Four from yesterday, one from Karsh

I've been under the whip at work lately, scratchy, short; decided to deal with it mechanically, other things being out of my control. Exercise. I went up the big hill for the first time in what is probably years. It seemed the same, though on the other side in the distance, three new skyscrapers; like weeds. Also I was breathing really hard. The air was amazingly dense; no cooling, sweat pouring into my eyes. Then it started raining globs of water. Should have known, air like that, elevation; millions of water-marshmallows - soft, big drops. Soon the hillside was brown rivers shooting out and down, the path a rumbling ravine. Then lightning started flickering about, chasing me down back to the road. Took an hour to get home, but I'd walked the knot out of my stomach. Ghastly feeling

Here's the Karsh. How exquisite? It's Audrey Hepburn, taken in 1956 - I think a lovely image. Great light, shape, tone. Mine are far from this - though I think the book one has some class (perhaps undone by Batman peeking), and I like Ev's naughtiness captured. They are razor sharp if you click on them for a full size- something that good technology today has to offer over artistry from yesterday.

Short sharp weekend

We ran a conference on Saturday, fortunately only up to lunch time - so I was home by 2.45 and we went to the beach on a muggy flat greasy sweaty-air afternoon. Half of Tseung Kwan O decided to do the same, so it was packed, and the sea was greasy and lazy like everyone else. The boys had a blast though - always do: the usual fare - boogy board - no waves so dad gets to jelly his way along at high speed towing. The canto-kids think this is very funny, so they sort of chase you, which is a bit funny. Ev dug holes.

This morning we went to the Sai Kung pool, Aiden is very nearly swimming independently, so we are keen to keep up the water time outside his lessons until he's got it. I bought a magazine for a bit of a treat - and it was - read an article about a photographer called Karsh who went penniless to Canada from Armenia and ended up becoming one of the great portrait photographers of all time. Lots of his images are architypal - Churchill, Einstein etc - the people you know are his images. This evening I put up some lights in our room to take some portraits of the two of them. Ev arrived for the show looking like the wild-man he is - a morning in the water and an afternoon on the prowl does nothing for his hairstyle - I also had the light settings out - so he looks a bit jaundiced.

I really liked these ones of the boys together. I have to be quick with these because the behaviour deteriorates rapido. I have one like this that I took a year ago, hence the desire to repeat them. I think they'd look better in black and white to be honest, but I need to get to bed and I'll be fiddling around with them for a week if I start now. They all look a bit darker than they are in thumbnail.

Old junk in early morning mist

This morning was really misty, and in the bay a rare old junk moored.

Yesterday it was overcast but warm and we went for a walk. Evan has to do this in bursts, which suits him, because he likes to swing on poles and poke at things on the pavement. On the way up the hill out of the village Aiden turned it into a run. Ange had to chase him down. She's quick, so short work. Ev huffed and puffed after them. We went as far as the cafe at the circle, and then the boys needed guess what. Nice outing; uncomplicated.

Weekend, thinking of you

Here are a few from the weekend just passing - Evan helping wash the car - not a huge help really, but certainly entertaining. The other two in that moment after bathing before bedtime, Evan at speed of course, hair temporarily plastered down with an attempted brushing.

I had to do a photo job on Friday late afternoon for two women who run an Asian Hedge fund and wanted a picture for an article that was being done about them for a magazine. Originally I had to go to their offices, then to the HK cricket club, then to one of their houses, and then to meet them in Hong Kong park. What a nighmare job really - no control over clothes, nice shiny faces after a day in the office, etc etc. and this latter plan did not suit me at all, because it meant using only one light, in fading daylight, and that leaves shadows where you dont want them - double chins and the like, and the whole thing was a bit of a mare. But the buildings looked great in the cool blue of evening - particularly the one on the left here - I think they are meant to be Koala bears climbing up the sides, and then there is the gold coloured one behind it with the blue sky - very groovy image, though not what I'd like to be producing for the brief. Also the low angle creates real parralax, buildings that curve up to a central spot - nasty. It's frustrating when you have to take pics but can't really talk to people beforehand to tell them what you need them to be doing. Photography is a bossy pasttime.

Bangkok - Oriental city

Bangkok is a wild and wonderful, sweaty, spicy and thoroughly alive place - i just love it - one of my favourite favourite places. What makes it so fab is hard to capture photographically, certainly when you are just taking a couple of snaps as it sweeps you along. We had a great weekend. This is the Chao Phraya river that runs through the middle-ish of the city, bustling with barges and boats of all sorts. The traffic on the streets can be pretty hectic, so its a good transport option. The alternative is by foot, cab or tuk-tuk, three wheel, two stroke, home-made flower decorated, hot-coloured hell machines, suckin-in-dem-fumes, sweaty-la. The drivers are always on a mission to shaft you, which involves not taking you where you want to go, but instead taking you to their commissioned purveyors of goods, places that pay them to take you there instead of where you asked to go (that comes later after a number of unofficial detours). I like the pic below left, the rearview mirror images came out really well.

Wide angle home

I thought it would be a good idea to have some fun with the wide angle lens before I return it to Jens - I think it's distortions are a lot of fun.

Visually bonkers

My friend Clive Kirsten I've known since I was 22, so a while now, and he lives in Hong Kong and amongst other things (he's an architect) has a canopy business. He asked me to come to an event in central last night, a corporate strategy launch party and brand-up for which he had put up a canopy, so that I could photograph it for his publicity material. As he put it he wanted photos of the people at the party interacting with the canopy. So not a picture of a marquee type structure from the outside, but rather from inside the party. As it turns out Clives canopies are very lovely, and totally flexible, designed to be put up between buildings, in tight spaces, but still covering a good area - and, and this is the interesting bit - he plans the way they are put up so that they articulate (sort of join, continue and fit with, talk a meaningful language with) - the existing structure they are next to. It was a very nice job. Very interesting visual things happening - light shows linked to big sound, good deejays, freakily dressed people, people with big hair walking on stilts - good good fun. Here are the two pics that I think I like most. I had to use a fisheye lens to get it all in, and suck in light, no flash allowed, click if you want to see them bigger. I think the first of the two below is most likely what he will want - shape and articulation is clear - corporate application clear; the stuff above is more likely to frighten conservative Hong Kong event planners off than anything else - but it is still vgroovy.

The April 08 Car Challenge

Here is the April 08 car challenge. If it's arrived in South Africa already (and I suspect it would be much happier there than here) then you'll know it immediately - otherwise you might have seen it in print or on the web. I think its beautifully styled, and from this I understand it goes rather nicely on a race track: http://youtube.com/watch?v=178tj68uFTs&feature=related


Hope you like it.