Even with all those digital things around....still loving the film. Especially the black and white. Good times.

On another note, the Simpsons needs to end. It seems every new episode they introduce some new person, usually a lame hipster, to prop up the show. Long past due.

Happy birthday to me, woo.

Now that I got that out of the way I wanted to make a few comments about something that I have run into lately.

It is well known that various Western powers in the last century plundered much of the antiquity of China. Many artifacts from China's past are now on display in Museums and such all around the world. This is a really sore point for Chinese people because of the theft of these items is seen as a point in their history where they were weak and everyone else bullied on them. The Chinese like to feel that everyone is praying on them and even as they are becoming one of the wealthiest countries in the world, decades of being told they are being abused by everyone else by their own system has warped their thoughts to a sort of Nationalistic riot. The feeling of being victimized is well seeded here in the hearts and minds of the people, and its a easy way of relocating blame when necessary. That coupled with the idea that outside of China the West is a chaotic place where everyone is murdered, few are educated and only eat McDonald's, its easy for things to get way out of hand here.

Recently I was working on a project with a friend on Chinese sculptures that are preserved outside of China. It was sort of a relation for him and I as we did this because we both realized some things that go against "popular opinion". I would like to mention a few of those points here because I think it is partially relevant to the photography related projects I do here as well.

The biggest and more relevant point is that during the Cultural Revolution was launched here in the 60's a significant amount of what was China's cultural antiquity was lost at the hands of headstrong youth known as the Red Guards. They smashed, defaced, and burned as much of China's history and culture they could get their hands on.

Which brought me to an interesting point when my friend was talking to one of his other friends that even China didn't have the kinds of antiques that were in the museums outside her borders. What would have happened to those things if they had remained here? He stumbled for a moment and his friend didn't seem to know what I was talking about. I summarized my point and they sort of looked at each other and I was thinking...crap I'm in for it now, as this is the kind of comment that could get you ostracized from whatever circle. Luckily this group were a little more open minded and well traveled and they started talking about how well historical and cultural things are kept intact and how everything left here of value had become a junky tourist attraction with little or no real value.

We both agreed that yes it was quite unfortunate that so many items had been looted from China before and the end, but then later they would become preserved, saved and still be available rather then smashed under the butt of a gun by some youth with slogans swimming in his head. Of course the ends don't justify the means.

Often I am lectured here about how America and Europe are such young places by the Chinese. Obviously they are very uninformed about the outside world. China recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, when I mention that America was founded in the late 1700's they don't believe it. Funny.

Which brings me to a funny poster I saw online at a Christie's auction which read "America's invasion of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam is an invasion of China."

hm..............................

So yeah its been a while since I wrote anything here. I am not good at keeping up with this whole internet youface social whatnot.

Before I wrote I bought a Panasonic G1. I sold it. It and I did not get along well. Instead I bought a Olympus EP1, that and I get along great. Fantastic camera.

Since my last update I have been back to the states too, spent most of the time in the Olympic mountains in Washington State which means landscape photography, something I have not done in a while because it had been 3 years since my last trip back and Chongqing is not the best place to do landscape photography unless its urban landscape.

Um....while I was back in the states I sold my Voigtlander 35mm lens, it was a good lens, but I dont use 35mm....

While I was back in the states I succumbed to gear acquisition syndrome (G.A.S.) and came back with many more cameras then I went over with. My new acquisitions include the Olympus EP1, a Ricoh FF3 AF Super, a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex, a Exacta VXii with Zeiss Jena 50mm Pancolar f2 lens, and a Kodak Retina iia but that was for someone else so it doesn't count. Im sure there is some other tings im forgetting but wont get into.

The airplane trip there and back was great. Flying on a Chinese airline is always so civilized except for those inevitable passengers who still think they are in the countryside and throw their half eaten food in the isle for everyone to step over. Animals. Speaking of food, my goodness Chinese airlines like to stuff you with food on those flights. Being fed every 3-4 hours a big multi-course meal can be tedious when you got all you can eat ham and cheese sandwiches and soda in front of you. Not to mention the Bulgarian wine which was even nicely chilled. Flying economy on an American cross Pacific flight however....you need lots of Vicodin.

Anyway, now that my schedule has let up a bit I have the opportunity to do some photography again, and there are lots of film from the states that need some souping too. Hope to have some stuff up sooner or later, but with how great I am at keeping up with this internet web stuff.....

It has been 27 weeks since my last entry, which I guess is a long time!
A few things have happened in this last while so it seems appropriate to update this thing finally.

I won the 2009 Carl Zeiss Photo Contest. The theme was pulse of the city and a photo I took in the back alley of some street in Chongqing won first prize. 300 some participants from 39 countries took place in the competition this year and I am very happy to have won. Oh yes the prize….a free Carl Zeiss lens of my choice. Results can be seen here: [link] and here: [link]

I have decided not to study for my graduate’s degree this next school year. While a master of something would be nice, the school here does not have anything I am interested in, I need to work and make some money or go broke, and I have been here in backwater Chongqing for more than 5 years now and I think a change of venue might be nice. Maybe Hong Kong…or wherever there is work to be had. I think a change of area would be stimulating for my photography and mind as well.

I recently bought a Panasonic G1 as a replacement for my dying Ricoh GRD which has over 20,000 pictures on the dial. It is a nice camera, not so great at high ISO but a competent small carry around when a Canon 5D is just too much to have without a huge loss of image quality.

I have done a few photo projects in the past months though my non photography related job keeps me from really being able to finish them off because I come back home everyday so drained I don’t want to look at a photo let alone pick up a camera.

The girlfriend is doing well, she opened her own studio for drawing and painting, last month she made more money than I did! We have been talking about taking a trip in a few months, a few places for ideas: Vietnam, Cambodia, or less likely America. I have not been back home to the states in 2 years so it would be nice to go sit in nature for a few weeks, though she would just want to buzz around Seattle shopping and visiting galleries. We will see.

Like photography? Like China? Like....well that pretty much is it.

Take a look at this latest article on The Luminous Landscape [link] written by yours truly.