So here we are. Christmas Day 2009 and the last edition of 5. Trying to choose five favorite photographs to display on this post has been a difficult task. I almost wish the category was ten for Friday.
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2010 will feature a 365 project of sorts but one offering a daily phototip. Stay tuned for it.
There’s no real reason why I’ve chosen these five images. I could just as easily have chosen a different five and probably would have if I did it at a different time.
As I write this post it’s Christmas Eve and Taipei is cold but sunny. I’m about to head out for a rescheduled portrait session and then it’s time to take it easy for a few days. Blogging will continue however, with a guide to fireworks photography coming next week as well as the first desktop calendar download for 2010. Happy holidays everyone.
Giant Panda at Taipei Zoo. The endangered animals were a goodwill gift from China to Taiwan to acknowledge the improved relationship between the two countries and the lessening of tensions.
Taiwanese opera performer from the Xin Ing Feng Opera Group. Originating in eastern Taiwan in the late 19th century, Taiwanese folk opera is part of the southern variations of Chinese opera. As the only form of Han traditional drama to have come from Taiwan, it was started by immigrants from Fujian, China and told folk stories of the region. While its popularity has declined in the modern era, it still plays an important role in Taiwanese culture.
Japanese torii gate at Hualien, Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC). Although Taiwan was a colony of Japan from 1895-1945, not much remains of the Japanese religious artifacts
Jack Conqueroo @ Underworld, Taipei, Taiwan
Portrait of Leslie, a young African-American woman photographed at Baguashan, Taiwan.
This weekend is set to be a busy one in the enetertainment sphere here in Taiwan, with the Rock N Roll Circus taking place on Friday in Taichung and Saturday in Taipei, as well as Yo La Tengo performing on Saturday. So with that in mind, this weeks 5 is taken from a gig I shot for the Money Shot Horns a couple of weeks ago at the America Club’s annual ball.
Before we get into that though, it’s time to announce two winners from the Creativity giveaway from a couple of weeks ago. Valerie Ardini and Gareth H Photography are the winners and both will be receiving the prize pack. I’ll be in touch with you by email with more details. Congratulations.
On another note, this will be the penultimate edition of 5. I’ve got something fresh and exciting coming up for 2010, so stay tuned for that. Also, for those on Twitter, don’t forget to check out the new mentoring initiative, Togmentor. Now however, without further ado, the Money Shot Horns.
MoneyShot Horns live at The America Club, Taipei, Taiwan.
MoneyShot Horns live at The America Club, Taipei, Taiwan.
MoneyShot Horns live at The America Club, Taipei, Taiwan.
MoneyShot Horns live at The America Club, Taipei, Taiwan.
MoneyShot Horns live at The America Club, Taipei, Taiwan.
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
Since Taiwan and China split in 1949 following the Chinese civil war, there hasn’t been too much that they’ve agreed on. Recently however, there has been a lessening of tensions and a closer relationship forming that has been generally hailed as a success globally. With a fifth round of cross-strait talks focusing on trade and economics set to begin in ten days, the hope is that tensions continue to decrease as the two sides sit down at the negotiating table.
One thing they have generally agreed upon over the years however is the status of Dr Sun Yat Sen. Widely respected in both countries, and seen by both sides as a revered figure, he is often referred to as “father of the nation” in Taiwan and “forerunner of the revolution” in China. This week in 5, we’re going to take a look at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, located in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei.
Before we do that however, a couple of quick announcements. This Sunday, December 13th, I’ll be hosting a fifth Photowalk. The venue this time is Fuyang Ecological Park, which is close to Linguang MRT station. We’ll meet at the MRT station around 2:45pm or at the park entrance at 3pm. There’s a Facebook event for it with more information. Fuyang Eco Park is great for nature photography, with plenty of tree frogs, plants, butterflies, bugs and birds.
For anyone looking for a great 2010 calendar, my Renegade Beauty | Taiwan 2010 is still available for only $24.99. Get in quick. Also, for a chance to win the calendar, and a copy of Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall is situated in Taipei, Taiwan. Completed in May 1972, it is a multi-purpose social, cultural and education center for the Taiwanese public. Inside the hall can be found a world-class performance hall, a 1,000 square meter exhibition hall, multimedia theater, audio-visual facilities, a 300 000 volume library, lecture halls and every hour there is a formal changing of the guards ceremony at the main entrance to the building.
Ceremonial guard inside Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
The grounds of Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall are a popular socializing location for both tourists and local people. Special holiday markets can often be found, and every year the grounds are an important site during the annual lantern festival. The lake in one corner is a favored spot for watching the fish, resting in the shade and generally relaxing. The large, open grass areas, surrounded by trees and well cared for flowers make a popular picnic spot for young couples, and the skies above are sometimes filled with colorful kites.
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
Sun Yat Sen himself was born in Guangdong province in 1866 and died of cancer in a Beijing hospital in 1925. His life was marked by frequent periods of exile, and he was a key figure in the overthrow of the last imperial dynasty of China, the Qing Dynasty, in 1911. He is unique among 20th century Chinese leaders in that he is respected on both sides of the strait. In both Taiwan and mainland China, parks and roads are named after him, and his likeness is seen on currency and in schools and ceremonial locations.
Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan
Well, that brings us to the end of another week of 5. Comments are always welcome, and as always, your sharing this post with friends and social media networks is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
]]>After a break from 5 last week, we’re back with a bit of travel. Before we do that however, don’t work that you can enter the Creativity giveaway for a chance to win some great prizes.
Although I’m based in Asia, I actually come from Australia and have never really posted any photos from there. So this week, we’re heading to Melbourne for a few photos from the city by the bay. During 2002 I was fortunate enough to live in a great house across the road from the beach in Williamstown, a bayside suburb of Melbourne. The following photographs are all taken from the wharf area looking back across to the central business district of Melbourne. These are all low-res film scans. I’ve left a few scratches in for a bit of a vintage type look.
Check back on Monday for some great performance photos from Taipei and don’t forget that my calendar Renegade Beauty | Taiwan 2010 is still available for purchase. Enjoy.
Looking across Port Phillip Bay towards the city of Melbourne.
Boats docked in Williamstown, Melbourne
Yachts on Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne.
Boat docked in Williamstown, Melbourne.
Boats on Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne.
This week on 5 we journey outside the photographic sphere in order to explore creativity. Creativity exists in all walks of life and artistic pursuits. The following five videos enter the worlds of music, sport and writing to take a look at the creative process in other fields and offer lessons that apply as much to photography as they do to any other creative endeavor.
The videos below feature composer Moby, singer/songwriter/author Nick Cave, basketball legend Michael Jordan, skateboarder Rodney Mullen and bestselling writer Zoë Heller.
I hope you enjoy and gain something from these. There’ll be a follow up of sorts next week along with a giveaway, so make sure you check back. As always, your comments and thoughts are highly appreciated. Videos are after the jump.
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Mixing up the portraiture this week for 5. Last month when teaching Light Your World, I hired professional model Jaclynn Joseph to give the participants some real life practice. My intention that day was to let the students do most of the shooting while I did most of the explaining. As a result, I didn’t really get a chance to take many photos of Jaclynn which was a pity. She’s a natural in front of the camera, very professional, very photogenic and a joy to work with. So last Sunday, I hooked up with her, and a couple of other photographer friends for a three hour shoot. Jaclynn and I decided on a kind of 1920s vintage flapper type thing, with a bit of noir thrown in. Well, at least that was the intention, but it might have ended up more like a B-grade horror movie for our final setup of the day. Regardless, a lot of fun was had, I got some images I was happy with and also the seeds of an idea for a future shoot. Here are five photos from the day. Shooting details are at the end of the post.
Jaclynn | Canon EOS 5D Mark II 200mm ISO200 f8 1/200
Jaclynn | Canon EOS 5D Mark II 190mm ISO125 f2.8 1/200
Jaclynn | Canon EOS 5D Mark II 159mm ISO200 f8 1/200
Jaclynn | Canon EOS 5D Mark II 200mm ISO400 f5.6 1/200
Jaclynn | Canon EOS 5D Mark II 70mm ISO200 f4 1/200
All images were shot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Lenses used were either the 70-200mm f4L or its big brother the 70-200mm f2.8L. Lighting was different for different shots. The first four were a single 580 EX II that was gelled with a 1/4 cut CTO. The final image used three lights – the Canon 580 EX II gelled red on Jaclynn, a Nikon SB28 gelled purple in the middle and a Canon 550EX gelled CTB at the back.
]]>Wufenpu got its name from five Chinese families who bought up the land in the area back in 1769. Today, the area is a large clothing and materials market and that’s what we’re going to be looking at on 5 this week.
Located opposite the Songshan train station, Wufenpu is a sprawling market that offers some of the lowest priced retail fashion in Taipei, as well as being a busy wholesale clothing market. I was in the area last week, so wandered around for an hour or so photographing the goings on.
Incidentally, these photos were all processed from the RAW files in the beta version of Adobe Lightroom 3. All photos were shot on a Canon 5D Mark II with 17-40mm lens.
Colorful handbags are an important accessory for an fashion conscious shopper.
Clothing manequins line the front window of a store.
The lanes are barely wide enough for the delivery trucks. This section of the market is undercover by the way.
Where there's shoppers, there's food vendors. Trying my panning technique on a slow moving subject.
Wufenpu market is dog friendly. Important in a country where dogs are often seen as fashion accessories.
This week on 5 we’re visiting the northern Taiwanese town of Jinguashi and its ruined Shinto shrine. Before we get into that though, if you didn’t see my list of must-follow photographers on Twitter, you should check it out. As I did on that post, today I’ll be giving away an invite to Google Wave for one lucky commenter so make sure you leave your thoughts at the end of todays post. Let’s start things off with a photograph, and then a bit of history and information about it after the jump.
Torii Gate at the entrance to Mountain God Shrine, Jinguashi
Jinguashi is a town located in the Rueifang Township of Taipei County, an area that became famous for its goldmines. During the Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), the Japan Mining Company built the Mountain God shrine halfway up the mountain to commemorate their 1933 takeover of the local gold mine. The original shrine included a main hall, prayer hall and pavilion for worshipers to wash their hands. There were also two walkways along the stairs, at either side of which were 3 torii (gate), 5 flag platforms and 1 bronze bull. During the Japanese era large-scale religious ceremonies and rituals were held here every year. At some point in the point war years the shrine was mostly destoyed and today all that is left are 2 torii (gate), a few stone lanterns and the shrine’s original foundation, beams and pillars.
Incidentally, Taiwan has just marked Retrocession Day (October 25th), the anniversary of the handover of Taiwan to the ROC from Japanese rule in 1945.
Dirt path leading to the ruined Mountain God Shrine, Jinguashi, Taiwan.
The ruined Mountain God Shinto Shrine, Jinguashi, Taiwan.
Looking down from the ruined Mountain God Shinto Shrine, Jinguashi, Taiwan.
Looking down from the ruined Mountain God Shinto Shrine, Jinguashi, Taiwan.
So that brings us to the end of another week. As it’s the end of the month, check back tomorrow for the free November desktop calendar. And don’t forget, there’s a Google Wave invite to go to one lucky commenter.
]]>Carnivals on 5 this week. Once a year, Taipei county’s Dream Community organize a short parade and march through the streets of Taipei city, starting at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and ending up around the corner on Ketagalan Boulevard where a stage was set up for an evening concert.
Prior commitments meant that I was only able to attend the end of the parade, but I managed to get a handful of decent shots. Enjoy.
Ready for Halloween. Dream Parade, Taipei, Taiwan
Feathers. Dream Parade, Taipei, Taiwan
Guitar. Dream Parade, Taipei, Taiwan
Guitar. Dream Parade, Taipei, Taiwan
This week on 5 we’re taking a trip to the lower Isaan region of Thailand to visit a silk village. Thai silk comes from the cocoons of Thai silkworms. The silkworms are raised on a diet of mulberry leaves and the resulting silk is considered one of the finest fabrics in the world.
Before we get to the photos and further information, a quick reminder for those in Taiwan. I’ll be hosting another Photowalk this Sunday. Meet at 3:30pm at Xin Beitou MRT station if you’re interested in joining us. The photowalks always feature some good conversation, laughs and photo opportunities.
Thai Silk
The oldest known use of silk in Thailand dates back to fibers found in the ruins of Baan Chiang, considered to be Southeast Asia’s oldest civilization. Thai silk comes from Bombyx mori, a small silk worm that comes from the eggs of a silk moth. Silk thread of varying colors, ranging from light gold to very light green is produced from the cocoon with lengths up to 1500m possible from a single cocoon.
Thai Silk
A single thread filament is too thin to use on its own so silk workers combine many threads to produce a thicker, usable fiber. They do this by hand-reeling the threads onto a wooden spindle to produce a uniform strand of raw silk. This can take nearly 40 hours to produce a half kilogram of Thai silk.
Thai Silk
The silk fabric is then soaked in hot water and bleached before dyeing in order to remove the natural yellow coloring of Thai silk yarn. To do this, skeins of silk thread are immersed in large tubs of hydrogen peroxide. Once washed and dried, the silk is then woven using a traditional hand operated loom. This hand weaving means that each silk fabric is unique.
Silk Hand Loom
Thai silk has a unique luster, with a sheen that has two unique blends: one color for the warp and another for the weft. Color changes as you hold the Thai silk fabric at varying angles against light. If burned, Thai silk smells like hair due to the natural silk fiber that is similar to human hair and fingernails. Interestingly, if the flame is moved, the silk stops burning. This is different to artificial silk which has a plastic smell if burned.
In terms of price, Thai silk is usually 10 times more expensive than artificial silk, with the US and UK being the two biggest markets.
Thai Silk
These images come from a small silk village outside Surin. This village provided the silk fabric for the 2003 APEC conference in Thailand.
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