12-AUG-2006
I always impressed and admire people who live simple lives yet enjoy every bit of them. This optimistic street vender warms my heart. He could never afford to own a car such as this by selling veggies, but it doesn't bother him at all. He seems content to live for this moment of pleasure.
13-FEB-2005
I saw an astounding world through this fire, which was coming from a censer inside a temple. To me, this image represents a world of ignorance, a world of suffering, and a world of truth.
The ignorance comes from people hurting themselves without knowing it, like the man on the side who is smoking. The suffering and truth I see here never appears on people's faces , yet both burn in their their hearts, as hot as this intense fire. It is this pain, the feeling of burning, that is the moment of truth!
13-FEB-2005
This image began as just a traditional scene of China, until I added an interesting layer incorporating this man -- looking as if he trying somehow to see into the past. The two prints depict the God of the Door -- they once served as the protectors of the house. And I am thinking they are really not happy with this guy peeking around here!
24-DEC-2004
The day I visited the Forbidden City, once home to China's Emperors, a young man in yellow appeared on the balcony over its main entrance, waving to the crowds of visitors as they passed through the gate. He was impersonating the Emperor, yet he is so small compared to the heads of the people at the bottom. The Emperor once held all power and no common people could enter the Forbidden City. But things have changed in China. These tourists, many of them dressed in colorful clothing, can now make an "emperor" stand in the freezing cold -- waving to them.
I wanna send this picture as a New Year gift to my friend
Antonio, I wish him a colorful 2005! :)
24-DEC-2004
Soldiers consider it an honor to raise the national flag every morning in Tiananmen Square. Pride, respect, and repeated practice show in this shot of a soldier who has literally wrapped himself in the national flag as he works for perfection.
I wanna send this picture as a New Year gift to my friend
Charlie, I wish him a joyful 2005! :)
23-DEC-2004
I was struck by the red walls. They speak of the new China, yet these men represent the old China. They may be waiting for loved ones, someone they know, or someone new. They have come here to find friends and make the long days move by a bit more quickly. I hope they can.
I wanna send this picture as a New Year gift to my friend
Mikel, I wish him a very lucky 2005! :)
12-JAN-2004
Zhangjiagang is a wealthy town near Shanghai. I was preparing to photograph this old woman carrying a big bag, who was walking very slowly towards me. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a young woman riding a motorbike was upon me, flying past this old woman as if she were standing still. I barely released the shutter in time to capture her scarf wrapped face as it came rushing towards me. And then she was gone, leaving this old woman in her wake. The old woman bears the burden of time. She is the China of the poor, as is that old house at the end of this road. The young woman represents modern China, as do the new homes at left. Behind her rides a man on a bicycle, who to me represents the majority of Chinese people, caught somewhere in between.
13-FEB-2005
I saw two worlds represented here -- the busy world of today and the world of yesterday. The contrast between these two worlds, as well as the differences in color intensity, made me take this picture. The two big Chinese words surrounded by those red lanterns tell us that this is a busy market held each year. Many people come to buy things and watch shows here. The three old men quietly sitting in the corner are left out of this busy world. Perhaps they just prefer to stay aloof from worldly affairs and simply find peace for themselves?
07-NOV-2004
I didn't have time to think before taking this shot. I saw this energetic woman coming out of the temple, the Buddha, the colors, and instinctively reacted. Later I noticed details such as the tiny red scarf at her neck that picked up the reds in the temple -- reds that symbolize the beating pulse of life itself. This is a picture about what belief can do for people. No matter how hard things are, or how difficult life may be -- just like the high doorsill -- she can handle them because she has something to believe in.
07-NOV-2004
In China, rural food can be a treat for people who live in large cities like I do. Last weekend we had lunch with a rural family in a small village outside of Suzhou. The hospitable hostess cooked many dishes for us. She was so proud and happy to be our hostess, and wanted to give us the best she has. When I look at this picture, it brings back the delicious smell of that food for me.
10-MAR-2004
The field of bikes in the foreground imply the huge population of China. The people in the middleground add context, and the old buildings bearings Chinese character add a taste of old Shanghai.