SHANGHAI and BEIJING – Another travel day. The trip from Shanghai to Beijing is only two hours flying time but the disruption in the day, and the time spent in taxis and airports, is the enemy of my photo a day project. I managed a few captures in Hongqiao Airport and some images from a walk after dinner in Beijing.
This was taken with my Leica M9 and a 50mm Summilux lens:
Hongqiao Airport
Leica and 35mm Summilux lens. This is an apparently wealthy young Beijinger photographing his girlfriend – and assistant (who is out of sight) is holding a reflector to soften her shadows.
NEW YORK NEW YORK – Tax day in the US and a travel day. I’m on my way to Shanghai on Continental via Toronto. Continental cancelled the Newark – Toronto leg at the last minute so I was left to scramble to make alternate arrangements. I barely made it on to a Continental direct flight to Shanghai, but my checked bag didn’t. A 15 hour flight. Not good circumstances for a daily photo. I managed a couple of snapshots in the Continental lounge before things turned ugly. With my Panasonic GH2 and a 20mm pancake lens.
MUSTIQUE – One last sky as we pack up to return to a snow and ice covered New York. Hasseblad H4D-60 and 28mm lens. Three frames stitched.
Grenadines morning
On this day one year ago: A lovely infrared image at Citicorp Center. Reviewing this image inspired me to dig out my infrared kit again. Expect some IR images over the next few weeks.
MUSTIQUE – Back again to Macaroni Beach for another picnic plus, of course, a sunset. Beach shoot with my small Panasonic; sky with my Hasselblad H4D-60.
MUSTIQUE – We saw a rare double rainbow today and managed to capture it – rainbows are notoriously difficult to photograph so I count myself as lucky. Following the rainbow is the obligatory shot of the sky. Both taken with my Hasselblad H4D-60
Grenadines rainbowGrenadines sky
On this day last year: Home theatre, Coccoloba. “Coccoloba” is the name of the house we stayed in last year. Here’s a link to it on the Mustique Company site – the photographs of the house are mine.
ON BOARD THE SHROUD DANCER – So I’ve decided to focus on skies this trip. In color. Using a circular polarizer which in the general direction of 90Ëš from the sun darkens the sky dramatically. In other words “the hell with not hackneyed”. Maybe even a bit in the direction of kitsch.
Here we are sailing to Bequia on board a friend’s boat, the Shroud Dancer. Take with my Hasselblad H4D and a 28mm lens. This is two frames stitched.
Day 465 of one photograph every day for the rest of my life.
Shroud dancer
On this day last year: Guess what – Mustique!. This is the post with my self-important note about color in the tropics.
AIRBORNE BETWEEN BARBADOS AND MUSTIQUE – The places that you get to in a small plane seem to be the best. I guess that’s because there are enough people who say “I’d never fly in one of those things” to keep the crowds small. Or maybe its the landings – places where small planes go tend to have funky airports. Here we are on the last leg of the full day trip from snow-bound Manhattan to Mustique, a paradise island in the Grenadines. Here’s a link to one of the three places where the public can buy a meal on the island: Basil’s Bar. Basil Charles OBE, the owner, is a friend and has the good taste to have purchased one of my prints. No kidding on the OBE – its in recognition of his important contribution to education in St. Vincent.
Mustique appears to have become our island paradise of choice. This is not a result of a conscious decision but we were there in June 2010 at a wedding and in January of last year when I said “I almost always do tropical setting in black and white” to avoid hackneyed images. Yeh, right. We’ll see about that. This statement has made me rethink what I’m going to post over the next few days. 100% color. “Not hackneyed” is over rated, anyway.
Don’t look for a Jimmy Buffet vibe when you get here. It’s paradise, and you can buy a cheeseburger but that’s about the only connection.
Day 465 of one photograph every day for the rest of my life.
