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Playing hooky in shanghai
I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to China but, the tour was far too regimented for my tastes (as are most tours). Since we often woke up in a hotel in one city and went to sleep in another hotel in a different city; I did not have the opportunity to skip portions of the tour and go where I wanted to... Until Shanghai.
I was able to have a day to myself in Shanghai by skipping the tour for the day. Despite incurring the wrath of my wife who was positively livid, I had a wonderful time by myself photographing the interesting people who are in Shanghai.
To me, the primary interest in travel pictures is to portray the people I have met. Sure, I shot the mandatory images of the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, but I was able to get close to the people in Shanghai.
The first thing that I noticed was that many areas were filled with tourists but, since most of these tourists were Chinese citizens (although many were not ethnically Han Chinese) they added local color.
Everyone was shooting pictures of everyone else. I love China because I am, as a photographer, accepted in a very friendly way. The Chinese do not object to having their pictures taken...
The Yew gardens bazaar, although a bit touristy, is a great place to people watch...
The women of Shanghai are both cosmopolitan and quite beautiful. I often wonder what the older ladies of China think of the new fashions the younger women are wearing. After-all, the older women spent their youth in the uniform drabness of the gray or brown Mao Suit.
The young people of China seem to know that their future will be brighter than were the lives that their parents or grandparents were forced to lead.
See my Shanghai images at http://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/Other/Chiba-Focus-Tour-2010-Shanghai/11968279_VkZwJ#881467299_MEpbD
I was able to have a day to myself in Shanghai by skipping the tour for the day. Despite incurring the wrath of my wife who was positively livid, I had a wonderful time by myself photographing the interesting people who are in Shanghai.
To me, the primary interest in travel pictures is to portray the people I have met. Sure, I shot the mandatory images of the Great Wall and Forbidden City in Beijing, but I was able to get close to the people in Shanghai.
The first thing that I noticed was that many areas were filled with tourists but, since most of these tourists were Chinese citizens (although many were not ethnically Han Chinese) they added local color.
Everyone was shooting pictures of everyone else. I love China because I am, as a photographer, accepted in a very friendly way. The Chinese do not object to having their pictures taken...
The Yew gardens bazaar, although a bit touristy, is a great place to people watch...
The women of Shanghai are both cosmopolitan and quite beautiful. I often wonder what the older ladies of China think of the new fashions the younger women are wearing. After-all, the older women spent their youth in the uniform drabness of the gray or brown Mao Suit.
The young people of China seem to know that their future will be brighter than were the lives that their parents or grandparents were forced to lead.
See my Shanghai images at http://rpcrowe.smugmug.com/Other/Chiba-Focus-Tour-2010-Shanghai/11968279_VkZwJ#881467299_MEpbD
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Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
I would return to China in a heartbeat. The 17-hour plane trip from San Francisco to Beijing was well worth it. I absolutely love the freedom to shoot virtually anyone anywhere - military and police actions excepted.
I also like the relative safety of China regarding both personal safety from attack and the relative safety from getting my gear ripped off.
That is certainly not a feeling I get anywhere in Europe, nor for that matter in most USA locations.
Additionally, Chinese kids are cute as hell and you are not considered a pervert if you shoot their picture...
I felt at ease all over China and many people wanted to take my picture. This guy wanted to shoot me as I was shooting him...