Mike's Right Brain

Jump now!

]]> Capture Date/Time:July 1, 2010 4:03 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f4 | 1/2000
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO: 200
Flash: none

A posed shot? Yes of course. The boys were exhausted after a few hours at the beach yesterday, but with the last bit of energy they had they gave it their all. The sun started to turn orange behind me on the other side of the island and things started glowing, so of course I said "Oh the lighting is perfect now; stop playing so I can take this shot!" They are so used to me saying that by now...

Chasing the Doughnut

]]> Capture Date/Time:June 28, 2010 4:45 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 8 | 1/3200
Focal Length: 180 mm
ISO: 200
Flash: none

Well, after several continued adventures, including another trip to China, I'm back! Here's a photo from Topsail Beach, North Carolina, our usual haunt. We were hanging out at a friend's oceanfront house on a beautiful afternoon, watching the kids hang out on this stretch of beach. My youngest here lost control of his inner tube and the brisk wind (about 30mph) took it away from him. He had to chase that thing about quarter mile before he caught it!

Elections on Jolo

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 29, 2010 11:45 am
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 5.6 | 1/2000
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO: 1000
Flash: none

Several people told us that it was not a good time to go to the Philippines because it was election time. Elections there take place every three years, and posters of the candidates are plastered absolutely everywhere. One thing is for sure... whomever is printing these posters (they all look like they were designed at the same place) is making a ton of money.

Arrival in Jolo Sulu

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 29, 2010 11:30 am
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 7.1 | 1/200
Focal Length: 150 mm
ISO: 1000
Flash: none

A shot of downtown Jolo, Sulu as we were landing yesterday. People in the town were gathering for a rally for the upcoming provincial elections.

Zamboanga

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 28, 2010 12:30 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 5.6 | 1/1000
Focal Length: 36 mm
ISO: 640
Flash: none

We landed in Zamboanga on Sunday morning. I haven't had time to process a decent shot from Zamboanga yet, but I will after I have had time to look through them. We hung out at my aunt's house all day after we arrived, and lots of kids of numerous cousins came by to play. My kids had no problem relating to the fun and fitting right in, despite the language barrier. They also loved drinking soda out of these bottles.

Photo Submission

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 27, 2010 4:05 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 4 | 1/200
Focal Length: 28 mm
ISO: 200
Flash: none

One more shot from my family near Xiamen. Here's my cousin-in-law reviewing the photos of them taken that day. A couple of minutes after this shot was taken, the whole clan was back there looking at the 3-inch viewscreen. I wish I had a small portable printer with me to instantly print a stack of photos to leave there with them instead of sending them later. Next time.

Four Brothers

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 27, 2010 2:10 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 5.6 | 1/320
Focal Length: 30 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: none

Here's the front door to the house in the village. Four brothers in age order, left to right (my uncles), and their mother (my great aunt I suppose), who is nearly 90. The little one in red is the youngest in this particular clan of more than 40 cousins and second cousins that were there to greet us when we arrived. What an amazing day this was; it was so good to see them all again so soon. That's my mom on the right.

Xiamen Tea

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 27, 2010 2:34 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 5.6 | 1/60
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO:2000
Flash: none

We traveled today to the hometown of my grandfather in a small village outside of Xiamen. I was here a couple of years ago, and it was fantastic to come back again, this time with my family. While this food-like shot does not show the wonderful people in this distant part of my family, it does symbolize our visits here. These are small sip cups of Xiamen tea, which tastes very different from tea I've had anywhere else in the U.S. or in China. The simple ceremony of it is calming and hypnotic: filling a small covered cup to the top with fresh tea leaves, dumping the first hot water out, stirring the leaves with the lid, and then pouring into the little cups on an ornamented drainboard. All the while having conversation around the table. The tea tastes very light and very fresh, and the little cups (that hold about 1/3 of a shot glass) make you have to repeat the process over and over. This little ceremony was repeated several times in the many houses we visited yesterday.

From The Peak

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 26, 2010 1:05 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 9 | 1/500
Focal Length: 10.5 mm
ISO: 250
Flash: none

Here's a shot from the peak with my hands over my head, looking down over the rest of Gulangyu and the surrounding city of Xiamen. Not a lot of room up there!

Gulangyu Peak

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 26, 2010 12:52 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 9 | 1/800
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: none

Here's a view of the peak on the rocks, the highest point on Gulangyu, as I am making my way up there with the family. I am horridly afraid of heights, so this was a challenge for me.

Gulangyu

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 26, 2010 12:33 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 5.6 | 1/1600
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: none

We arrived in Xiamen, Fujian Province yesterday morning. The city is beautiful and the weather warm. We toured the resort island of Gulangyu, which is just off the coast of the bay here, a few minutes away by ferry. The island is also called "Piano Island" because of the numerous pianos that used to be owned by the various homeowners. Supposedly you could hear the pianos playing on the island from across the bay. This is my son modifying one of the many huge rock formations there.

Goodbye Beijing

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 26, 2010 7:12 am
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 4.5 | 1/1600
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO: 400
Flash: none

Waiting on the curb at the Beijing Airport for help with our luggage at dawn, the sun caught the dome of the roof of one of the airport terminal buildings. Pretty cool architecture on this huge structure, which was built for the Olympics a couple of years ago.

Night Market Wangfujing

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 25, 2010 7:15 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 2.8 | 1/80
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 1250
Flash: none

Our last night in Beijing, we walked through the rain to the famous Wangfujing Night Market just a few steps from our hotel. This is a brightly lit and lively row of food stalls selling everything from fresh fruit dipped in clear molten sugar to live scorpions on sticks. I think every food magazine and "Can You Believe I Ate This?" reality show has been here. But there is nothing like the noise of the shouting sellers, the sizzling sound of the cooking, the wonderful smell of the food, and of course the color of the neon and lanterns. To me, the rain was a great touch.

Stuff For Sale

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 25, 2010 3:14 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 7.1 | 1/120
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 2000
Flash: none

A shot from a stall in the Wangfujing shopping district just a couple of blocks from our hotel. There are a ton of these stalls around selling all kinds of stuff. My kids were prime targets, and some of the sellers were pulling them toward their stalls and inviting them to "buy whatever they wanted." The array was wonderous.

Beijing Hotpot

]]> Capture Date/Time:March 23, 2010 8:10 pm
Aperture/Shutter Speed:f 2.8 | 1/60
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 2000
Flash: none

Although "Beijing Hot Pot" restaurants are everywhere here in Beijing, this more modern hotpot restaurant is my favorite. I came here with my mom just before the Olympics and other hot pot places I have tried since then have not been nearly as good. Tian Di Yi Jia near the Forbidden City gets four stars from me! Although the kids were still fighting jetlag and we literally had to take a jog around the building a few times to keep them awake through dinner.