Back in Okinawa and as busy as ever. Can I get a big HURRAH for the incredible weather we’ve been having? Amazing. I’m soaking it all up before the heat sets in. I have a LOT of work to do (as in, client work) but wanted to sprinkle in a few travel shots along the way – so here it goes.
I just returned from Hong Kong. What a fantastic city – and wow – the FOOD. Unbelievably delicious. I went with a girlfriend of mine, Val (cameras only – sans-kids, sans-hubbies), which was a great way to travel. I’m definitely going to share more, but for now just a few peeks of what I did there, and I promise I’ll also put up some Thailand and Kyoto photos finally as well. Maybe as things slow down (ha ha) I can get to more of these… my clients come first.
So this is a really broad overview of the first few shots I got to edit – there are SO many more, I might go in categories like food, temples, scenery, etc.
The first two days it poured. Non-stop. So only the point & shoot came out with me besides for indoor shots. Monday – the rain stopped. So we went to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island. It was still a bit cloudy and there is definitely a lot of smog in the city, but you’ll get the idea. Amazing tram ride up the hill and then you come out to see this:
(Well, I guess you see that if you’re looking through a fisheye, but since your eyes have peripheral vision maybe this gives you a better idea…)
At the peak, we went to a restaurant that came highly recommended, Cafe Deco. As the name would suggest, it’s decorated completely with art deco and deco-period furnishings. Besides the food (YUM) here was my favorite part… the bar looking down through a circular hole in the second floor of the restaurant!
Doesn’t it kind of look like a roulette wheel? Well, there is gambling to be done in and around HK (we went to Macau, but did not go to casinos), but we found other ways to spend our HK dollars – trust me! This was at a souvenir stand at the peak. I loved it.
Back at the bottom of the hill, we saw a bride and groom being photographed. We sighed and oohed and aahed… and then as they took off to another location I realized – HEY! That’s not a real bride!
Jeans and loafers under the dress?? Maybe it was a catalog shoot. We had a good laugh at that one.
Down the road on HK Island, we took a double-decker bus. Not a regular one, a skinny one. Kinda reminded me of that bus that Harry Potter rides in that squeezes through stuff, you know what I’m talking about? We sat up top for the experience and looked out the back window at this sweet smile and I had to capture her. The people in HK are very nice, we decided. Except maybe the cab drivers… but that’s a story for another post.
The buildings were really interesting to me. I’m originally from New York, and the city was right next door. That’s right. THE city. Once you’ve done New York, there’s nothing else like it (bear in mind, I haven’t visited Tokyo yet – I realize that’s a city too). My father is in the elevator business as well, so I dig skyscrapers. But Hong Kong is definitely a city, and the structures are fascinating.
Macau & Taipa are just little slices of paradise. Very European. Here’s one of many postcard-esque shots I took of a cathedral facade. The building itself was constructed of wood and had burnt down years ago. Here’s what’s left – it makes for a really interesting site, don’t you think?
Last but not least, on Lantau Island – the biggest outdoor buddah in the world. Known, succinctly, as The Big Buddah. At just past high noon, this was my favorite sun flare shot of the day.
More soon, everyone! To include some photo shoots of more gorgeous clients,and travel shots.
REMINDER: The discount on the Aviva Photography Online Art Gallery expires on May 6th! Photographic prints make great Mother’s day gifts – order today and it will probably make it on time!
