Musing on Museums

Museums are very underrated when it comes to taking pictures.

Not that there are never pictures taken in a museum, in that respect they are one of the most popular places to take pictures. But in photography circles (not that I consider myself to be in anyway a professional/real photographer), there seem to be a common belief that nothing original, wonderfully odd or awe inspiring can be captured when a 2,000 year old piece of bronze or stone is the subject. People are an entirely different matter however. The faces one makes when viewing history are most certainly worth being captured. People watching, as any photographer knows, makes for excellent subject matter.
But that's beside the point

I believe museums are wonderful places for photographic oddities. I do have a thing for shadows, and museums have great relief lighting, so that could be part of it. But in my opinion, there really is nothing quite like a calm stroll through a large hall, searching out moments to snap.

Nomads of the 21st Century

Traveling, especially when flying, is many people's least favorite activity. You're running to catch flights, you're getting felt up by security, your contact solutions/lotions/slightly too large bottles of shampoo are being confiscated, your seat back is being kneed by a toddler and yet, in the middle of that, there are still moments of ordinary beauty. I very much am a believer in photography, that perfect shot, being everywhere in nearly every moment. You just have to know when to click.

Shanghai 2010 World Expo

We bring my China posts to a close with the Shanghai World Expo aka the Epcot of life, only a million times more amazing. Here are a couple of shots from inside the fraction of country pavilions I made it to during my two days there.

This small city of international celebration was too large for even a person, such as myself, armed with good walking shoes and a Performers' Pass (aka cut to the front of most lines) to get through it all. If you're in the Shanghai area between now and the end of October, I highly recommend going. Prepare to have you mind blown and spirits soar.

Above: Vietnam Pavilion
Right: Italy Pavilion
Above: Germany Pavilion

Above: Morocco Pavilion

Above: Czech Republic Pavilion

Above: Russia Pavilion

Above: UAE Pavilion

What Kind of a Box?

Not much beyond "they made me chuckle" needs to be said about these photos. Passing the smile along.

Real Chinese Food?

While I still can't claim to have experienced "real" Chinese food, I can say that I'm closer to the palate than I was before. These are from a dumpling dinner in Xi'an. 18 different kinds of dumplings, we counted, and each in the shape of what they contained. This one, as the whimsical form suggests, was duck. Whether helpful or close to disturbing at times, this style of labeling the different courses certainly kept things lively. Below is a bottle of "vinegal" or vinegar...which really turned out to be soy sauce.

Meditative States

Coming from the land of in your face Christianity, it was wonderful to step back and appreciate the tranquility of religion in China. The Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an was a swirl of incense, gardens and silence, wherein a slow stroll fostered introspection.

It's Kinda the Same but Beautiful Still

From what I've noticed over the years and from the pictures I've taken, the only possible conclusion is that I have a thing for lamps and shadows. Particularly lit lamps in twilight shadows, like these photos. At the top is a lantern outside the entrance to the Luxembourg Embassy in Beijing and below is a night view of Tianamen Square. I think it's the fickle relationship between my camera and nightscapes that draws me to these particular shots. The transitory potency of the dark poses a challenge that I'm all too willing to take up.

The Great Wall is NOT Flat

I've wanted to visit the Great Wall of China ever since I was maybe 7 years old. To touch it, climb it, look out at the mountains, obnoxiously sing Mulan songs while skipping from tower to tower. And yet all of these things I wanted and knew never actually added up to the realization that the Great Wall, isn't flat. The adult, rational me knew the mountain location meant steep hills, not to mention the very phrase "to climb the Great Wall," but for some reason my conscience pushed these logical conclusions aside in favor of a little midwestern girl's imagination who, up until middle school, had never actually seen a mountain with her own eyes. Hill, yes. Mountain, no. Let me tell you my friends, the Great Wall is on the latter of the two. This particular section had me cursing my 7 year old fantasy but by the top, both of my 7 year old and 20-something selves put aside their imaginative differences to take in the sights of a Wall that truly is Great.

Hello. Well Come to China

The last two posts about China have been-what are the words? ...exuberant...verbose, but well intentioned-and while it's all well and good, especially when trying to convey an experience, but it tends to get tedious. So here's a photo that, after a brief introduction, does all the talking. Our new, enthusiastic friends, presumably a school field trip to The Great Wall.

"Hello. Well Come to China"

A Forbidden City

Until the Forbidden City, the most of China I had seen was the airport, the highway and my hotel room; and aside from the random signs emblazoned with Chinese characters in said location, there was little to distinguish this country from all the other countries I had visited in the past. That all changed upon getting to the Forbidden City. It was my first real glimpse of both traditional Chinese architecture and life. (I'm a firm believer in the concept that culture's customs are effortlessly captured in doors, windows, pillars and ceilings. This trip, once again, proved this to be true.) It was peaked, it was red, and it was entirely captivating. With my finger glued to the shutter button, I trailed behind our guide, trying to pay attention to the facts but invariably getting distracted by the aesthetics. Historians and professors will shudder but I really don't think dates matter. Exact dates that is, sure it's important to have the time period established but beyond that point, it matters little for the visitor. What matters is the feel, that intrinsic weight each place has. And this City had it in spades. Call me a willing participant in the all too real honeymoon stage of the trip but the mere fact that I couldn't pick just one photo for this post speaks for itself. Here's a corner of photographic bliss.

Peace at the Other Side of the World

I have a legitimate reason for disappearing for as long as I did this time, and it is because I was in China. Yes, that's right, China. The farthest distance and time zone from here I could possibly manage. While the smog is oppressive, the sodium intake swelling, and the masses of people overwhelming at times with both their numbers and curiosity at seeing a westerner, it is an absolutely beautiful country. My small glimpse wasn't nearly enough. Three cities-Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai-and I burned through my 2 gig memory card with ease. The picture above was taken in my second favorite location of the trip, The Summer Palace in Beijing. It's a shame the tour companies rush you through these beautiful places as quickly as they do, I could have spent hours walking the lake (yep, a lake) and meandering the trellised gardens. If I could draw, I would have or if I had my notebook, I would have written but I all I had was my camera. I hope you'll appreciate the snapshots I post in the coming days. It's never as good as being there, surrounded by the hum, air and presence of every detail that makes a photograph worth taking, but it's a start.