Tag Archive for 'street-photography'

17
May

An encounter with laundry … and a wall

By Sue Anne 0 Comments
Categories: Take To the Street and The Lives Within

It’s odd to see the screaming pronouncements “WASH! IRON!” through a sea of laundry along a busy alley. Sunday afternoon meant residents were out in the streets, and hanging every piece of clothing on bamboo poles, wooden pegs, thin string that hung from one house to the next. On a beautiful day, it could almost pass as a quirky art installation.

As I moved closer, the hiss of steamers and thudding of the washing machines grew louder. The shop’s plastic shields used for staving off the cold swayed to a soft ryhthm as the billowing steam bumped gently against it. Poke your head through them and the noise is deafening.

I approached hesitantly and began my inquiries despite her blank expression. Do you get mostly uniforms or civilian laundry? Do you do dry cleaning? Why, when most residents would prefer to save money, would they drop their clothing here? Can you really de-shrink a badly laundered sweater?

Her scowl was unfriendly and persistently silent to my questions. After a flicker at my camera, she stared ahead as if right through me.

Soon, the tumbling stopped, as did the spitting steamers. There was only the backnoise of the alley, and her unwavering wall that said, maybe you should return back to the street.

February 2013

16
May

Instagram glory

By Sue Anne 0 Comments
Categories: Take To the Street

I confess that nowadays, the Iphone has become de facto of a wieldy DSLR despite my occasional dissatisfaction with the output quality of my old Iphone. My recent spat of short trips both in and out of China - Hunan and Hubei provinces, London, Paris, Milan – required light packing and a DSLR was too much of a burden if I wanted to retain the sanity of no luggage check-in. However, now that the Ricoh GR V is out, my wallet may soon be (en)lightened in an exchange for a less conspicuous presence in the street.

Don’t get me wrong, a DSLR and tripod set up is still optimal for shooting old houses but each trip is ultimately an expedition. I miss terribly the process of carefully framing details and angles, and returning repeatedly to get it right. The sense of accomplishment is more purposeful and different.

Putting aside issues of photographer’s rights that has ignited debate since Instagram was acquired by Facebook, I love that photo apps have further democratized photography, forcing higher standards of creativity given its easy accessibility. We now have war photography shot in Hipstagram, such as NYT photographer Damon Winter who had his Hipstagram photo on the front page of the broadsheet, awards and exhibitions dedicated to mobile photography, fashion influenced Instagram and of course, the street photography genre has only been boosted in itse popularity by the smartphone.

I recall the morning I discovered Instagram, I had offered to shoot a friend’s wedding as a backup. I ditched my DSLR by the afternoon what with runnnig around in high heels and ended up shooting all 12 hours on my phone. I processed and delivered the best photos in real time, to the joy of the couple. Society today is such that we prize speed first, quality is a close second.

The highlight of my week has to be reading about this fantastic Instagram project of @echosight, a joint-Instagram account between photographers Danny Ghitis in New York and Daniella Zalcman in London.

“The entire process takes place on a phone: Images are uploaded to a Google Drive folder, each pulls photos from the other and creates the final piece in an app called Image Blender. Each photo is uploaded to the Instagram account with a quote, something that Ghitis initiated in order to communicate the feeling being conveyed. “Photos are very abstract and words can be very literal so I didn’t want to go too far in one direction,” he said.”

This goes to show you the boundless potential of photography and art with none of the trappings of cost and burden of equipment. With no exuses, it is the photographer’s eye that has to prevail.

 

Above: A signboard/scaffold of an aspirational Chinese skyline, shielding a sadly torn down lane near Shanghai Xintiandi by Xinye Lu

25
Apr

Book Review and Giveaway of “Shanghai Shikumen” (上海里弄文化地图)

By Sue Anne 21 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications, The Fading Vestige and What I Am Reading

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UPDATE: Congratulations to Patrick, the 10th commentator! Random.org picked you out of 18 commenators. Drop me an email via the contact sheet and I will dispatch the book to you!

Thanks again to everyone who participated! For those who are in Shanghai, remember to pick up a copy! Amazon.cn has it on sale.

** I am giving one free copy to a lucky reader regardless of where you are in the world. Leave a comment below about yourself and why you’d like a copy. Entries close 5 minutes before midnight May 3, Beijing time. I will pick the winner at random. **

(欢迎中文读者！如果想用中文来看博科，可以在右边点下翻译钮 “Blog translated”)。 我会选出一位幸运读者送出《上海里弄文化地图》的一本书。请在博客文章下留下个人发言，介绍自己。比赛5月3日半夜停止。我会随机选择。)

For me, the hardest thing about documenting Shanghai’s ubiquitous lilong (or lanes) residences and shikumen isn’t the tedious amount of time invested in research and photographing them, but surprise, surprise, actually finding the hidden gems.

While there is substantial and organized information on Shanghai’s western architecture thanks to dedicated archivists including Tess Johnston and Paul French, there is no equivalent English directory for the hundreds of Shanghai shikumen and lanes, which is a challenge given their rate of demolition.

As an outsider without initimate knowledge of the city, I depend a great deal on the internet, Google maps and collecting anecdotes from residents to piece together the what, where and whys.

There was one key source I often turned to – a photographer on Flicker and the Chinese equivalent, Douban who went by the name of Gropius (the famous German architect who pioneered the Bauhaus School) or Xi Zi (席子). His work was a treasure trove of beautiful shikumen and lanes that I never knew existed, along with names and addresses, which I would use to guide myself around the city. He was receptive to questions and had a large Shanghainese following online.

A few years ago, while shooting in a heap of what used to be a beautiful structure in Hongkou, I met a man in his late 30s, early 40s doing the same thing. Lo and behold, it was Xi Zi.

We became friends and I’d meet up with him on several occasions to shoot and even interviewed him for the blog. He almost never used a map and knew of hidden spots that even local Shanghainese had no idea existed. He photographed the same places over and over again, mapping a timeline of their demise.

After 5 years of continuous shooting, Xi Zi (whose full name is Xi Wenlei (席闻雷)) and his good friend Jiang Qinggong (姜庆共) (or Lao Jiang as he calls himself, a well-known publisher of history and the arts) have finally put out one of the best photo books on Shanghai shikumen that you’ll ever find. Both authors grew up in shikumens and as Xi Zi once said to me, for the younger generation, the shikumen will be just a concept as many of them have never lived in one.

“Shanghai Shikumen” or more accurately “Shanghai Lilong Culture and Map” (上海里弄文化地图) condenses explanations and diagrams of various shikumen styles, 40 shikumen lilong travel guides, 400 shikumen lilong directories and 120 accompanying images of both the exteriors and interiors of the shikumen.

Interestingly, Xi and Jiang have chosen to emphasize their work in images rather than in text, a departure from traditional Chinese publishing standards. The best part of the book is the litany of maps (both pre-1949 and the present) that help the tracking and identification of shikumen and lilongs more efficiently. All in both English and Chinese.

For the authors, the book is as much a way to reach out to the younger generation of Shanghainese about their history, as it is appealing to foreigners with a deeper curiosity of the Chinese aspect of Old Shanghai.

That this easily accessible shikumen guide has not been published earlier is baffling to me, which is why I recommend readers to pick up a copy and start exploring as some of these neighborhoods may not be around for too long.

Where to buy

“Shanghai Shikumen” (上海里弄文化地图), 162 pages, March 2012, Tongji University Press (RMB 42)

1. Dukou Bookshop(s) (上海渡口书店)

- 828 Julu Lu, near Fumin Lu, Jingan District 静安区巨鹿路828号, 近富民路

- 245 Madang Lu, B1, Xintiandi Style Mall, 卢湾区马当路245号新天地时尚B1楼

- Online bookstore

2. Link Shanghai Gallery in Tianzifang (搭界)

- No. 5 Lane 248 Taikang Lu, Shanghai 上海市泰康路248弄5号

20
Mar

Suzhou Literary Festival Roundup

By Sue Anne 0 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

This past weekend was spent in the very lovely Suzhuo at the Bookworm bookstore, partaking in the Suzhou Literary Festival activities.

I especially want to thank everyone who came for the talk on street photography in China, and hope that we all walked away with a clearer idea of the genre and a few new perspectives next time you hit the streets. Participants in the photo walk seemed like they had a great time and I was very impressed by the keen eye many demonstrate, I myself learned a fair bit from all of you.

Also, many thanks to the organizers and inn-keepers of the Suzhou Bookworm for the great event! The Suzhou Literary Festival is a gem and I hope more folks in Shanghai consider a trip to enjoy interesting authors and the city next year.

Speaking of which, the old city is lovely.

I had met up with a friend from Suzhou, a born and bred native with an affinity for history. As we drove around, he pointed out a few interesting landmarks in the city. One of which was a compound called Tongde Lane (同德里) along Wusa Lu (五卅路) that once belonged to Shanghai’s greatest  gangster Du Yuesheng (杜月笙 or nickname ‘Big Ears Du’). He had conveniently housed his two Suzhou concubines there and would visit when Shanghai proved too hectic. It was subsequently occupied by Lin Biao (林彪), a Communist general who died fleeing after what appeared to be a failed coup to oust Mao Zedong in 1971.

I’ve always enjoyed the minimalism of Jiangnan (江南)-styled houses with their white and grey hues, elaborate roof gables and intricate stone carvings. Walking in the quiet back canals, it is always a treat to find the random pavillion and convenient stone bridges to carry you back to the din of noisy cars and shops.

I finally visited the touristy Pingjiang Lu (平江路), a pedestrian stream of preserved Jiangnan-styled houses occupied by galleries, cafes, tea-houses and hotels. Some may scoff Pingjiang Lu to be a little too scrubbed up and Disneyfied, but I thought that it had modernized more organically than reconstructed shopping shikumens (石库门) in Shanghai, whose natural inclination is to Westernize everything from decor to cuisine.  My preference would be to have Suzhou’s traditional tea houses evolve with corresponding Taiwanese and Japanese influences of hominess and simplicity.

For camera-philes, a Leica store is opening up by Pingjiang Lu, a hallmark of gentrification and creep of upscale shopping. A quick chat with the owner says the store opening is slated for mid-end April with an exhibit by a Canadanian photographer.

At times, the city centre feels as if it’s choking on both traffic and people. As the skies darkened threateningly with rain, I watched the hordes clamour onto a public bus like it was the only way out of a war zone.

Urban planners are struggling to cope with the flood of migrating residents, and the battle for sustainable preservation of heritage architecture. I hope city planners strike a good balance, because outside of the old city, Suzhou has fast become a cookie cutter landscape, a far cry from the idyllic town it once was.

(More photos taken with my Iphone after the jump)

Continue reading ‘Suzhou Literary Festival Roundup’

22
Feb

Winter walking

By Sue Anne 0 Comments
Categories: Street Stories and Take To the Street

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It was only a few weeks ago, the cold and dampness of Shanghai’s winter had gotten to me in the worst possible way.

Hibernation swiftly took over and I stubbornly refused to get out of bed on the weekends. One Saturday afternoon, I woke up groggy, my heart and bones felt heavy as if trying to break out of a funk. I stared out of my window to see overcast skies and a dull fog. Grey seemed to constantly plague my weekends. I crawled back into bed.

I have often thought to myself that there was simply no excuse for bad weather to get in the way of shooting. We are reflecting society as is, and bad weather, warts and all, are exactly that. I knew deep down the most amazing pictures would come out of people fighting rain and cold. Nature versus man! Authenticity! I thought, yet laughing at the absurdity of my city-mindset. I lived in Shanghai, for pete’s sake.

And so it went for days, then weeks.

Then suddenly, there was a buzz around me. Sunshine this coming weekend! A colleague clutched my arm to exclaim. strawberries picking! Window shopping! Hot coffees in the streets! Picnicking!

Satuday came and it was half of what had been promised. Sunshine bathed busy streets. Frowns and hunched backs turned briefly into easy smiles and relaxed postures. I counted on two hands, youngsters snacking on ice-creams even when their breath was visible as they spoke.

In my first hour of walking, the camera felt unwieldy, almost alien in my palm. Still, it felt good to be get my rhythm back, measuring people and distance on my 35mm. Children were screaming as they played thieves and robbers in alleys. Shopkeepers joked back and forth. Loud conversations and the clattering of mahjong tiles drifted out of open windows.

By the 2nd hour, I pressed deeper into alleys and emerging in equally quiet streets where the temperature fell from the absence of bustling human bodies. The soundtrack of the warm afternoon had dimmed. My cheeks were pinched pink from the brisk air and my fingers felt slightly numb even in my gloves.

Adjectives failed me. I was freezing. As the sun slipped back behind clouds and the proverbial mountain, the evening chill forced bodies indoors, leaving only those out with a purpose. Places to go, bellies to be filled.

Bodies began to hunch again and layers piled on you only see eyes and red noses. Another 12 more hours and good weather will be upon all of us again. I was waiting. For Sunday promised to be as brisk but infinitely cheery.

February 2012

12
Jan

Grappling with Street Photography

By Sue Anne 2 Comments
Categories: Take To the Street

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I’ve been sitting on this series for a while. Well, not just this, there are a dozen others, but let’s talk a little about this one in particular.

There isn’t a specific or exciting story to tell. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day-long amble on a Saturday in Hongkou district (虹口区) which I ended with cramped feet but a happy heart. Everything came together: cool weather, sufficient light, optimal crowd density and diversity of characters. It was days like this that reinforced my affection for Shanghai.

Yet when I reviewed my work the next day, I felt uninspired, almost disappointed. I found some perspectives unoriginal and compositions lackluster, a bit of a waste given the pleasant circumstances. Where was the motion, flow and wit? One photo seemed like a variation of another barely a month ago.

It took weeks to filter a dozen shots I could live with, another several days to do another cull. I remain undecided, deleting another as I write this post.

So what of it then, you ask? It was an exercise for my own gratification, a weighing of one’s minor accomplishments. But really, it is a reminder of how difficult the process of street photography can be for some.

Many photographers consider street photography to be challenging, perhaps the most difficult of genres within photography. The random and often uncontrollable elements in composition and people’s growing sensitivities about privacy are just some examples. Ironically, these are also the reasons that drive some to embrace street photography.

Personally, I’ve had little trouble with photographing people in Shanghai’s streets, something I’ve discussed at length before. Where I find constantly challenged is in creativity, sustainability and speed, especially when detecting and assembling an interesting composition quickly.  The process is easily suceptible to weather conditions as it can by your emotional state. Often times, it can be both relaxing and frustrating.

My partner often teases me about being too hard on myself, and how little of my work I share (ironic given that I have a blog) but I discover this to be surprisingly common among some photographers. It’s not a vanity thing but rather about skill and expectations.

Last September, as part of organizing the exhibit “The Living Streets of Shanghai and The Hague”, I spoke at length with photographer Lu Yuanmin (陆元敏) who was the event’s guest speaker.

Lu 老师’s (or Teacher ‘Laoshi’ Lu as most call him out of respect) street photography, largely shot in black and white film, is concentrated in his hometown of Shanghai. Pushed by high contrast and heavy grain of the film, his photos exude a dreamlike feel (also a recurring theme in interviews). His inspiration “comes from visual memory; the moment of collision of memory and reality.” It is as if one is drifting through Shanghai with an invisible cloak, peering intimately (and fleetingly) into people’s souls.

When I asked him if he encountered much difficulty shooting in the streets, he acknowledged how angry some people can be and it has grown more difficult of late. Being exceedingly shy in public, Lu is adverse to conflict.

“When I notice an argument in the street, I tend to walk away rather than towards it.” he said once in an interview. All of this has shaped his stealthy approach in street photography.  Before, the Lomo camera used to be one of his many weapons of choice. Of late, he has switched to a toy camera which hung like a small key chain no bigger than his thumb.

Once, I blurted out that despite practice, I find myself with no more than 8 good shots after a long day of shooting.

“So many?” Teacher Lu remarked in surprise. “That’s quite good already. I usually have just one or two,” he laughed. My face reddened and I slunk deep into my chair. That only made me feel worse. Clearly, my bar of excellence wasn’t very high.

When shooting film, Lu insists on developing all of it himself, fearing others might see his “mediocre” work if he sent it off to professionals. There was nothing militant about his approach to photography, he really was that humble. Perhaps with fame comes growing expectations, and you can be your own worst critic. Despite decades of experience, even veterans still grapple with the process. But it is Lu’s passion for street photography that presses him on. Nothing was too trivial. Nothing was to be passed up.

And so, the weekend is coming. Another day-long amble is expected and the frustrating process of shoot and review will reoccur.

But I never said I’d stop. Did I?

04
Jan

A review of 2011 (part three)

By Sue Anne 2 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications, Off the Streets of Shanghai and Street Stories

This is the third installment of my review of 2011. Picking a favorite story from each month is difficult. All posts take time, including research, photo editing and writing and re-writing each paragraph to the best effect. It can sometimes be tiresome, especially when I would linger on a post for weeks, to the point of it remaining stubbornly unpublished. And believe me, there are quite a few. I sometimes have to revisit the place to jog the memory of the details, smells and sounds.

Yet there are moments which pass you by as quickly as they come. A look, a body movement or a sound can trigger an entire composition never to be recreated ever again.

July: I published a piece on exploring the port architecture of Shantou in Guangdong, where the Old Quarters, while crumbling miserably, is a beautiful place worth visiting. The city is home to Teochews, a dialect group, of which the overseas disapora number over 30 million.

Another favorite is “Reflections at high noon”, a photo essay on the most unknowing inspiration for street photography.

August: I’ve often feature the Chinese street photography collective Zaijietou.com (在街头) as an example of the popularity of street photography among a select few in China. Here, an interview of Chinese and German perspectives on street photography in China.

September: In lieu of blogging, my September was packed with activities. My biggest event was  “The Living Streets of Shanghai and the Hague”, a video exhibit by Shanghai and the Hague’s best street photographers. I co-organized it with  Five Spices, a Dutch design company, and the exhibit was held in Shanghai and subsequently in the Hague.

One of the featured photographers of the above exhibit was Tan Tien Yun, whom I interviewed. Working in the one of the countless factories in Minhang, Tien Yun took the time to take in the the more rural aspects of Shanghai’s suburbs including the local migrant communities.

A review of 2011 (part one) (part two) (part three)

01
Sep

10 Sep Street photography exhibit: “The living streets of Shanghai and The Hague”

By Sue Anne 2 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

 

We’ve been working hard to put together this 1-day only street photography event which will be absolutely fantastic. Please help spread the good word. Hope to see you there!

“The living streets of Shanghai and The Hague”
September 10 (Sat), 2-5PM
Dutch Design Workspace, Shaanxi Lu 600, Jingan district, Shanghai
RSVP: info@fivespices.nl

Two great cities joined by their streets
This unique event will bring together the best of street photography from Shanghai and The Hague and will be held in both cities as part of a cross-cultural exchange of shared perspectives behind the lens. 

The exchange
The organizers, Dutch design firm Five Spices and ShanghaiStreetStories.com blogger Sue Anne Tay, have invited three other Shanghai-based photographers and the Urban Photo Collective in Holland as participants of a street photography exchange.

Dialogue with photographer Lu Yuanmin (陆元敏）
Dutch photographer Robert van der Hilst (b. 1940) will introduce the event via video. And we will be joined by one of Shanghai’s most respected photographers Lu Yuanmin who will share his thoughts on street photography in China. Lu Yuanmin (b. 1950) has long been depicting Shanghai’s urbanites in his trademark dreamy yet arresting photography and is widely exhibited all over the world, The interview will be in English and Chinese.

The street photography showcase
Shanghai and The Hague’s most popular street photographers will showcase their photography work through video, following an exchange of perspectives on how street photography best reflects the cities they live in.

Sue Anne Tay – Photographer and author of the popular blog ShanghaiStreetStories.com

Tui – Street photographer and a major contributor to the street photography collective Zaijietou.com

Tan Tien Yun – Street photographer with a unique perspective on “rural” Shanghai

And collective works by photographers of the Urban Photo Collective of Netherlands.

29
Aug

Zaijietou.com (在街头) perspectives and the 1-year anniversary “Relay” (在接力) project

By Sue Anne 5 Comments
Categories: Behind the Camera Interviews and Take To the Street

I’ve expressed my thoughts about street photography in China before and how it does not seem to be a genre that is widely understood or practiced in spite of the growing prevalence of niche camera equipment and the snap-happy society at large. A Chinese friend recently joked that Canon 5D MKIIs and Leica M9s are now considered ”entry-level kits” for China’s nouveau riche while  for the younger generation,  photography has become a natural outlet for self-expression made easy with the ubiquitous camera phone.

But to be fair, street photography is very much alive here in Shanghai, considered to be the best city in China (and arguably one of the best cities in the world) for said craft. Like New York and London, Shanghai’s sprawling metropolis of 22 million people can awe as it can inspire. Which is naturally why the street photography collective Zaijietou.com (在街头) or “in the street” in Chinese, is largely made up of contributors from Shanghai, with the rest peppered across the country. You can view my recent collaboration with them here.

Below are excerpts of two bilingual interviews with a Chinese and a German contributor of Zaijietou conducted by the site’s admnistrator Liu Miao (刘淼). Local photographer Lahem (拉黑) describes himself to be an individual “imprisoned” in Shanghai and believes honesty and photography to be the highest forms of humor. His work below seems to reflect this philosophy well.

Lahem has set up his own photo club, a platform to further advocate his philosophies about photography.

We insist photos must care about life. We insist the neglected facts are in our daily life. We use photos to discover these facts. We face joy, pain and sadness. This is how we define our photo club. During this age, anybody can have a camera, Anybody can be a photographer, taking photo can be as easy as breathing. But in the mean time, we found that though more are more people are taking pictures, they do not have a free will, they are taking photos according to someone else’s will and to cater for others’ needs. In 2009, I knew some friends, we all thought photography should care about life itself,to confront the inner heart.

我们坚持照片须关乎生活；我们坚信被忽略的真相存在于日常之中；我们用照片发现日常掩盖下的真相；我们直面快乐、痛苦和悲伤。”这是我们图片社对自己的定位。在这个人人都有相机，人人都可能成为摄影师的时代，拍照是一件如呼吸一样简单的事情。但与此同时，我们发现越来越多的人虽然都在拍照片，但拍的都不是自己，大家都在按照别人的意志拍摄别人需要的照片。2009年，我结识了一些朋友，我们都认为照片应该关乎自己的生活，直面自己的内心。于是大家在2010年5月底一起组了拉黑图片社，定期交流拍摄心得与想法，并建了自己的网(lahem.info)。拉黑图片社并没有实体的工作室，也不以盈利为目的。

Berlin-borned Ingo compared street photography in Germany and China (his work above), sharing a view I find common with many foreigners who call Shanghai home. A foreign environment is often most stimulating whereas a familiar one can dull our senses.

The streets in China are more colorful, people and places more divers. Also a bit “luan” (乱 or ‘messy’, ‘unruly’)which is nothing negative and can be very inspirational. Things are changing and are constantly on the move. It’s easier to spot interesting pictures. When I’m in Germany on the street I don’t know what I should photograph. It all seems so boring. But it might be because I grew up there. The city view for me is just something I have known my whole life.

Regardless of background or motivations, Zaijietou contributors share the same qualities of street photographers all over. Ingo captures this perspective well.

I think for me it’s definitely not a way to make a living but more like an obsession that doesn’t let me go. It’s also not a lifestyle. Photography is all about watching and observing. I’m good at that. This is me. I like to stay back, observe and discover the small and interesting things around you. Maybe some situations tell an interesting story about life in a pure and straight way and some details even let you smile to yourself while participating in this situation: I’m always trying to find those small moments.

Zaijietou is celebrating their site’s one-year anniversary with plenty of pomp. In addition to an upcoming exhibition, they have launched an ambitious ”tagging” exercise called Zaijietou Relay (or “在接力”). Essentially, a photographer will post a photo and a short story and another photographer can respond in a similar fashion. Ideally, the relays will create a continuous dialogue on street photography. You don’t need to be signed up as a member of Zaijietou, getting involved in easy.

For street photographers outside of China, this is a good opportunity to interact with China-based counterparts through the common language of the viewfinder. So take to the streets and join in!

26
Aug

Mea culpa and upcoming events in August/September

By Sue Anne 3 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

First of all, I’d like to apologize for the slow pace of posting around here. Day by day, my backlog of half-edited photo essays and unfinished drafts grow as I attend to a million other things. But I can assure you that I haven’t stopped photographing or meeting new talented Shanghai-based photographers. Quite the opposite in fact and I promise a treat of new neighborhood discoveries, more interviews and events on this blog very soon.

In the meantime, I’m still sharing interesting China- and photography- related links via Twitter and the blog’s Facebook page, so follow me there if you’d like a more regular dose of my ramblings. Readership has been steadily growing, the latest spike thanks to a very positive review of the blog (4 out of 5 stars!) in the popular UK photo magainze Amateur Photographer. The write up can be found here.

Meanwhile, below is a smattering of events which my friends and I are involved in for the next few weeks. Hope to see you there!

27 August (Sat) 3pm: Shanghai Flickr Meetup in the former Jewish Ghetto in Hongkou
The always-fun Flickr Meetup crew is planning a photography jaunt (tomorrow!) through the former Jewish Quarter in Hongkou, based on the same chapter in “Still More Shanghai Walks” which I authored. I will be there as a mini-guide to take any questions but really just to enjoy the company. All are welcome.

10 September (Sat) 2pm: “The Living Streets of Shanghai and the Hague”
I am co-organizing this very exciting street photography project with Dutch design firm, Five Spices, to be held at the Dutch Design Workspace here in Shanghai. Photographers from both cities will showcase their work and we will have a dialogue with none other than Shanghai street photographer master Lu Yuanmin (陆元敏). To be officiated by the Consul General of the Netherlands, the corresponding event in the Hague will be held end-September. More details soon.

13 September (Tues) 7pm: Katya Knyazeva on Shanghai Old Town: “Topography of a Phantom City”
Long before there were the international Concessions, Old Town was the hub of Shanghai’s prestigious merchant activity. Today, it remains a cluster of organic, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods but is, like much of Old Shanghai, rapidly being torn apart. Learn more about Katya’s work in a Behind the Camera Interview she gave on the blog.

18 September (Thurs) 7:30pm: Paul French’s “Midnight in Peking”: A Book Talk & Signing at the Glamour Bar
The prolific Shanghai-based author and blogger of ChinaRhyming.com has kicked off the Asia tour of his latest book, a true crime novel entitled “Midnight in Peiking”. Paul has solved the actual murder of Pamela Werner, the daughter of a former British consul to China, which took place is 1937 but was never properly closed. The book’s wonderfully interactive website also a map of Pamela’s Peiking, as well as Audio Walks narrated by Paul himself! Definitely another reason to visit Beijing.

So there you go, the fun never seems to end! As always, feel free to drop me a comment or email if you have any questions.

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