Gallery: Full Manual Archivist

The Great Wall

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>It's only the Great Wall of freakin' China!

I touched the highest point (smug). Although, you have to squeeze through a crowd of people doing the same. It's quite a hike but well worth it. There was a man selling gold medals at the top, too. However, I noticed that they sell them in the shop at the bottom as well.

I hiked up this behemoth the day after a particularly nasty hot-pot. Don't get me wrong, it tasted great, but I don't think I cooked the meat very well. Needless to say, I was suffering. Quite a bit of fog that day too but it ended up in my favour, unlike the hot-pot.

The Crowded Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Union Street Traffic

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This is a re-edit of an old shoot I did for the Aberdeen Cyrenians. It was for a documentary about homelessness in Aberdeen. It's one shot of many that got put together into a ten second time-lapse for the intro.

I prefer this version to the black and white one. The reason for the edit is I want another colour one of this shot to end up on Google Maps sometime in the future.

Rasengan!

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Yes, I like anime.

In a futile attempt to turn my girlfriend into a rasengan wielding lunatic, we used many, many water balloons to create these shots. It's all in the timing.

What you do, is take a full water balloon, an attractive woman, a shiny shower and use a flash on a low setting. On three, pretty girl, here, pops the balloon and you fire the flash, the only source of light. The flash bounces all around your shiny, tiled shower, freezing the action. The shower catches the water. The balloon contracts quicker than the water falls, leaving you with this result.

Don't be fooled, it takes a good few attempts!

Rubislaw Parish Church

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>I had planned to get both the magic hours of one day. Sleep and rain made me change my mind relatively swiftly. Every time I stopped to put down my tripod the rain threatened me enough to keep moving.

This image is of Rubislaw Parish Church at about ten at night in Aberdeen, which was planned. So, take that rain!

I don't know how I always manage to make churches look scary. Perhaps, it's a subconscious thing. It's three images stitched together to get all the traffic streaks I wanted. Each image had a shutter of about five seconds. Three car horns and a group of youths were the only things that plucked at my introvert strings during the making of this image. Hurray!

The Terracotta Army

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>If you are anywhere near Xi'an, I recommend a visit to the many minions of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.

What better way to protect yourself in the afterlife than having a horde of Terracotta Warriors at your side. It was suggested, when I was there, that the actual soldiers were buried with the Emperor, but I couldn’t find anywhere to confirm that.

The detail on these things were, are, amazing. Each one was different, supposedly similar in look to the soldiers themselves. Just look at the picture and think of the effort to make them. And, this is only the front lines!

Forbidden Alley

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Inside the Forbidden City, in Beijing, you can stand and wait for the masses of people to disappear just long enough to peer down this alley and get an uninterrupted shot. You will be standing for a long time. If there is one thing China doesn't lack, it's people.

As you can see, it stretches quite a distance which is the only spectacle of it. Walking down it is a bit of a bore. It might give you an impression of the size of the Forbidden City, though: the city in a city.

Just to the right of here, of course, is the various tourist shops. Excellent for gifts home.

The Great Wall

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Boatman

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>It wasn't long into our epic trip to China that I was told we would be going on a boat ride down the Nine Twist River. Being Scottish, my imagination took me to a place where we would have a small tug-boat; we would chuff along a river, and I would be able to walk about and snap away to my hearts content with all my kit in tow. This would not be the case, and, in this instance, my ignorance got the better of me.

What we got was a questionable method of water travel. At best I would call it resourceful. In reality it was a few logs of bamboo strung together with equally questionably looking seats. The life jacket was extra assurance that I wasn't meeting my end.

This chap was the highly knowledgeable gentleman that made sure we reached the end( of the river, not our lives).

The Steeple

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>It's stood in Montrose for as long as I can remember and, no doubt, longer than that. The steeple in my home town of Montrose. It makes for great photo fodder.

You would not believe how many people I got in the way of to get this shot. Tripod down during peak time. How nice I am.

Fuzhou Buddha

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Excuse my religious ignorance, but I think this thing is a Buddha.

It was seated inside a temple in Fuzhou, China. It towered above me in a dim room. I rested my camera on the gate to get a steady shot. The gate was suspiciously not steady. I was horribly worried that I would destroy the entrance to some kind of religious sanctuary.

This temple which contained this was a surprise to me as it was just so unassuming. It was hidden amongst the dirty blocks of flats and not too far from a market. The market, in turn, is not too far from recognisable retail. Fuzhou has a very interesting mix or blend of stuff.

Olympic Bird's Nest

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>It was a busy, busy day when I took this shot. In the morning we were walking the Great Wall. The afternoon had us visiting the different markets of Beijing. When it came to the evening I was really suffering; by that time, we found ourselves at Beijing's National Stadium, or Bird's Nest. The reason, for the suffering, was not pleasant.

Needless to say, it involved a very questionable hot-pot, as mentioned in another entry. I was really worried I wouldn't get to take this photo, in case I had an 'accident'. I didn't go half way around the world to not get the shot. And, here it is.

The Arch Of Constantine

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Colosseum

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Vatican View

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Stairway to...

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Vittorio Emanuele's Monument

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Sunset over Venice

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Yet Another Sunset over Venice

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Roads? Where we are going, we don't need roads.

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Venice Viewing Valentines

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Typical Street, if you are a Venetian

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Rialto Bridge

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Sunshine over Venice

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Namaste Dagoba in Famen Temple

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This is the hugely memorable Namaste Dagoba, as I later learned its name was, in Xi'an, China.

This epic temple was built to house a knuckle. Yes, a knuckle. It towers over any human let alone one of their digits. You can go in and see the finger bone on certain days. We were lucky to be there on the correct day. The bone belonged to an 'enlightened one': groovy.

This picture was taken quite a way from the temple itself. I wish I could give you a decent impression of its impressive size.

The Vatican

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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The Palace of Justice

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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A Dog on a Hill

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>It's a dog on a hill. What more do you want?

Okay, okay! There was a day, long ago, that I marched up 'Mount' Bennachie with a few friends. This was just one of the shots I got that day. I am particularly fond of it and I don't know why.

I begrudge calling it a mountain, though. It's more of a glorified hill. Still, on a hot day, a previous night of drinking and a fry-up breakfast, it can be quite a trek with kit.

More Meerkats!

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>A trip to Edinburgh resulted in disaster. The one day it decided to poor down was the day we went to the zoo. Many of the animals decided to hide or simple not be in their designated zone (cage?). These little fellas, however, were very much in the open and didn't mind the rain at all. You could tell as only a little wall stops them from escaping back to their popular website meme.

I was half tempted to step over the small obstacle and claim a meerkat as my very own. But, since I was with company (witnesses), I resisted the urge.

Reflected Foliage Framed Feline

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>The large cat can be found at Edinburgh Zoo. Again, I must stress that it was pouring down that day, but luckily this guy enjoyed resting in his little sheltered log.

The reflections of the foliage were annoying at first, making it difficult to get the picture I wanted. In the end, they made for good framing, I think.

Lucky me.

Even Penguins Accessorize

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Again, at the Edinburgh Zoo. This penguin was seen sporting the latest in Antarctic fashion that has taken the zoo by storm! He was spotted on his way to his fish dinner after a brief soak. He had no comment on the source of this latest trend.

The stunning, green, black and white summer-bracelet is 100% waterproof: it's plastic. Its craftsmanship is undeniably retro and is a great look for the swimmers amongst you.

So, whether you're showing up in your birthday suit to the latest huddle, or just going for a waddle, this is the accessory to advertise your wings with.

Happy Panda!

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Here was have a very happy panda, out for a stroll in the rain. Isn't he/she (I forget which) cute?

I think this panda was pleased that it got separated from it's significant other. Apparently, they don't get on very well and tend to fight instead of mate. That's the opposite instinct this dwindling species should have.

Any-who, you can go see these adorable creatures in Edinburgh Zoo, for the time being. Remember to book ahead to avoid disappointment, and make sure the weather is nicer than when we went!

Monkey, Chimp? Primate.

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This little fella currently resides at Edinburgh Zoo. He was not remotely camera shy, but he did have a habit of showing his butt to the camera whenever he knew you where looking.

It beat the primates that were kicking each other's butts, though. It was a constant battle of who could pull who's tale.

@ZdannaTranby on twitter, informs me that this is a Diana's Monkey (Cercopithecus diana). Tip of the hat to you for helping me out there.

Aleksandr Orlov?

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Is that Sergei or Aleksandr Orlov?

A trip to Edinburgh resulted in disaster. The one day it decided to poor down was the day we went to the zoo. Many of the animals decided to hide or simple not be in their designated zone (cage?). These little fellas, however, were very much in the open and didn't mind the rain at all. You could tell as only a little wall stops them from escaping back to their popular website meme.

I was half tempted to step over the small obstacle and claim a meerkat as my very own. But, since I was with company (witnesses), I resisted the urge.

Pigeon Colour Play

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Set Yourself on Fire

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>"Success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire."

I love this quote. It sticks with me. What it means, to me, is that you can't sit around and wait for great things to happen. You have to work really hard, continuously, so that you are that great thing that happens.

I wanted to make an image that meant something to me and reminded me of that very quote. I had the hand hold the match so that its flame illuminated all the hard work the hand has gone through. For this, it was important that the hand was rough and worn.

The flame needed to be the only light source, and it had to be obvious that it was the hand that lit it.

The West End Park

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Long have the swings gone from here, but I still remember when me and my friends would dare each other to jump off them at full swing.

What's left is a pleasant, green walk from a local supermarket. Lovely tree, though.

The only reason I took a picture of it is because the shadow cast nicely across the path.

Montrose Academy

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>The place where I was edumacated. All jokes aside, it was an excellent secondary school. You may be wondering why that shiny dome is so shiny and golden: it's gold.

So, get your pickaxe out and head to Montrose Academy. There's gold on them there rooftops!

Steps from the Beach

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>On the coast of Montrose sits sit set of steps. There is an awesome park at the top and a lovely sandy beach with a view of the lighthouse behind the view. Obviously, I preferred to take a picture of the steps.

The Ball House and Steeple

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>The place where people gather at new year in the sunny town of Montrose. This is a view from the high street. I used to live just metres away from where this picture was taken. Ah, the memories.

#Nostalgia

Scenic Suspension

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>One of the gondolas at the Great Wall of China, near Beijing. It's suspended, faithfully above the landscape. It freaks some people out to use it, but I find them exhilarating.

Sakyamuni's Bone

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Here we have the only place in the world where you can see a bone of the man with the honourary title of Sakyamuni. The bone is one of his knuckles, and you can see it, just, inside the lit golden container at the base of the Buddha statue.

This huge statue, and tiny knuckle, is housed inside the mighty Namaste Dagoba, in Xi'an China.

No photography allowed :P It's one of those situations where the punishment is getting shouted at. I can deal with that for getting the shot I want.

I wanted the gold to look as golden as possible, if that makes sense. I hope I didn't overdo it.

The Eyes

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Don't stare at this one too long. The eyes open!

The freaky statue sits amongst the foliage in a park in Fuzhou, China. It fairly wigged me out when I walked around the corner.

Wuyi Mountain Village Home

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Taken inside a village home in Wuyi Mountain, where you can enter anyone's house to have a cup of tea!

It's a bit of a tourist attraction, apparently the Queen like a specific loose leaf from there, too.

I waited until everyone left the house to get this. I loved the texture on the exit wall. All the elements that were hanging around made me think there was something in this shot. Everyone else was wondering what I was photographing and thought I was a bit odd: I am, but I'm Glad I did it.

Beijing Capital International Airport

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>A scene from Beijing Capital International Airport. Just for the record, we flew to China with two bags each, and it wasn't until we wanted to leave that we were limited to one each. Pain in the rear! Fortunately, we had people there that could take our excess away and we could walk away with loads of tea, still. Huzzah!

And, yes, I was worried using my SLR at the airport.

Rasengan!

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Rasengan!

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Nine Twist River Mountain

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This, definitely, is not the name of this mountain. But, since we were on a very questionable boat floating on a river which, I believe, was called the Nine Twist River then that is what I will call it.

Unfortunately, said boat was so dodgy that I was unable to get many shots of the beautiful landscape as we travelled past it. I did, however, get plenty of images of the boatman. I even got a shot of steering the boat, which was done with yet another long piece of bamboo!

A Ninja

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>So fast and seldom seen. I was clicking a picture of the greatest scene ever to fall on human eyes when this ninja got in the way. C'est la vie.

Ella

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

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Forbidden Building

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This is one of the buildings inside the Forbidden City in Beijing. Don't be fooled, though, there were loads of people there, just like everywhere else in China. For some reason people just walked straight through the centre of the 'City' leaving all the other, rather photogenic, buildings free for the taking. They're beautiful structures so I don't understand why people just walk past them, especially after an entrance fee. Always keep an eye out, I guess, or you will miss the world around you. Or maybe they are just used to following the crowd.

Great place to visit. Unfortunately, you have to pay additionally for any other interior attraction you may want to see: that's how they get you.

Fuzhou Pianist

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>A very pleasant statue we happened upon in Fuzhou. I spent quite a while getting stares as I framed this one. There is something about it that I enjoy. It think the light was very kind to me here.

Aberdeen Traffic

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>The view, in monochrome, of Aberdeen's city centre traffic.

This picture was taken as part of a time lapse for a documentary I was making, for the Cyrenians, way back. I prefer the photo to the documentary which was amateurish at best. I'm much better now, seriously. What?

Gunning the Scott Monument

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Yep, this canon atop Edinburgh's mighty castle really does point directly at the Scott Monument. I wonder the range of these things are.

No clue what the canon was originally meant to point at. I assume targets would be a bit closer that what it is pointed at, but I'm no expert. The closest I get to firing a canon is Angry Birds.

Apple

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>I was mucking around with lighting effects in the studio and in post processing for this one. It was for a blog entry on Steve Jobs.

The apple was delicious, by the way. While it does fill the frame, it was actually very small; juicy though.

Fungus

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Eww, it's fungus. It can be found by the River Dee in Aberdeen, by Robert Gordon University. If that doesn't pin it down for you then get a better guide than me.

Parents

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This is the folks. Posed in a romantic setting near the lighthouse in Torry, Aberdeen. They are happy with the shot, at least.

It was just a little day's outing where I didn't get any shots I liked so created this one with a flash and a long shutter, as I recall. It's layered from a few exposures to get the result I wanted. You can see the bench from the satellite image on Google Maps, if that sort of thing appeals to you.

St Mary's

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>It's St Mary's church spire, in Aberdeen, Scotland.

How evil looking it is, in black and white.

I was just walking home and noticed the sky was streaking quite nicely across the back of it. Just goes to show, the best camera is the one you have with you. I, more often than not, have mine with me.

Scorpions on a Stick

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This photo is more for the spectacle I wanted to share with you rather than having any kind of artistic merit.

They sell them in the side streets in Beijing. I didn't see anyone eating them, but there were other things on offer which were not far better. Just so you know, the scorpions where, very much, alive. I know, I know, gross! But, it does attract a good few people to the stalls that sell them, who then buy other things. Nice sales tactic.

He is an Actor

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>A street performer in Beijing. I have no idea what his performance was other than a bit of drag, but it made for good framing. Why not? Many people also make a living this way.

Beijing Street Scene

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Just a typical day on the Beijing tourist route. Lots of busy people peopling the street with their busy antics.

On the right of the picture is a Starbucks: I just thought you would like to know that that was there, indeed, everywhere. Spiced coffee anyone?

Beijing's IBM Building

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>It's the IBM building in Beijing!

Spotted it on the way to the Olympic Birds Nest. Keeping in mind that this was a couple of nights after a very unforgiving Hot Pot, I was brave to slow down and photograph it.

Isn't it an odd shape?

Dragon Carving

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This was large and carved into a temple in Fuzhou. The mix of old style architecture and sculpture is heavily blended with modern buildings right beside them.

Aw, isn't it cute!

Gondola Ski Lift Things

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>These are the gondola type ski lifts that mercifully take you up and down The Great Wall of China. They cost you in addition to getting on the wall. So, best hike up, just so you can say you did, which we did.

I have to say, I would hike up again, just to get the view from these things again!

Terracotta Soldier

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>A member of the Terracotta Army on display in Xi'an. Each soldier is carved to be completely unique. The detail is amazing.

Apparently the craftsmanship of the weapons which they held was also exceptional, which was why people tried to loot them so often, disturbing the burial site. I was told that a sword, which was removed from one of the soldiers, was so well made that it sprang back to being perfectly straight after it had been bent between the ground and the statue's grip for centuries. Amazing!

iPad Interuption

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>The beautiful Ella playing with the iPad. Interrupted by yours truly to get this happy go lucky picture. I think my brother was beating her in Tiny Tower at the time.

The Lonely Man

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Fuzhou, again, in China. This scene was right outside of where I was staying. These beautiful trees where everywhere in the City and, more often than not, they framed pictures nicely.

No one could tell me the name of the trees. It probably didn't help that my Chinese is awful. Maybe I should just name them?

Fuzhou Historical Interior

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>I was taken on a tour of a historical street. I thought I was going to pick up my girlfriend from the hairdressers so it was quite a surprise to me to be taken around by a guide.
The guides English seemed good but the content of what she was saying wasn't very helpful. Things like "This is a blue vase." Not entirely necessary commentary.

What I did gather was this photo and the knowledge that the higher the door-step block of wood, that plagues every door in the building (health and safety nitpicks be warned), the more powerful the owner. With the size of step I had to take to get in and out of rooms, the owner of this building was quite powerful, indeed.

Famen Temple

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>Taken near Xian. The Famen Temple is actually a huge place, as far as I can tell. The Dagoba is truly epic.

Not much else to say about this one, apart from it was on the way to see the knuckle. Beautiful place.

Boat on the River

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>My trip to China was plagued by fog. It may have been smog on some occasions but it was a pain none the less.

One of the first walkabouts in Fuzhou had us happen upon this old school boat making it's way through the fog to its shack-like retreat in the top right of the image. Glad I braved the humidity that day in my sweater (what was I thinking).

Behind the camera, oddly enough, is a bustling metropolis. China is a very odd mix of old and new right beside each other. It's a wonder to behold.

The Empty Olympic Village

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>This is the street which leads into the Olympic Village in Beijing. It was eerily empty when we got there and I was suffering from he hot-pot I ate, prior.

It was very odd seeing it so empty, especially since China is usually full of people, everywhere. What made it even more odd is that you would think they would be making better use of such a landmark and tourist attraction. Perhaps, I just arrived on an odd day, or something.

The Terracotta Army

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Terracotta Army

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Terracotta Army

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Chinese Cyclists

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>China has loads of bicycles, as you probably know. This lovely statue was obviously a tribute to that.

The shape of them represents what people look like in poorer weather. Often you can see people cycling in the rain with long, rain shielding ponchos.

These things were really shiny! I wanted to accent that as much as possible. Again, I hope I didn't go overboard!

The Great Wall

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

The Great Wall

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Gondola Ski Lift Things

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

Entrance to the Forbidden City

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT

]]>On the edge of the infamous Tiananmen Square is the entrance to the Forbidden City in Beijing.

I found it difficult to get a decent composition of it was there is always people everywhere, as is the case in much of China. A little stubbornness and I eventually settled on this shot.

Mr Mao was particularly photogenic on this day. I wanted to go see his body, as it's still there on display in Tiananmen Square.. That morning, though, I made the rookie mistake of switching to my favourite jacket, rather than the one gifted to me. To get in to see the deceased you need your passport which was in the other jacket. Doh!

Nine Twist River Mountain

(Full Manual Archivist) — Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT