In my first blog post I mentioned that it was during time spent in China and Thailand that my photography began to really take shape. After reading it a friend asked if I could write a post about that. So, that’s what we are going to talk about this week, my time in China and how it influenced my photography.

It was the summer of 2010 and I was trying to avoid dealing with some mental stresses. I was still getting over a bad breakup, the sting of my father’s recent death with still pretty heavy, and general boredom and dissatisfaction with where I was in life were starting to bring me down. So, I I joined up with a program that would allow me to get my TEFL certification and be placed into a teaching position at a school in China. Now, I could fill dozens of blog posts with stories of my time in China, but I am going to reserve this one for my travels while there and how they helped to shape my photography along the way.

During my stint teaching at an English Language Center in the small Eastern city of Yuyao I did some traveling here and there over my breaks. I visited West Lake in Hangzhou for Mid Autumn Festival. I spent National Day in Shanghai and Nanjing. A few weeks later I would return to Shanghai for the World Expo. Over the Christmas Break I visited Beijing again, as well as a small village called Shanhaiguan, the spot where the Great Wall of China meets its end in the Bohai Sea. It was amazing to see all of those places, but I really didn't see those trips as truly traveling, more as a respite from the stresses of work and everyday life in a small city where you stand out like a sore thumb to the 1.6 million people around you. I loved my time living in China and will always cherish the lessons that I learned there, but for someone who suffers from anxiety being surrounded my so much humanity all the time and feeling like you were on stage at all times can be draining.

It was after my teaching stint ended that I planned to do some real traveling. It was the dead of winter and I had planned out a month long 3500 mile trip with my friend Nicole zigzagging across China, eventually ending on an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This is that journey…

From Yuyao, the first place that we visited was the capital of Shaanxi province, the ancient city of X’ian. The city is most well known to the Western World as the site of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, Qin She Huang, and his terra-cotta army. While this is the big tourist draw to this region, there are many other reasons one might visit X’ian. There is the combination of The Drum Tower and the Bell Tower, built back in the 1380’s these timber and wood structures were used to signal the beginning and the end of the day in the city. The city is surrounded by the same thick walls that have enclosed it since the 14th Century, a place for biking or walking that allows for a unique perspective of this incredible city.

Terra-Cotta Warriors. X'ian, China. 2011

Looking back at the pictures that I took while in X’ian, I am drawn to a particular image. Sure, the terra-cotta warriors are incredible for their sheer volume of hand crafted artistic work, but it is this image of the Bell Tower that stands out to me. This trip to X’ian was the first time that I began to recognize the juxtaposition between old and new that is found all over the place and how placing some ancient in the same frame as something modern immediately brings a different level of interest to the image. Time shortens and we are brought back to a period long ago, while still staying grounded in the present.

Our next stop was the Capital of Sichuan province, Chengdu. While in X’ian we spent most of our time in the city proper, the majority of our trip to Chengdu was spent on the outskirts of the city. Chengdu is most known for its spicy cuisine and as the home of China’s beloved Giant Pandas. Of course we went to see the Pandas. Who wouldn’t?

But, the highlight of our time in Sichuan was a trip to the small city of Leshan to see the Giant Buddha. 75 miles outside of Chengdu, the Giant Buddha of Leshan stands 233 feet high and is carved from a cliff face where the Min and Dadu Rivers meet. Facing Mount Emei, one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China, the Giant Buddha of Leshan is the largest and tallest stone Buddha statue in the world. This shot from the feet of the Buddha is an example of my experiments with perspective. Using the Buddhas right big toe in the foreground as the focus of the image, I am attempting to show the sheer size of the statue relative to the viewer at its base.

Leshan Giant Buddha. Leshan, China. 2011

From Chengdu we traveled to the southern Chinese city of Guilin. Well known for its stunning karst topography, Guilin is a popular destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. The scenery along the Li River, mountains soaring dramatically out of the river, is featured on the back of the 20 yuan bill. Most of the year the weather in Guilin and the nearby rice terraces of Longshen is warm and sunny. Being the middle of January, our trip was marred by wind, rain, and some snow in the mountains. We weren’t even able to see the rice fields on our visit to the villages that surround the scenic terraces, the only pictures being of the frozen buildings in the area.

The one place that I was really able to shoot while in Guilin was inside the Reed Flute Cave. Over 180 million years old, the cave has been one of Guilin’s most popular attractions for more than 1200 years. Limestone karst topography makes for some dramatic caves and Reed Flute Cave is one of the most beautiful. In this image I attempt to play with reflection and color. The formations inside the cave have been accentuated with colored lighting throughout, bringing a new, almost theatrical, life to the grey of the limestone walls.

After our time in Guilin, we made our way to Hong Kong. A former British colony, Hong Kong is now a Chinese autonomous region. An important financial center for nearly 200 years under British rule, Hong Kong is one of the most Westernized cities in all of China. Massive apartment buildings stretch towards the sky throughout much of the city, the hustle and bustle of commerce apparent nearly everywhere that you go. Just to the west of the city center of Hong Kong lies Lantau Island, home to the famous stilt houses of Tai O village and Hong Kong Disneyworld.

Also on Lantau Island is where one would find the Tian Tan Buddha, the subject of my favorite photograph from my time in Hong Kong. The Tian Tan Buddha is a 112 foot tall bronze statue of the Buddha at the Po Lin Monastery. One of the largest Buddhas in the world, Tian Tan, also known simply as the Big Buddha, is one of the most visited sites in all of Hong Kong. In the shot here we can see my experimentation with different angles. Rather than shooting from afar as most images of the Big Buddha are, I chose to stand at its base and shoot upwards. While the shots from afar covey the size of the statue in relativity to its surroundings, shooting the statue from closer allows the viewer to see the details of the statue while managing to bring the massive Buddha into a more intimate relationship with the viewer.

Tian Tan Buddha. Hong Kong, China. 2011.

Though not in China, I am going to include my last stop before heading back to the US, mainly because it is where I took my favorite image I have ever taken. Outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand, in a lush valley next to the Ping River lies Elephant Nature Park, a sanctuary for retired and rescued elephants. Home to more than 30 elephants, Elephant Nature Park is a haven for those who want to meet these gentle giants. Tourists come to the park and, rather than riding the elephants or viewing the animals putting on shows, help to care for the pachyderms. Guests of the park help to feed and bathe the elephants and walk through the valley with guides, allowing them to come face to face with the amazing beasts. During one of my many walks through the valley, I took this shot of one of my favorite elephants as she came over to say hello.

At the Click of The Shutter (Post #3) 3000 Miles Around China

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