吉姆 JIM HOFMAN | Photography Faces & places in China
Really great shots
Analog – Summer 2020
My six-week trip turned into an “indefinite” length trip because of COVID-19 related issues (closed borders, lack of flights, lockdowns, etc.). I had plenty of opportunities to work on my photo project in the village and travel around China to capture analog photos on my Mamiya 6 and Hasselblad 500 C/M. Most of these photos were taken using Portra 400 film.
Analog | Ningbo Village 5.20
More street portraits from the village in Ningbo. I’ve entered a new stage in this project because in early May I printed a photo book with all of the images I had shot and distributed the book to everyone in the village who had allowed me to take their portrait. This created an incentive for […]
Book Release Day in the Village 5.11.20
I self-published my first book of analog photographs in early May of 2020 and distributed free copies to everyone in the small village outside of Ningbo where I took the portraits. It was quite the event in the village. Smiles, bewilderment, and a few tears. No one knew I was publishing a book. I would […]
Analog | Ningbo Village 4.20
I’m back at the village after my 2 weeks in prison (Covid-19 quarantine). The weather is gorgeous in Ningbo and my friends in the village missed me.
Digital | Ningbo Quarantine 4.20
I managed to travel to China in mid-March at a fortunate time – China had become a safe harbor as the US was dealing with the explosive growth of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. The only downside of the trip was a government-mandated 14-day quarantine in a Ningbo hotel.
Analog | Hong Kong 1.20
I zig-zagged in and out of Hong Kong a few times on this trip, each time taking analog photos and getting the film processed/scanned at Dotwell in TST. I used both a Hasselblad C/M and Mamiya 6 for these – which is why everything is square. I really enjoy shooting the old neon signs in […]
Analog | Ningbo & Yangjiang 1.20
More analog photos using a medium format Hasselblad 500 C/M. All photos were shot on Portra film. I visited my 99-year-old friend in the village again and met her 67-year-old third son. I asked about her secret for longevity and her answer was “I eat rice, vegetables, and meat every day.” That’s pretty much what […]
Analog | Thailand Monks 1.20
We took a trip to Chiang Mai in Thailand right before the Chinese New Year. On the second day of the trip, I woke up and decided I wanted to take portraits of Monks at a Buddhist temple/monastery about 3 blocks from the hotel. All of these images were shot using a Mamiya 6 medium […]
Analog | Ningbo Village II 11.19
After spending a month this summer photographing the people in a small village outside of Ningbo, I returned in October to continue my mission of taking environmental street portraits of the inhabitants. As has become my custom, I returned with prints of the portraits to give to anyone who volunteered. Apparently my project went viral […]
Analog | Hong Kong & SZ 11.19
I’ve been in Hong Kong six times since the protests began in June – and haven’t seen a single protest. I’ve seen the graffiti and the missing bricks in the sidewalks (used to block traffic), but not a single protest. I’m starting to feel like I bring calm to the city. I also spent a […]
Analog | Ningbo Village 8.19
My summer project was a little different than my usual street photography. I took environmental street portraits in a small village adjacent to a factory I collaborate with in Ningbo. I also created a video of the process and included some of the back-story about the village.
Analog | Hong Kong 8.19
This was the summer of protests in Hong Kong and I saw evidence of them, but never actually saw any protesting. I left HK on the first day of of the protesting at the airport, but my plane left before they actually began.
Hong Kong & Shanghai 4.19
Everything was shot using one lens – the amazing Fuji 16mm f1.4. One of Fuji’s finest lenses.
Analog | Hong Kong & Shanghai 4.19
So, I’ve gone all-in on analog photography, having purchased several film cameras in the last few months – including medium format, 35mm and a point-and-shoot. I’ve started developing and scanning my own negatives to speed-up the cycle. I’m really enjoying the “craft” of photography again.
Singapore 1.19
I’ve wanted to go to Singapore for a long time and I finally had the opportunity because of some early factory shutdowns before CNY. It’s an amazing place.
Analog | China & Singapore 1.19
After resisting the urge to reenter the world of film photography for the last two years I decided to jump in with both feet. My Christmas present to myself was a mint condition Nikon F2 film camera from Ebay.
Tibet 10.18 | #Twice in a Lifetime
Seven years after my first trip to Tibet I retraced my steps and was able to take a lot of my photos all over again with much better gear and a lot more experience.
Shanghai 10.18
It had been a while since I was in Shanghai, but we had a weekend to kill during Mid-Autumn Festival so we took the high-speed train up to Hongjiao station and spent some time in the city center. And wow was it crowded.
Hong Kong 9.18 | Typhoon
I was in-and-out out of Hong Kong a few times in September & October, but the more memorable stop was during Typhoon Mangkhut on September 16th. WOW.
Hong Kong 8.18
I made three stops in Hong Kong during my five-week summer trip. Plenty of time for some photos in the extreme heat and humidity. I used a USB-powered lens warmer to pre-heat my lens so it didn’t fog up when I left my air-conditioned hotel room.
Ningbo 8.18
Ningbo was incredibly hot in August. I visited the Tianyi Ge ancient library twice to take some photos on the grounds. This is the oldest library in China that dates back to the 1500’s.
Hong Kong and China at f0.95
I typically dedicate posts to a single location on a trip, but this post is dedicated to a single f-stop – f0.95. Mitakon makes a 35mm lens with a wicked-fast f0.95 aperture. Shooting wide open with this lens yields a razor-thin depth of field.
Hong Kong 11.17
Two quick passes through Hong Kong on this trip – arriving and departing on a three week trip to China. The weather in October is always amazing. No humidity or big heat.
Shenzhen 10.17
I use Shenzhen as my pivot point as I travel to other cities in China on business. The Shekou area is very western and very comfortable on the weekends. The food is great and the beer is cold.
