吉姆 JIM HOFMAN | Photography Faces & places in China

China
Kuala Lumpur 10.16
Kuala Lumpur  10.16

Not China, but it sure does feel like Hong Kong – and an amazing place for street photography.  Kuala Lumpur is a melting pot in Malaysia, with people from all over Asia and the west.  It’s also an incredibly cheap place for a holiday.  We stayed in an AirBnB one block from the main bar […]

Ningbo 10.16
Ningbo 10.16

I was in Ningbo twice on this trip.  Nice stays, but not a very good hit rate on street photos.  Win a few and lose a few.            

Beijing 6.16
Beijing 6.16

This was my third trip to Beijing. Each time I see the same sights, so this time I was prepared to get some decent photos because I’ve already done the scouting.

Yangjiang 7.16
Yangjiang 7.16

It was blazing hot in Yangjiang this July. I was only able to get out for street photos a couple times because it was raining so much and my schedule was nuts. Heat + rain = humidity. Not great for lenses sitting in an overly air conditioned hotel room. I had to preheat my camera before shooting.

Ningbo 7.16
Ningbo 7.16

I’m pretty sure my design associate and I were the cause of a beer shortage in Ningbo in late June. Sorry about that city of Ningbo. Work hard – play hard.

Qingxi 7.16
Qingxi 7.16

I went to Qingxi to celebrate the fourth of July with a group of expat friends. I also made my usual tour of the town for street photos. It never disappoints.

Shekou 7.16
Shekou  7.16

I made a few quick stops in Shekou in between trips to Yangjiang, Ningbo and Qingxi. Lots of cities on this trip.

Zhapo 7.16
Zhapo 7.16

We ditched-out of Yangjiang for an afternoon in Zhapo on the South China Sea. A day at the beach is very different in China compared to the US.

Ningbo 6.16 | NSFW
Ningbo 6.16  |  NSFW

I had the opportunity to tour a factory that was a little different from the usual factories I visit. A friend of mine has a friend that owns an “adult toy” factory near Ningbo. I’ve always been curious about the manufacturing processes used, as well as the business model. It was absolutely fascinating.

Ningbo 4.16
Ningbo 4.16

I made my usual stop in Ningbo and took photos near my usual shopping mall (Wanda Plaza). Except for the people in the photos it looks like the photos could have been taken in Minneapolis.

Shekou 4.16
Shekou 4.16

More photos from the Seaworld area in Shekou. Very cool area of Shenzhen with lots of stuff going on at night.

Hong Kong 2.16
Hong Kong 2.16

I was in Hong Kong on the first and last day of my month long trip – which is my typical routine since I fly in and out of Hong Kong. I LOVE this city. So much energy! So much great material for street photography!

Ningbo 1.16
Ningbo  1.16

Lots and lots of rain in Ningbo.  It never stopped.  So I spent my time shooting inside a mall or out in the rain.                      

Macau 2.16
Macau 2.16

I’ve driven by Macau about 30 times over the last four years and each time I think “I should make a side trip to Macau sometime”. Well this year I finally pulled the trigger and spent a couple days in the old city a few days before Chinese New Year. It was a mob scene.

Yangjiang / Shenzhen 1-16
Yangjiang / Shenzhen 1-16

I often go to Southern China in January to escape the winter in Minneapolis.  This year winter followed me to China and I witnessed the first snow in Shenzhen in over 40 years.  I had to go out and buy a freaking winter coat because it got so cold.  Not exactly the escape I had […]

Hong Kong 11.15
Hong Kong 11.15

I had a few hours in Hong Kong on my way home and grabbed some street photos after dinner. It was a really great trip and this was the icing on the cake. Once again, these were all taken with a small Nikon P7800 with an extra on-camera flash and not my usual big DSLR as an experiment.

Qingxi 11.15
Qingxi 11.15

I absolutely love southern China in October and early November. The humidity and big heat are gone. You can actually walk around in the middle of the day instead of hiding in an air conditioned office or hotel. That meant I could get out and enjoy lots of street photography without my lens fogging.

Guangzhou / Ningbo 10.15
Guangzhou / Ningbo 10.15

My trip took me to both Ningbo & Guangzhou where I stayed at hotels that were both next to a Wanda Mall. This is a chain of upscale malls where China’s middle class goes to spend the money they’ve earned from Walmart.

Yangjiang Kite Festival 10.15
Yangjiang Kite Festival 10.15

This is the second time my China travel schedule overlapped with the annual kite festival in Yangjiang, but because of my tight schedule I could only stay for a brief period in the morning.

Yangjiang 10.15
Yangjiang 10.15

I visited Yangjiang twice on this trip, including a period that overlapped with the annual kite festival.

Lijiang 7.15
Lijiang 7.15

I’ve been mentally searching for a western city I’ve visited before that is similar to Lijiang. The only place I can think of is Venice, Italy.

Qingxi 7.15
Qingxi 7.15

I’ve run out of words to describe the central market in Qingxi. It’s simply big and full of sights, sounds and smells.

Shekou at Night 7.15
Shekou at Night 7.15

I walked around the Sea World area of Shekou (Shenzhen) and took some annoying flash street photos on this trip.

Yangjiang 6.15
Yangjiang 6.15

They were hot streets. Very hot.