Outside Taipei City Hall bus station.
One of Taiwan’s government departments recently commissioned a series of photographs from me. After tossing a few ideas back and forth, it was decided to go with some evening and night time photography of the greater Taipei area. The assignment is still underway and so what I offer you today are a few preview images. Taipei is not the easiest city to photograph at night – everything is kind of crammed in together and the few places that do have high vantage points and offer sweeping cityscape views have generally been photographed a million times and don’t offer too much in the way of originality. It would be simple to just make do with that – heading up to Elephant Mountain, or shooting long exposures of traffic from the pedestrian bridge on Xinyi Rd / Keelung Rd intersection for example, but that’s not much of a challenge. In shooting this series, I’m aiming to find a few less popular spots to photograph from as well as the more cliched places. Including the more famous locations in the final submission is expected and so shots from those places will have to be made but if I can add a few different views into the mix I’ll be happy.
Ferris Wheel
Xinyi crossing.
Miramar
Canals
Guandu Bridge
Rainbow Bridge
Xinyi Buildings
There’s still a few weeks until the deadline and I’ll be out shooting more images over that time. If anyone has any lesser-known locations they think I should visit, feel free to let me know.
]]>Chinese Buddhist nuns at an anti-nuclear protest. Thousands took to the streets in the Taiwanese capital Taipei for the 430 Sunflower No Nuclear Action parade in Taipei on Apr. 30.
In the wake of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, activists and concerned citizens in Taiwan have been increasingly calling for an end to Taiwan’s nuclear power program. The island is currently home to three nuclear power plants with a fourth is under construction due to come on line in 2012. Over the past couple of months debate has been ongoing in Taiwan in regard to nuclear issues. For those opposed to nuclear power, this culminated in a series of demonstrations around the island on Saturday April 30th with the largest taking place in Taipei where an estimated 10 000 people took to the streets.
Thousands took to the streets in the Taiwanese capital Taipei for the 430 Sunflower No Nuclear Action parade in Taipei on Apr. 30.
The 430 Sunflower No Nuke Action was organized by a coalition of 40 environmental and civic groups under the theme “smile at the sun, keep away from nuclear disasters”. With sunflowers chosen to represent sustainability, the demonstration attracted people from all walks of life. From parents with young children to university students to Chinese Buddhist nuns, the parade was held in a largely carnival like atmosphere, with music provided by bands and DJs on trucks throughout the length of the route.
Unlike a recent, smaller protest in March, the 430 action was largely free of politicians and political parties. The March event saw some criticism and accusations of hypocrisy leveled at Taiwan’s politicians who took part and they largely listened, staying away from Saturday’s action. Those that did take part – I spoke with a former environment minister and former health minister – did so as private citizens or members of civic and environmental groups not as representatives of political parties.
The march was held in an overwhelmingly peaceful environment, with none of the hostility and occasional violence that’s often a fixture at demonstrations in Taiwan. Police were on hand to direct traffic but that was the only role they played. It’s a credit to the organizers and to the maturing Taiwanese democracy that events of this nature can be held in calm, peaceful surroundings.
Children were amongst the thousands that took to the streets in the Taiwanese capital Taipei for the 430 Sunflower No Nuclear Action parade in Taipei on Apr. 30.
Below you can see a slideshow featuring the full gallery of images from the event. All images are available for licensing and you are welcome to embed the slideshow in your own blogs or share it via Facebook, Twitter and any other social media you participate in.
On an unrelated note, during this action I thoroughly tested out the Black Rapid RS-Sport for the first time after having received a review sample from them last week. I will post a full review of the strap in a couple of days so look out for that. Finally, if you haven’t already got it, the free downloadable desktop calendar for May is available now in a choice of 8 different sizes. There’s also a special offer allowing you to get the image (without the dates) as a limited edition fine art print. Follow this link for more information and to download the calendar.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
A few months ago, the IOC-sanctioned Deaflympics made its first trip to Asia with Taipei hosting the 2009 summer games. Excluding the Olympics themselves, the Deaflympics are the longest running multi-sport event in the world, having been held every four years since 1924 when the first games were held in Paris. For Taiwan, it marked the largest international sporting event to be held here, and the games were widely considered to be a success for Taipei.
In the lead up to the games, various promotional events were held, both in Taiwan and abroad. I was commissioned to shoot one of them and present a few highlights here today. This featured a UK based multi nation production company putting on an aerial type display featuring lots of acrobats and breathtaking stunts. You can see the rest of the photos after the jump.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance. Dancer / acrobat suspended from helium balloon above the audience. Taipei 101 and city in the background.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance. Dancer / acrobat suspended from helium balloon above the audience. Taipei 101 and city in the background.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance. Dancer / acrobat suspended from helium balloon above the audience. Taipei 101 and city in the background.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance. Dancer / acrobat suspended from helium balloon above the audience. Taipei 101 and city in the background.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
Taiwan Deaflypmics pre-opening show featuring performance by New Substance.
That’s probably enough pictures for one post. If you have any thoughts, comments or favorites, drop me a note in the comments below. Don’t forget to check out some of the related posts as well, and feel free to share this with your friends and social media buddies. Thank you.
]]>We’re heading off to the temple this week for 5. Located in the Zhongshan district of Taipei is the Xingtian temple which is dedicated to Guangong, the red-faced general who became a god and is looked upon as both the God of War and of Business. Unlike a lot of the more famous temples in Taiwan, this is a fairly recent building, dating back to 1967. What it lacks in age, it makes up for in importance, being one of the cities busiest temples with upwards of 10 000 visitors a day. Separating it from other temples is the fact that the burning of ghost money, commercial activities and opera performances are prohibited within the temple. It is however a popular location for fortune telling and leaving offerings. Also notable are the royal blue-robed temple attendants and these are what we’re focusing on today. These people read scriptures, chant, distribute incense, bestow blessings and general look after everything. They also make great subjects for photography, so without further ado, here they are.
Blue-robed temple officials at Xingtian Temple, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China ROC)
Blue-robed temple officials at Xingtian Temple, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China ROC)
Blue-robed temple officials at Xingtian Temple, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China ROC)
Blue-robed temple officials at Xingtian Temple, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China ROC)
Blue-robed temple officials at Xingtian Temple, Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China ROC)
All photos were taken with a Canon 5D Mark II and 70-200mm lens.
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]]>5 is back from its little break and this week we have some images from Computex 2009 held at the Nangang Exhibition Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
Computex 2009 began Tuesday 2nd June and will run until the 6th. Held annually in Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China), it is one of the largest computer and technology expos in the world. Key exhibitors include Microsoft, AMD, Intel, Hitachi, Asus and SanDisk. A total of 1,712 exhibitors will attend the show, down 1% on 2008 amidst the continued global economic crises. Ulra-thin notebook and netbooks, solid state storage devices and touch screen technology are key in this years exhibition, as well as new processors and chipsets from Intel and AMD.
I was out there on Tuesday meeting with the guys from First Zoom. Be sure to check out their video reports as well.
A model poses with SanDisk solid state memory. SanDisk is homing in one the netbook market with its solid state memory devices.
Microsoft had a large presence at the show, with its announcement that Windows 7 will begin shipping on October 22.
AMD, celebrating its 40th year, with its Fusion project featuring heavily and a display of ultra-thin notebooks.
Intel likewise focused strongly of mobility and portability with new ultra-low voltage processors designed for netbooks and ultra-thin notebooks.
Local giant Asus, one of the originators of the netbook with its Eee PC, showcased their latest offerings, including moves into touch screen technology.
Computex will run until Saturday. If you’re in Taipei and interested in new developments in info-tech, it’s worth getting out there before it closes.
Stay tuned for a new photography tutorial next Monday with tips for successful night photography. Don’t forget to share this with your friends and social media networks.
]]>Comic book characters and other elements of fantasy descended on Huashan Culture Park in Taipei, Taiwan on April 18th for a comic book convention. Many came out dressed as their favorite characters in what was seemingly a World War II Europe type theme. For those of you unfamiliar with cosplay, take a look at this post I wrote last year outlining some of its history. More after the jump.
As I mentioned above, there seemed to be a 1930-40s Euro-type theme, with many wearing clothes of the era including a large number of military uniforms and Iron Crosses. For anyone interested in shooting some cosplay, I think this event is continuing on Sunday April 19 as well, so get down to Huashan and check it out. Here’s a few more photos. For a full galery, take a look at the cosplay gallery I have just uploaded.
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]]>It’s Friday so it must be time for this weeks 5. Previous weeks on 5 have seen essential links, a couple of photo posts, and some tips. This week, in keeping with the music theme of the last few days, we’re going to take a look at a 5 piece band, the Blue Sky Band. Read on for more.
As part of the 2009 Bitan Music Festival, the Blue Sky Band came out on a beautiful spring day to entertain the crowd. With my good friend MJ on guitar, the band played a set of Thai songs on the stage beside the river. MJ has a post with all the behind the scenes details at his site The New Hampshire Bushman, so be sure to check that out. I’ll leave you with a few more images from the show. Click on them for a larger view.
I don’t know about you, but I think MJ has a bit of a Jerry Garcia look going on here.
]]>Rock In Hose took the stage at Rock N Roll Circus after Full House. Self described as “a new burlesque troupe based in Taipei with a focus on putting the come back in comedy, the ho back in hose, and the form back in performance”, Rock In Hose were playing their first Taipei show, and only their second show ever, having debuted in Taichung the previous night. Some drink giveaways followed to get the crowd ready for the rockin sounds of The Deadly Vibes. Check back tomorrow for photos of their set.
Hitting the stage after Spacefunk‘s great set at VU Livehouse, the Moneyshot Horns quickly had the crowd dancing. Regularly venturing into the crowd, singer Dooley Candler’s charismatic stage presence, combined with a tight rhythm section and brassy horns, delighted the crowd. Words don’t really do it justice, so I’ll leave you with the pictures. Shooting info was pretty much the same as for Spacefunk.
So here we are at the end of the second week of the theme competition. There have been some good guesses so far and there’s still a couple of weeks left to enter.
This shot was taken on the outdoor viewing platform of Taipei 101, 89 floors above the ground.
