I have not been a regular on the website and not been updating the blog very regularly. Apologies on that.
I have finally opened my Etsy shop after much procrastination. Its been a long, hard road to this point. Picking the right prints, getting them printed, working out the details of opening the shop and making sure your best work is represented.
So please do browse, share and buy and make me a very happy person.
This was shot at the Hong Kong-Shenzen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture sometime in February this year. I got super excited when I heard the news that there were going to be outdoor architectural installations in Kowloon Park across the Harbour.
However I came away quite disappointed. The signage was terrible so I almost missed a few installations. Interesting exhibits but the language used to describe them was so high faluting that you got bored after reading the first couple of lines. I did like some of the installations though like the fishie in a light bulb for instance.
Others harked to a different type of structure to live in.
There were scale models which looked terribly cute and must have taken absolute ages to build.
I also expected crowds, I expected excitement but there were barely 5 people going through the exhibits or even displaying a modicum of interest. But the Park was lovely, people relaxing and reading or just taking a break. It is actually bang next to the Kowloon Mosque which looked so pretty too.
I really wish exhibitions in Hong Kong would perk up. Either they need to get more interesting or the people here need to get more interested in it. I hope someone out there is listening to this very culturally starved person in Hong Kong.
Shanghai presents itself as modern yet its streets hark back to a different time. They are different from Japan. Different from even Hong Kong. Tourists stream through the main street. But once you hit the smaller lanes, it’s a different Shanghai. The streets are narrow and filled with life. Children hugging their mothers. A tailor doing his work out on the streets. Small grocery stores. Electric wires hanging dangerously low.
And the colours – on the items being sold on the streets to the clothes hanging on same wires that bring the electricity home. It makes one realise that Shanghai is more than that glistening skyline on the Bund.
Make sure you experience the other Shanghai too if and when you get there. Its a city that held our heart for the 3 days that we spent there.
in Hong Kong. There’s people, the trams, and the street itself.
The trams are an integral part of Hong Kong’s public transportation system on Hong Kong Island. They encircle the island and you can travel from one part of the island to the other for about HK$2.30. So its cheap. The only other problem is that its slow. So if you are not in a hurry, it makes absolute sense to be paying that amount of money and enjoying your ride. Note that the trams are not air-conditioned so in summer, make sure you are sitting at the window or else you will swelter away in the heat.
The trams are one of the best ways to see Hong Kong. It is unhurried, moves at a pace that you can take photographs of the street, the signs which are such an integral part of Hong Kong and of life moving around.
Rain in Hong Kong is something special. It imbues the air with promise (notwithstanding the pollution going around). At other times, it pours like there would be no tomorrow. Thunder and lightning rent the air.
And the photographs they come so pretty too. So if it rains in Hong Kong, the next time you are around, enjoy the drizzle and have a walk in the rain.
Imagine walking around Khotachiwadi but in a different country? (If you don’t know what Khotachiwadi looks like, check here for more) Beijing has something akin called hutongs. Wikipedia describes them as narrow streets/alleys. Hutong may also refer to neighbourhoods created by such alleys. We visited one such hutong in Beijing when we visited an attraction there.
I am not sure if it is a scam or not but this particular hutong had bicycle rickshaws there, the kind that you see in Delhi really. And they charge a bloody bomb to go around the whole area. We chose not to do it and I really think that its easier to walk around and see the sights and sounds. Of course you might miss out on pearls of wisdom from the driver but at least have the freedom wander around and take photos as you so desire.
So we walked around the alleyways, posed against the grey walls and even and saw red doors left open as if in invitation.
Taking a break after a very fruitful 30 minute walk around the hutong led to this.
So don’t miss the chance to visit a hutong the next time you are in Beijing. It makes for lovely photographs and even lovelier memories.
She enters your dreams and haunts you. She is a lover of the night. She excites, entices and makes you hers.
If it feels strange to hear Hong Kong being described like this, you should look no further than when the British, the Japanese and then the Chinese ruled Hong Kong. Her long, varied and colonial history combine to give you a city poised always on the edge. The fascination of Hong Kong is endless. It just comes down to how you perceive her and accept her into your very breath.
The image of Hong Kong, is always one of a pulsating night life, luxury brands around every corner and that’s it. But she is more. Her cuisine is eclectic, the green around Hong Kong especially once you discover her hiking secrets is endless and the art scene (I saw Monet’s worth millions of $ on display yesterday) rocks.
So come discover Hong Kong through new eyes…
I know I haven’t posted anything new awhile. Call it writer’s block. But today is a perfect photo for a post.
Moganshan Lu in Shanghai is a must do especially if you like lovely colourful graffiti. Graffiti that is not just scrawling angry words but art. And the road is full of such wonderful artworks.
Its a lovely experience to walk along the road and if you are a photographer, you can’t stop clicking. Apart from all the fantastic graffiti on display, Moganshan is an art district in Shanghai. Contemporary art abounds here. We spent a couple of hours here and would have probably spent more had not hunger pangs driven us away. So the next time you are in Shanghai and wondering what to do, drop in here and have a wander.
was an art revelation for me. There were bubbles with screens reflecting some fast moving visuals, bizarre animal sculptures, and all of it so organised of course. This was my first visit to Yokohama ever and I went alone. Of course, now I am making it sound like I went on a 5 hour journey but it barely took me less than a hour to get there by train. The Japanese train system is fantastic as long as you get into the right train of course 
The Triennale was held last year in 2-3 different locations across Yokohama. The organisers had very kindly arranged for a shuttle bus to take us across the various locations which made life easy. Most of it was contemporary art so depending on your perspective it was weird/strange/interesting/fun. I had a wonderful time capturing the many visuals of not just the art but also the city.
At the end of the day, I ended up at a location from where I had no idea how to get back to my original destination which had been close to the train station. I took a taxi and the cab driver and me had a super conversation (me in my broken Japanese and him fluent of course). That conversation brings a smile back to my face even today. He was so polite and so interested in my life, how I spoke ‘good’ Japanese and all sorts of details. At the end, when I paid him, he gave me ‘saavis’ (service) as it is pronounced there which is generally something off the original cost of my fare.
A lovely end to a lovely day checking out art, don’t you think?
is what a street scene is. The riot of colours, the details, and most importantly the moment. Becoming part of the moment and freezing it forever is what I am after when I shoot street scenes.
Shot in Manila, we were waiting for our tour of Intramuros, a historical district in Manila, to start and I chanced upon this. This to me is a perfect moment for the colours and details.
If you want to know more about street photography or how to get started, well read and then practice. I read these books which are available for free download and it gave me some ideas. And then I went out and shot with the help of my teacher back in Tokyo. He really gave me the confidence to stare at my subjects through the camera lens and shoot moments.
