吉姆 JIM HOFMAN | Photography Faces & places in China

Organic Farming in China 4.15
Organic Farming in China 4.15

Today I visited an organic farm near Yangjiang with some factory friends. We were treated to a VIP lunch and tour because a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend-knew-a-guy…

This is not China…
This is not China...

This is not China… but there are surprising similarities. After my China trip in January I continued west to Dubai and Amman, Jordan. My final destination was Nablus in the West Bank. Of course I took my camera gear and did some street photography in Nablus, Hebron, Ramallah and Bethlehem.

Long Distance Shopping
Long Distance Shopping

After I leave China I’m visiting my daughter who is teaching at an international school on the West Bank. Besides being a mule transporting mac-n-cheese and other delicacies, I unwittingly opened the door to some long distance shopping for my fashion-starved daughter.

More Qingxi at Night
More Qingxi at Night

I went for a short photo walk after dinner last night. It was Sunday night and the city center was hopping. Using a flash at night is a little invasive, but no one seemed to mind.

Walking Yangjiang
Walking Yangjiang

I’ve combined my existing hobby of street photography with my new hobby of power walking. I logged a total of 16 miles in 3 consecutive afternoons. That’s a lot of streets that got photographed.

New Years Day in Yangjiang
New Years Day in Yangjiang

Ah – the first day of 2015 and the beginning of year number five of my Faces & Places photography project. I took a 3 hour photo walk to the most crowded mall they have in Yangjiang and studied the crowd – inside & out. Unlike most people, I love crowds.

Yangjiang at Night
Yangjiang at Night

Some more flash photography on the streets. I’m really starting to like this style of street photography. I walked halfway across Yangjiang searching for interesting street scenes after dinner. I worked up a pretty good sweat with the high temperature & humidity.

Qingxi in the Day
Qingxi in the Day

Ah yes, another photo walk through the streets of Qingxi, China. The temperature has been in the mid-90s with high humidity. I continued to remind myself in four months the snow will be flying in Minnesota.

Qingxi – Blasting a Flash at Night
Qingxi - Blasting a Flash at Night

I tried a new twist on street photography and went out at night using a flash. Usually I’m less-than-obvious when I take photos out on the streets, but last night I turned on the flash and blasted people. It’s a little riskier than shooting from the hip, but I didn’t have any problems. The lighting effect is pretty stark and gritty.

Childhood Scars
Childhood Scars

This is an unremarkable iPhone image, but when I saw this scene in China it jogged a drunk memory that was pretty profound and is the theme for this rant. Beware.

Old Village Near Yangjiang
Old Village Near Yangjiang

So, we went to an “old village” near Yangjiang yesterday. When someone tells you that you’re going to an “old village” in China it can mean several things. It could be a top-of-the-line preserved tourist village complete with gift shops – or – it could be an old village where people live. Yesterday’s village was the later, which I enjoyed.

RT Mall on Mothers Day
RT Mall on Mothers Day

It’s been raining like crazy for the last 3 days, including a pretty serious thunderstorm last night. Not so great for street photography, so I had to take my little project indoors again.

Making Knives in China – The Video
Making Knives in China - The Video

I decided to merge my new love for my 85mm f1.8 lens with a video project for work, so I compiled a collection of video clips into a “How it’s Made” video about making knives in Yangjiang, China.

Hong Kong Streets
Hong Kong Streets

I was able to get in a few hours of photos in Hong Kong (Kowloon) before heading to the airport to fly home. It was a gorgeous afternoon and I ran around like a crazy man getting shots in the narrow streets of Tsim Sha Tsui.

Yangjiang Streets V2
Yangjiang Streets V2

I’m back for my second tour of Yangjiang on this trip and the weather improved a lot. There are actually shadows in these photos!

I found our money…
I found our money...

Yep – it’s all here. At the Wanda Plaza mall in Ningbo. This extremely upscale mall looks like it came straight from any major city in the US. Caution – rant ahead.

Departures – New T3 Terminal at Shenzhen Airport
Departures - New T3 Terminal at Shenzhen Airport

In December I photographed the 1 week old Shenzhen Terminal 3 arrivals hall because I had flown into the airport from Ningbo. Last week I departed from the airport so I could photograph the departures hall (and get to Ningbo). It was more spectacular than the arrivals areas because of the expansive perforated ceiling.

Qingxi Streets
Qingxi Streets

Yet another weekend layover in Qingxi gave me some time at the central market for street photos. A very photogenic place if you can handle the smells.