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InstantLondon – Marble Arch
Tag: London
InstantLondon – Oxford Circus
Sit, Boo Boo, Sit.
Crouching Lion, Hidden Snake
It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve today and I ventured into the most obvious place in the city to see if I could photograph some festivities relating to the welcoming of the Snake year, London’s Chinatown. Not a slither. No Snake paper dolls, no cheap and nasty rubber toy Snakes, no Snake-shaped balloons, not even a Snakes and Ladders board game in sight. I guess, realistically speaking, the Chinese hate snakes as do most people. However, there were lots of Dragon symbols and toys selling like hotcakes in the gift stores. I guess a Dragon is a sort of snake with legs, both belonging to the reptile world. And Lions strutting to the beat.
Window undressing
What a difference a day makes
Yesterday was a frosty morning, and I made the above photograph at Wimbledon Common with dog walkers and golfers enjoying a chilly outing. The air was crisp and the sky clear but very, very cold. This morning, a huge snow front blanketed the entire UK, and dropped over 4 to 5 inches of snow in blizzard conditions. The British Isles is known for it’s wet weather, so it was a respite from the rain, but when the snow thaws, that will cause another bout of flooding.
The Garden within
Review 2012 : My Top 20
As we approach the end of 2012, at the cusp of a new year, I always look back through the months to review the images that I have taken to see what has transpired photographically for me, personally. I have selected 20 instead of 15 in 2011, having taken more images this year. I am currently working on a series which I will announce perhaps in the new year, but still lacking in numbers for now, so it is shelved until Spring comes round. Commonscapes, a series of landscapes photographed in close by Wimbledon Common was started when I discovered that I actually like walking, (and contemplating) with dog in tow. I can see myself shooting MF not too long. If only there was a digital square medium format camera to use which doesn’t cost the Earth and more.
Photography today more than ever, takes on a new meaning for me. I still like shooting street images, but because I have seen so many street images that lack intent and story lately, I focus now more on humour and irony rather than drama and contrasts. I go through phases in my photography, like reading books. I am into crime novels at the moment.
2012 has been a challenge in many respects, what, with the rise in prominence of Instagram and smartphone images to a new level, and the slow death of DSLRs caused by the onslaught of compact interchangeable lens formats, will surely be an interesting story to follow. Now that more and more photographers are composing through LCD screens rather than viewfinders, it would be worthwhile to examine if there are any compositional differences that may be gauged collectively in the kind and style of images that are produced throughout the world.
Here are my Top 20 for 2012 :
1. Chinese tourists on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral, London
2. Height of Summer, Hyde Park, London
3. Orang Asli mother and her children, ‘Magick River’, Perak, Malaysia
4. By ‘Magick River’, Perak, Malaysia
5. Butcher, ‘Little Burma’, Kuala Lumpur
6. Cult revelers, Notting Hill Carnival, London
7. Street pose, Notting Hill Carnival, London
8. Christmas display, Kuala Lumpur
9. Waiters waiting, San Marco, Venice
10. Sami, Tunisian, Venice from series Merchants of Venice
11. Wheatfield, Burgundy, France
12. Tourists, Piazza del Campo, Siena, Italy
13. Fairground boy, Wimbledon Common
14. Wild flowers, Tuscany, Italy
15. Dinosaur Coast, Brook Chine, Isle of Wight
16. Wimbledon Common pond, from series Commonscapes
17. Untitled 1 from series Commonscapes
18. Veteran and his medals, Remembrance Sunday, London
19. Winter walkers, Wimbledon Common
20. Volunteer harvester, Bothy Vineyard, Oxford
See my 2011 Review here
Christmas Wishes and Happy Holidays!
Explorenation wishes all our alumni and friends a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
What a year 2012 has been. In February, we took a small group of photographers to cold Venice to photograph the Carnivale. In April, I was back in KL to organise the judging sessions of KL International Photoawards 2012. It was wonderful to meet so many contestants and not forgetting the winners that flew out to KL to receive their awards at The Warehouse Gallery. Then back in Europe, Explorenation had the first of several SlideShare evenings in London. So far this has proved successful and just completed our third event at the Lightgallery in November. In September, Andy and I took a small group to Tuscany for a photo and food tour, sampling some great Italian home cooking, and yes, we took photographs as well.
The Lightgallery is now back online and we had two great shows, with Fernando Perez Fraile selling exceptionally well, finishing off with the ongoing Christmas Print Bazaar. We would like to thank all our alumni, familiar friends and new photographers for all your support, even if you just popped by for a mince pie.
The KL International Photoawards 2013 is now launched, and calling for your entries, so get your photo-head up to speed and head out to shoot those pictures. See you in 2013!
The Chinese are revolting
Saw these four Chinese tourists on the steps on St Pauls the other day, every one a Leica user, all had lens caps on. The revolt is on, Chinese tourists are being wooed and lured to come visit Britain in their thousands to help the British economy out of recession (see here). Since they are also ‘brand’ hunters, the luxury kind, mind you, it was no surprise to see these menfolk with the status Leica cameras hung smartly off their Burberry jackets and Rolex adorned wrists. ~ SL
explorenation.net ~ photography posts, workshops, writings and thoughts by Steven V-L Lee 
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