China – This is Another Story

Lens-Artists Challenge #81: Find Something Red

Published on January 27, 2020January 27, 2020 by Yinglan9 Comments

This week on the Lens-Artist Challenge, we were challenged to “find something red”, which reminded me that it was Chinese New Year this past Saturday and just about everyone I know knows the color red is seen just about everywhere during Chinese New Year – red lantern, lights, red envelopes…

Therefore, I think it’s fitting to see and relive the experience of seeing these colorful lanterns from when I celebrated this holiday in China three years ago.

Location: Zhongshan, China

Lens-Artist Challenge

#AtoZChallenge 2019 – X for Xylograph

Published on April 27, 2019April 25, 2019 by Yinglan2 Comments

Theme: Wordless Photos

Click here to see all the #AtoZChallenge posts so far.

Technical Details

Sony Nex-5T (f/5.6, 35 mm, ISO-3200, 1/60 sec)

For more information about the #AtoZChallenge, check out this link.

Catching people unaware – Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

Published on December 14, 2018December 13, 2018 by Yinglan4 Comments

One way for a landscape photographer to catch people unaware: aim the camera higher than the height the people are standing or you can do what I do – go to a crowded place (like the City of Phoenix in China) and I can guarantee you can catch someone unaware.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

Photo of the Day!

Published on November 27, 2018November 26, 2018 by Yinglan3 Comments

And of course, the trip of the year has to be my second trip to China. Continue reading “Photo of the Day!” →

A Photo a Week Challenge: Gilded

Published on October 8, 2018October 6, 2018 by Yinglan4 Comments

To be honest, I did not think I can come up with pictures for this topic but then, I started looking into my archive and saw these pictures from my trip to Macau earlier this year where I visited a very fancy hotel with lots priceless statues and valuables. Immediately thought of this photo challenge. Here is my selection for this week’s topic of Gilded. Enjoy!

A Photo A Week Challenge

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Lift

Published on August 29, 2018August 28, 2018 by Yinglan6 Comments

Lift can mean a lot of things from a strong man lifting 100 pounds over his head to a simple car ride. For me, the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this topic was the incredibly long cable car ride up Tianmen Mountain and I had the opportunity to be on this ride when I visited Hunan, China in 2017.

The cable car ride was incredibly long – almost 30 minutes. According to Wikipedia, this is the longest cable car in the world with a total length of 24,459 feet (7,455 meters) and 98 cars.

We started in the heart of the city. When I arrived at the station, I remember thinking, where’s the mountain? As I stood in line, I kept staring at the TV, watching a video playing on repeat introducing the breathtaking landscapes of the Tianmen Mountain, feeling disbelief while another part of me was eager to see if all of this was true.

Seriously? This cable car can transport me there?

I thought the city was big but in the cable car, we flew by the city and it seemed like in a blink of an eye, the city disappeared and we were in the mountain. Well, the video didn’t mention the scenery would be changing so quickly. Inside, my disbelief had completely vanished.

As we passed these houses and farming communities, I wondered how these folks get their supplies like toiletry and other hygiene supplies when they are in the middle of the mountain.

When there are people, there bound to be water, right? Well, here’s a reservoir.

As we soared upward, I began to get very dizzy and nauseous, especially when looking upward. Therefore, my aunt and I decided to switch places but it didn’t help at all. If anything, it was worse looking down. In another thought, I can see the city.

So I decided to stand up. Not a good idea to stand in a cable car, by the way, even if you’re small like me. It made me want to throw up even more. It was best to remain seated and enjoy the transitional landscapes of the 30 minutes cable car lift.