Zhangjiajie (張家界)

I came back from Zhangjiajie (張家界) yesterday. It was quite impossible to try and make it a good photography trip... First, I didn't like that almost everyone was complaining about the food, the motel environment, the people... all the time. I thought that going to a trip is about going to a trip, sight-seeing, learning about the culture ---- why care so much about everything else? Over 90% of the conversation I heard was complaint, and only I was talking about beautiful scenery to myself... okay, now I am complaining... oh well. Just one more thing, I think it is foolish that many people spend 90% of their time looking at the camera screen while the REAL thing is right in front of them... A photographer must learn to see with his/her eyes!  He/she, just like a composer, should spend 90% of the time thinking about texture, color, composition, form, structure... than actually messing with the equipments. I take a picture; I don't even bother playing back (except when I have to check exposure, dynamic contrast, etc); I look at the scenery and enjoy!

Second, the weather is too good. I heard it had rained for over 10 days before we came, but not when we arrived. Unfortunately, the sky was awfully bright the day we went up the mountains. Good weather is bad weather when you try to photograph. The bright sky looks so white and dead, and it creates too much shadow and thus too much contrast. Even worse is the white fog that just looks like a mask that de-colors the scenery. I wished there were clouds and partial mist. I wished it rained.

Other than the complaints... It was a great trip. If you think that the scenery in "Avatar" is good. Go see the real thing! Check out my gallery for some of my new pictures.