monochrome

234

2009-11-10T03:47:29Z

Labrang Monastery, Xiahe

This is the last outtake I'm going to post of the monastery. It's time to move on to editing and looking through my other photos. I am taking these negatives into the darkroom however, and a few days ago I made prints of the first four or five photos. I have yet to flatten the prints, but once I've done that I'll be able to reassess the negative scans. Already, I can see how one of my prints is better than the digital version; I should rescan the negative flatter and redo the contrast adjustments.

Once I'm done with the prints I'm hoping to show them around and perhaps find a place for some of them in a group show somewhere. In the meantime, I do have those other sets to edit and post. I just need to make sure I make time to spend in the darkroom. It was great getting back there. I find that I'm feeling a lot more comfortable even than last year.

And, once again, you can find the rest of the series here.

233

2009-11-05T04:24:02Z

Labrang Monastery, Xiahe

Back to outtakes from the Labrang monastery set. I have two more that I'll post, including this one. On Friday, I'm hoping to take the negatives into the darkroom to see how they'll print up. I dropped by the ICP the other day to pick up an ID and see who was around. The darkrooms were empty, but the walls were full of beautiful prints.

After I posted these photographs, I learned that a few of my friends have visited the site in the past. It was interesting to hear their recollections and compare them to my own. One was surprised I shot in black and white. She told me most foreigners seem to want to the monastery in color, to capture the robes and flags. I said the days were grey and overcast and that the colors already appeared leeched from the surroundings.

In other news, I've been on a bit of a photobook buying kick. If anyone has suggestions of their favorite recent photobooks, please let me know. I have a few items already earmarked for purchase, and a few out-of-print volumes that I casually search for on the web (unfortunately the latter generally fall far out of my price range).

And here's the formal series of photographs of the monastery.

232

2009-11-03T21:09:43Z

Roman R, BRB

I thought I'd take a moment to welcome my friend's baby into the world. Born last Monday, he had his bris yesterday. The mother was kind enough to invite me to the hospital the third day after she had given birth, where I made the above photo.

When my first nephew was born my brother would send me photos where he was happy or smiling. I always wondered why parents only sent photos of their children either looking happy or asleep while they complained about how their babies would keep them up at night. I encouraged my brother to send me photos of my nephew in different sorts of moods. Unfortunately, he didn't really have the time. Taking care of the baby was work enough.

I couldn't resist posting this photo of Roman. It's actually one of my favorite and one I was thinking of printing for the parents. And actually, during my visit he was very well behaved, so long as he was being held. This was taken in one of the rare moments when he wasn't.

P.S. BRB is an inside joke based on the child's initials.

231

2009-10-29T12:07:51Z

Labrang monastery, Xiahe.

I decided to go to the monastery at the last minute. I was en route back to Beijing, and took an overnight train to Lanzhou from Jiayuguan in order to catch a flight. I had a few days in the province's capital, and had checked the guidebook to see what one could visit in the area.

Even after I had decided to visit the monastery there was a slight question as to whether I could. The area had been closed to foreigners following the 2008 demonstrations against Chinese rule over Tibet. Only recently had foreigners been allowed back in.

I arrived in Lanzhou before dawn. I walked across the plaza in front of the train station to a hotel where I had made a reservation to find that rooms were unavailable. I was assured that I could check in once people started checking out. I waited.

After half an hour I started to wonder if waiting was the best use of my time. I asked at the travel desk for information on visiting both Xiahe and Bingling Si. The woman told me that if I were planning on visiting Xiahe, I should head to the bus station quickly, as the last morning bus was soon to leave. I thanked her and shouldered my bags. I cancelled my room reservation and told the front desk I'd return in a day or so. Outside, I hailed a cab to take me to the bus station.

The driver was warm and friendly. He asked about where I had come from and then gave me tips on travelling in the area. He was excited I was travelling to the monastery, but admitted he had never been. Arriving at the station, he told me to be careful at the bus station and to buy tickets only from the counter before dropping me before the front door.

The next bus was leaving in half an hour. I asked for a ticket and the counterwoman told me she would need copies of my passport and visa. She told me there was a copy shop across the street, a block east of the station. I raced to make copies and returned with ten minutes to spare. The bus was almost empty. I settled in and prepared for the ride.

Click to see more photographs of the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe.

230

2009-10-26T17:54:08Z

Labrang Monastery, Xiahe

Last week I dropped off my film, all 81 rolls of it. I've spent the past week going through it, trying to make sense of the images I've captured and re-aligning them to the memories I have of their locations and emotions. As usual, I was disappointed.

It usually takes me a little bit of time and distance to be able to see the photos for what they are and to begin to assmble them into edits and stories. The photographs from this past trip seem to be falling into three sets. This past weekend, I tackled the first set, which can be found at the link below:

A series of photographs of the Labrang Monastery in Xiahe.

The Labrang Monastery is the most important monastery outside of the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Once home to 4000 monks, its ranks were decimated by the Cultural Revolution. Since then, the population has grown to ~500, the largest concentration of monks outside of Tibet.

229

2009-10-18T09:01:06Z

Construction workers, Shanghai

I'm jetlagged. Yesterday I fell asleep at two in the afternoon and only woke up that evening because my roommate knocked on my door. She was asking me to look over a cover letter she had written.

I ate breakfast for dinner and then did my best to stay awake for a while longer, but gave up the ghost around 9:30 and went back to bed (I was trying to read, honest). I woke up again an hour ago, and decided I might as well try to get some things done. Outside, it's dark and cold and rainy.

I had meant to buy a down coat (and fashion sneakers) while I was in China. When I was travelling with my parents in the west, I'd take the time to pop into various shoe stores. Unfortunately, when I found shoes I liked, they'd almost never have my size. I started asking up front whether they carried size 45 or 46 to save time.

In Beijing, I had set aside my last day to run shopping errands, but then there was a gallery I wanted to check out, and a place I wanted to go for lunch. My hosts had a friend in town, and I took some time to show her around, and then it was time for dinner. In the end, I did no shopping, but it was just as well. It was nice to spend some more time looking out over the city and exploring its nooks and crannies.

The above was taken in Shanghai last year walking towards the Bund along Nanjing Road. I can't remember the buildilng in which the workers were working. The road itself is a pedestrian mall, with shops lining both sides. And while I didn't go to KFC last year, I did go this year. They have an item that serves the fried chicken up Peking duck style.

228

2009-10-16T15:46:33Z

Police officers, The Bund, Shanghai

It's cold in New York. I can feel the winter approach. Last night, I was almost surprised it didn't snow.

I had dinner in Korea Town, sampling the Korean meal I didn't have in Seoul. I had a few hours in Incheon, and at first had hoped to have coffee with a friend of mine in the city. Unfortunately, it took longer to get off the plane and through customs than I had anticipated, and had I taken the bus in, I would have had to turn around and get back on when I arrived. Instead, I sat on the curb and enjoyed a bit of the sun and the air. It made me realize that international airports should have parks attached to them so that people on short layovers between distant lands can spend a little time outside.

The above image was shot on the Bund in Shanghai. There's something about that skyline that almost makes me think it's a matte painting, but there it is, just across the river.

227

2009-10-15T20:23:22Z

Salespeople, Yungang Grottoes

I'm back in New York, having flown from Beijing via Incheon last night. The flight was good, save for the screaming babies. That said, there's nothing a Michael Bay film can't drown out. At one point I fell asleep while robots were fighting to wake up and find the robots still fighting.

Beijing was great, if exhausting. After arriving Friday night off of a red-eye, I went to eat more meat on sticks at a yakitori place and then club-hopped until almost four in the morning. And yes, part of that was an indoctrination into the world of Suzie Wongs, which seemed to be filled more with Russian models than local Beijing denizens.

The above photo was taken in Datong last year, in front of the Buddhist grottoes at Yungang. A series of souvenir stalls and restaurants line the road up to the entrance. This couple was sitting in front of the building near the main road.

I'll be updating more regularly now that I'm home with a computer and internet. I'll be posting a few more photos from my China trip last year while I wait for film to be developed. Then I'll be posting random shots from China and Uzbekistan as I work on an edit to present as a whole, which I'll post links to here and email those who are on my mailing list. If you'd like to be added to that send me an email. Those of you who've commented on the blog in the past have already been added. If you'd like to be removed, let me know as well. Cheers.

226

2009-10-01T08:21:57Z

Alleyway, China

I'm in Bokhara, after spending a few days in Termiz, where I got to see the Amu-Darya and, beyond its banks, Afghanistan. I've been in Bokhara a few days now; tomorrow I head to Khiva. Uzbekistan has been an incredibly interesting place to visit, especially in light of the Soviet influence on this region. It makes me wonder how Central Asia might have developed without that interference, but I guess one will never know.

I wasn't sure what to expect from Uzbekistan or Central Asia. I did no research really before I came, and so each place I'm visiting is entirely unexpected. That said, I did have romantic notions based on the names of the cities alone: Samarkand, Bokhara, Khiva. I've seen three of the ancient cities now, tomorrow I see the third. A Japanese tourist I met in Tashkent at the end of her travels said that of the three, Khiva was her favorite. I can't wait.

After Khiva, I hope to make it to the Aral Sea before flying back to Tashkent. I had thought to take the train, but am running out of time. It's taken longer to get to places than I had imagined (I hitch-hiked with a fishmonger and her crew to get to Termiz from Samarkand) and so I've had to cut out some of my original itinerary. As it is I'm not sure I'll be able to get to the Fergana Valley, either.

As a result I've been too busy to really spend time searching out internet cafes. Today I've given myself the afternoon to catch up on email and blogs and to write post cards. I haven't had time to do that either since arriving in Uzbekistan (I'm trying to finish reading The Great Game as well) and so this afternoon is going to be given over to errands of a personal sort. :-)

Unfortunately I can't remember exactly where I took the above photo. It was either Beijing or Shanghai, but I can't at the moment remember which. If i were home and able to look at the contact sheet I'd be able to tell immediately, but unfortunately the contact sheet is a few thousand miles away. :p

I hope all those reading this are well.

225

2009-09-21T16:22:14Z

Art gallery, 798, Beijing

I leave for Uzbekistan in fifteen hours. I'm unprepared. I've secured my first night's lodging but little else. I've yet to read more than Tashkent hotel listings in my Central Asian guidebook.

I've just returned from a delicious Peking duck dinner. I skipped the apres dinner drinks so I could come back to the house and do laundry. I'm thinking of packing, but I'm tired, and I'm wondering if I would be more or less forgetful if I packed now instead of tomorrow before my flight.

The wedding was amazing. It was a little frustrating not being able to shoot it, but it was well covered. Still, there's something nice about seeing your own images, and shooting it from your vantage point. Towards the end of the night I shot a few images in a darkened temple. I'm curious how they'll turn out.

The above was shot in the 798 art district of Beijing. I forget the name of the gallery or the space. It was set up in a converted factory, though I'm not certain what the factory produced.

224

2009-09-17T02:06:29Z

Wedding photos, Suzhou

There's a wedding photo industry in China, with company vans decorated with logos carrying couples to various sights around the country for their engagement and wedding photos. At Tien Chi, I saw three couples at the same spot, two waiting for their turns as one stood up and posed against the alpine scenery.

My friends opted not to subscribe to one of these services. I thought it would have been fun for them, but it's surprisingly expensive. And apparently the companies spend a lot of time upselling clients on various other services or add-ons once the process starts. They opted to hire someone from Vietnam who then had visa problems. Fortunately a number of photographers were invited to the wedding so they asked one of their friends who shoots weddings to shoot theirs.

I took the above photo in Suzhou last year. We were wandering some of the back streets along a stream when we stumbled upon this shoot. The locals went about their business as the photographer posed his subject. They walked right in front of the bride if they needed to without pause, which helped give me ideas for the wedding photos I might want taken if the time ever arrives. The photographer was on the bridge shooting. I took this shot from the banks of the stream shooting back up at the bridge.

223

2009-09-15T08:24:23Z

High-speed train, Beijing to Shanghai

I'm back in Beijing after a few days in and around Lanzhou. I was surprised by the variety of the scenery in Gansu. In that one province alone there were deserts and verdant valleys. Similar attractions competed with each other, as the famous Mogao Buddhist caves had a rival in the surprisingly pictaresque setting of the caves at Bingling Si, the latter situated on a bend of the Yellow River, with a stone forest of mountains set just behind.

Here in Beijing, I'm running errands for my friends who are getting married and for myself. This morning I dropped off my passport at the Uzbekistan embassy. A woman in beautifully accented Chinese told me to come back at nine the next morning. I then proceeded to book my plane tickets. Even as I type I'm waiting for them to be delivered.

I shot this photo last year as I boarded the train to Shanghai. I couldn't get a hard sleeper and ended up in a soft seat. A group boarded after me; they laughed and chatted to each other in Shanghainese as I sat back and drifted south away from Beijing.

222

2009-09-10T11:52:11Z

Atop Jingshan, Beijing

A mountain rises behind the Forbidden City, and from there you can look down upon the palace and the new buildings that have been built around and in front of it. The new National Theater looks as if it's an alien object descended from space. On a clear day, you can see forever.

Locals and tourists alike flock to the hilltop pagoda to take photos of the surroundings, and on any given day it'll be packed. On this particular day I was there at dusk. The sun was going to set in another hour or so and the pagoda was packed with people taking photographs and otherwise enjoying the view.

This morning the sun shines in Jiayuguan, which gives the city a newer feeling than yesterday. We've hired a taxi to take us around to the local attractions. Last night, we asked the front desk attendant what there was to see in the city. She said if we walked a bit down the public plaza and took a left we could see dolphins. As we walked, there it was rising out of the trees, cycling a series of lights against the night sky.

221

2009-09-09T07:32:55Z

Subway, Shanghai

This morning I awoke in Jiayuguan to the sounds of Chinese music playing from the public square. On the one hand, it's great staying right in front of it; on the other, we hadn't counted on the martial music. In my sleep-addled mind this morning I thought it was a call to prayer until I realized the tone was all wrong.

We arrived here yesterday afternoon after a fairly short train ride. I bought an onward ticket to Lanzhou, and will be leaving for that city tomorrow evening in a hard sleeper coach. I'm in a top bunk. All other bunks were sold out. My parents are planning on flying to Xian. I'm going to take the 30 hour train ride from Lanzhou back to Beijing for the wedding.

I believe the above photo was taken in Shanghai instead of Beijing. I can't remember exactly, so I'm going to guess. :-)

220

2009-09-07T08:20:46Z

Train station plaza, Da Tong

Tomorrow I'm back on the road, taking a morning train from Dunhuang to Jiayuguan. From there I'm going to have to kick it into high gear. My parents are flying to Xi'an, but I'm planning on spending a few more days in Gansu, visiting some areas around Lanzhou before I'm due to return to Beijing to help with a friend's wedding (and eventually attend it).

Yesterday, we toured some of the Buddhist grottoes at Mogaoku. Of the 62 caves that are open to visitors, the guided tours only lead you to around 10 of them. It was almost painful walking past the locked doors, imagining what was inside. Some of the "special" caves have their own admission fee. I asked how much it would be to see the 8 special caves that are currently open to tourists and was told that it would be an additional 1500RMB. That said, a lot of the cause for limited access is for the sake of protection. The hoardes of tourists that descend upon this area each year would make short work of the caves if left to roam free.

The above photo was taken in DaTong. Last year I took overnight trains there and back from Beijing to visit the Buddhist sculptures in the grottoes at Yungang. It was an exhausting trip, but well worth the effort. A few years ago, I also saw the caves at Longmen. It's hard to remember and compare all the caves having seen them so far apart, but they're not close enough together to see them all at once. If anything, the caves at Mogao reminded me of the Sri Lankan cave temple at Dambulla, what with every square inch being covered with art.

Incidentally, if anyone is curious enough to read more about my current travels, I keep a text blog here. I'm not updating that incredibly often (updates come in almost digest-like chunks) but it gives a better picture of what I'm doing and where I'm going from day to day.