吉姆 JIM HOFMAN | Photography Faces & places in China

Village Kids
Village Kids

Photos of the kids that I see around the village and in my travels to other factories.

Maid’s Day Off in Kowloon
Maid's Day Off in Kowloon

Sunday is the day that most domestic workers in Hong Kong get a day off. They pass the time in the park talking to friends (new and old), dancing, singing, eating native foods from their home country, and just relaxing in the shade.

Wendy
Wendy

This is Wendy. At only 24 years old she has some great stories to tell and Monk-like philosophical observations. She also told me I drink too much Diet Coke (she’s right). UPDATED: 11/18/11

Lady X
Lady X

Lady X – Mystery model in China.

Beijing – Fun & Shopping
Beijing - Fun & Shopping

Besides the historic sites there are many other cool things to do in Beijing.

Beijing – The Great Wall
Beijing - The Great Wall

The weather was hazy / foggy and it was tough to get any decent long shots. I had to punch-up the contrast in Photoshop to make the outer hills visible. I had been to the wall ten years earlier and it was crystal clear, but I only brought a point-and-shoot camera.

Beijing – Strange Food
Beijing - Strange Food

We found a small alley just off a main shopping district that I began calling “Scorpion Alley” because of one of the treats served there.

Beijing – Peking Duck
Beijing - Peking Duck

Peking Duck (now Beijing Duck) is an experience, not a meal. We went to DaDong (translation: “Tall Mr. Dong”. No joke.), which is apparently the number two duck restaurant in Beijing. It was only two blocks from the hotel and was so incredible we went there for dinner two nights in a row.

Beijing – The Forbidden City
Beijing - The Forbidden City

An amazing place. Words can’t describe it – so I took photos.

Beijing – Tiananmen Square
Beijing - Tiananmen Square

If St. Mark’s Square is the “Living Room” of Venice, then Tienanmen Square is the living room of Beijing. Security is very tight, as evidenced by the hundreds of surveillance camera and dozens of police men & soldiers.

Beijing – Nature
Beijing - Nature

I’m not much of a nature photographer. I prefer people & places more than flowers and birds, but there were a few good nature shots from Beijing that came out nice.

Tech Taxi – Hong Kong
Tech Taxi - Hong Kong

I’m pretty sure this guy is a bookie that drives a taxi – simultaneously.

Beijing – Olympic Park
Beijing - Olympic Park

Beautiful architecture that’s still timeless. The care-and-feeding of the buildings could be improved to prolong their life span. The crowds are gone and now the Olympic Park is a curiosity for a few visitors.

Village Nightlife
Village Nightlife

I went prowling around the village last night with a fast 35mm f1.8 lens to test the low light capabilities of the D3100. Not bad. Some of these shots look like they were taken in the middle of the day because of the amount of lighting in the village and the fast lens.

Hong Kong from the 29th floor
Hong Kong from the 29th floor

Some shots from 29 stories above Wan Chai looking towards North Point on the island. The stormy weather was interesting to photograph, then it all blew away a few hours later for a beautiful afternoon.

Chinese Line Dancing
Chinese Line Dancing

Everyone’s doing it!! Line dancing at night on the basketball courts and in public squares.

Retail Parallax
Retail Parallax

There are miles of these “retail alleys” in every small village in China. Inexpensive retail space for entrepreneurs. The stripped tunnel visual effect can be dizzying.

Construction Sunset
Construction Sunset

This is a common scene in the area surrounding a new high tech industrial park being build next to our factory in Shenzhen. The land value has sky-rocketed because of the adjacency to the new electronics factory buildings, so the owners of 5 story apartment buildings are tearing them down and building 8 – 9 story buildings (with a higher density inside).