (thanks to Chad for the recommendation!).

Date: August 19, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX
Aperture: f/11
Shutter speed: 1.3s
ISO: 200
Focal length: 29mm (44mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Before the Race

This photo was taken in the Beijing National Stadium, aka the Bird's Nest. This was a Russian athlete during her pre-race preparations.

Date: August 19, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter speed: 1/60
ISO: 200
Focal length: 200mm (300mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

CCTV Building

Here is a shot from the soon-to-be-finished CCTV building in Beijing. It is a striking example of how China is not afraid to look for inspiration abroad. There have been many articles written about the building, including this one from Vanity Fair and this one from the New Yorker which includes a mention. I haven't been able to take a photo that I have been satisfied with that shows the entire structure, but only then can you see how unusual and bold this building is.

In this photo I took my one NEF file and made two images, one exposing for the building, the other for the sky, and then putting them both together in Photoshop.

Date: August 18, 2008
Camera: Nikon D70
Lens: 18-200 AF-S DX
Aperture: f/8
Shutter speed: 1/250
ISO: 200
Focal length: 62mm (93mm equiv.)
Format: NEF

Test Your Hue Discrimination

In case you wanted to test your colour IQ, click here.

Here was my score, not too shabby if I do say so myself.

When Insults Had Class

Catherine forwarded this me. I enjoyed them. Some more than others.


When Insults Had Class

These glorious insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words.

The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison." He said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it ."

A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

"Cannot possibly attend first nigh t, will attend second... if there is one." - Winston Churchill, in response.

"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop

"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright

"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." - Irvin S. Cobb

"He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson

"He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up." - Paul Keating

"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand

"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." - Forrest Tucker

"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain

"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West

"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde

"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx