Northern Bound

January 22nd, 2010 Eva

It is utterly unbelievable how time flies. Two days ago I sat my last final for the semester, and it feels like it started only a few weeks ago.

In just about three hours, myself and nine other awesome friends are boarding a sleeper train and bound for Harbin, Heilongjiang. Otherwise known as China’s frozen tundra. The premise is to go check out the world famous ice festival, but also on the agenda is to feed a live chicken to Siberian tigers (not my idea…), go ice-sailing, and of course, snap some amazing night photography.

It’s been a rather busy semester for me and hence, I haven’t traveled anywhere in particular. This will be a much needed break, not to mention a reminder of what frostbite feels like.

Now that I’ve managed to get the internet working on my iPhone, I’ll be tweeting photos “live” from the trip (www.twitter.com/evaychan) and maybe even sneak in a blog entry or two.

See you all on the flip side!

Posted in China, General updates, Travel | No Comments »

iPhone 365 project

January 13th, 2010 Eva

I’m really excited to be blogging about this. As part of my new years resolution with photography, I’ve decided to start an iPhone 365 project. Throughout 2010, I will be photographing every day with my iPhone, and posting the results weekly.

I’m excited for this project for a number of reasons.

1. becoming a better photographer. the most basic way to be a better photographer is simply to shoot more. It’s not about buying more gear, learning the lingo or having the best presets, but about taking initiative and simply shooting.

From my corporate days, I learned that goals can’t be big, vague ideas but concrete and quantifiable ones. My goal is to become a better photographer. I intend to do this by shooting every day. Simple.

2. less gear, more brain. my friends have all heard me rant about my biggest photo pet peeve. Well-meaning (or perhaps just polite) people compliment your images by saying “wow! you must have a great camera.” Every time I hear that it’s like a stab in the gut, and in my opinion, akin to saying to someone who’s just made you a home-cooked meal “that was great, you must have amazing pots and pans.”

I suppose I’m on a bit of a crusade (if only to prove to myself) that expensive gear is neither necessary nor sufficient to produce great images.

3. a visual diary. 2010 is going to be an incredible year. I feel it in my bones. It’s a product of where I am in life right now, reaching a crossroads in Beijing and preparing for everything that lies ahead. I can tell you right now that next week I will be here and that is only a tiny snippet of the travels and adventures that lay ahead. Not all in the frozen tundra of course

Without further ado, shots from the first week of 2010!

January 1st, ringing in the new year at the 798 Art District

Despite the modernity and growth, Now and then I’m surprised when I see uber-communist propaganda, like on the subway.

Some artsy iPhone photography as I freeze my fingers off  in the worst snowfall in 60 years. (And then biking through this the next day)

Compilation of head shots of my classmates this semester, a farewell gift for our favorite teacher

Two years after leaving New York, I find myself at Central Perk.. circa ’90s Friends.

Franklin! My friends’ pet turtle

The final product. I thought our teacher was going to die from squealing. She is fond of calling us 可爱的高级班 or “the cutest (upper level) class”. Written on the board is the translation in all the languages our classmates speak

Anyone else starting a 365? Drop me a line!

Posted in China, General updates, Personal, iPhone photos | 1 Comment »

Hello, 2010

January 10th, 2010 Eva

It inevitably happens. The holidays roll around and my usually hectic schedule goes haywire and all my good intentions on blogging have suddenly gone out of the window.

I hope your holidays were full of much joy and laughter. Here in Beijing, Christmas felt like an incredibly remote concept – which can be a good thing in the sense that we’re rather far removed from the commercialism of the season, but I couldn’t help but miss the sound of jingle bells and carols at each street corner. I thus took it upon myself to bring Christmas to the capital of communist China. (With some help from friends, naturally)

On a particularly frigid Christmas eve, I found myself biking to a nearby English speaking church for a “candlelight” service. “Candlelight” in the sense that the flames were little pieces of yellow paper cut in the shape of a flame and stuck to the top of a candle. Props to the church for getting around the minor issue of the building’s fire safety code

The next morning, it was straight to the kitchen for me. It wasn’t that I needed to spend an entire day slaving away, but rather  all I had at my disposal was two stove burners, a toaster oven and a rice cooker. I must say I’m rather proud of the fact that we had a ton of food including three pies, and plenty of left overs (I might have gone overboard just a tad..)

Here’s a home-grown Martha Stewart tip for you all from yours truly: if you want mulled apple cider and cheese cloth or spice sachets are unavailable, simply buy a bunch of tea bags, dump out the contents (saving the tea bag itself), replace with desired spices and staple closed. Then mull your juice or wine with a few slices of citrus fruits as before. Voila. Truly necessity is the mother of invention.

We packed a ton of people in to my modest-sized apartment and had an absolute blast. The highlight was undoubtedly my friends Simon and Eric who played guitar and led us in an awesome round of Christmas Carols (Simon even dressed up as Santa!)

And lo, there was much rejoicing and stealing of presents at the white elephant gift exchange.

For New Year’s, we hit the town. First at an amazing meal of unending meat at Brazilian barbecue and then a masquerade party at an amazing restaurant/lounge/club designed by Philippe Stark. Lan is a cross between Alice in Wonderland meets the Matrix, 100% jaw-dropping. I had gotten it into my head that I would stay up all night and commemorate the dawn of a new decade by watching the sunrise at Tiananmen. After our stop at the 798 Art District, where more celebrations were under way, I really didn’t think I’d make it. I remember having my eyelids pried open by Simon and my halfhearted attempt to swat him. But we finally did it. As a new decade broke, I was standing in the world’s largest public square, taking it all in.

Somehow I imagined it would be completely empty and I could stand in the middle of it and contemplate what 2010 and beyond held in store for me. I would breathe in the frigid northern air and exhale the remainders of 2009. All the things I’d achieved and the things that I hadn’t, and make my peace with the present. I had completely forgotten about the daily flag raising ceremony and that the square would be full of Chinese patriots. It was quite the sight indeed. The flag raising itself was perhaps way too hyped up. From where I stood, it looked more like a limp red cloth that an invisible hand was trying to polish the flag pole with. But for the new year, they released hundreds of doves that flocked around the square. Now that was quite a marvel to see.

So here we are, 2010. I go back and forth about the futility of making New Years resolutions, but this year I am full of great expectations. Perhaps it’s being in a totally different environment at the crossroads of life, but it’s given me a great sense of clarity on where I want to be standing the next decade. Or at least, where I think I want things to be heading.

Happy Belated New Year! How were your holidays? Any resolutions to speak of?

Posted in China, General updates, Personal | No Comments »

Beijing through an iPhone (redux)

December 20th, 2009 Eva

A while back I started capturing images from Beijing via my iPhone. Even though my Kalashnikov (my SLR) is my third hand, I don’t always have it on me. Enter the iPhone. It’s like a hidden pistol you surreptitiously sneak into a masked ball while on an under cover assignment. (Ok, maybe that’s a *bit* of a stretch)

I’ve decided to create a project based upon this tool. Much of this is inspired by Chase Jarvis’ use of the iPhone as a photographic medium. I truly believe that a photographer shouldn’t be defined by what they use. Even a simple point and shoot can produce amazing images.

This will be an on-going project as I finish out my year in Beijing. I want to capture more of the every day, the “only in Beijing” moments, and document some of the sights that have been such an integral part of my life here.

Below is a sample of some of the images. Follow the on-going development on Facebook or “live” on my Twitter feed

Wangfujing, Beijing.

The Man. The Myth. The Legend.

In search of the Beijing Underground City

Window washers in Sanlituen

Elderly Beijingers playing chess on the streets in winter

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Read what I’m reading

December 1st, 2009 Eva

I hope the title of this entry doesn’t come off as overly vain, but for weeks (nay, months) I’ve been trying to think of a way of showcasing some of the enormous body of inspiration that I have come to rely on for inspiration and learning as a growing photographer. While in high school and college, I took photography classes (mostly to get to use the darkroom) and found that this was a kind of education I couldn’t get in the classroom. Most of what I learned while studying in New York, consisted of hanging out by the local camera store where I became best buddies with one of the staff, an elderly gentleman who took me under his photographic wing. Vance taught me everything I knew about lighting, working with models, and learning to see the image in my mind before clicking the shutter. That is, until I started tapping into teh intarweb for this stuff.

Since then, I can honestly say my photography has grown by leaps and bounds. Part of it is seriously studying other photographers’ work. Sometimes I’ll see images that blow my mind and challenge preconceived notions of art or push me (sometimes in envy!) to strive towards a higher standard, and to not be so easily satisfied with my work. I read voraciously and track on average at least 30 prolific photographers, who blog about their latest work, inspiration and photographic techniques, among others.

I use Google Reader as an RSS aggregator and recently figured out how to create (an RSS) page to hi-light specific articles I want to share. Pros: I don’t spam peoples’ inbox, you get to opt out with privacy, and you get all the low-down from yours truly. Cons:…. I can’t think of any.

If you have an RSS reader, you can add it to your reading list. Otherwise you can just check back periodically for updates like a regular blog. Heck, you can even add comments!

Most of what I’ll be sharing is photography related (from my reading list at large). I can’t guarantee that it will be all that’s there though There might be the occasional news/economics article, possibly a geeky one on the newest gadget I’m drooling over.. but by and large, it’ll be photo-inspiration worthy.

My RSS page
OR
add me at http://www.google.com/reader/shared/eva.y.chan

Posted in General updates, Inspiration, Resources | No Comments »

help portrait

November 29th, 2009 Eva

I came across this great project called Help Portrait recently through Chase Jarvis’ twitter and thought I would share it with my fellow photographers.

Photography has become one of my life’s biggest passions. In my travels, it is a tool that I use to capture stories, but it’s also become a means of bridging language and cultural divides, and a way to give a voice to someone on a totally different platform. I am constantly amazed by the transformation that happens with a subject in front of a lens, and marvel at the stories that unfold because I stopped to take a second look at someone. I’m not idealistically saying that photography alone can change the world. But I think it’s important to use whatever gifts we have to make a difference.

I hope this inspires you.

Posted in Inspiration, Resources, video/slideshow | 2 Comments »

Berlin Wall

November 11th, 2009 Eva

Some interesting links as follow up on my last post the fall of the Berlin Wall:

Berlin Twitter Wall what netizens world wide are writing on the “wall”

Keep Calm and Carry On
Economist article on the fall of the Berlin Wall, it’s impact on China, and Obama’s visit this week.

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Snow Day!

November 10th, 2009 Eva

I learned something new today. It is utterly impossible to cycle over 6 inches of snow.

Napoleon was right when he described the might of China as a sleeping dragon. But little did he know, that also included the ability to control the weather as well. Thanks to the Central Government’s cloud seeding efforts and an unexpected cold front, Beijing has been intermittently blanketed by snow. The oddest thing isn’t just the six inches of snow, but that a day or two later, melts to reveal green grass, piles of autumn leaves and occasional bouts of sunshine. It’s all four seasons in a week!

For those not quite familiar with Beijing, the city is notorious for being extremely dry. Rain, let alone snow is incredibly rare. I can’t even imagine what kind of ecological ramifications this has on the country.

Wading through a snow drift to unlock my bike. Thankfully, mine was mostly sheltered.

Tsinghua University, in front of the main hall

Check out that snowman.. it’s easily 7 feet tall!

Feels like Christmas already

I love how creative students on campus get This was right outside the building where I have all my classes. All the hardworking Chinese students turn into kids whenever it snows

On a different note, yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. One of the most iconic moments signaling the end of the Cold War and the end of Communism in Europe. The BBC has been pod casting various interviews and commentaries reflecting on the anniversary, and as I listened (while milling about getting ready for class), I couldn’t help but remark at where we are today. Communism is over in Europe, but there still remains an Eastern Bloc. It may be a unique blend of economic liberalism, but the core of the political infrastructure remains undoubtedly a one-party state. There are restrictions in almost every important aspect of life: freedom of expression, the right to assembly, even individual reproductive rights. To someone who is raised in a world where the word freedom is almost a political battle cry – the contrast of living within the current confines are startling.

It is twenty years after the fall of the wall, and yet from inside China, we are still behind a one. One very much in alive and kicking. And if you ever needed an example of the sheer power it wrests, just look at the weather.

Posted in China, General updates, iPhone photos | No Comments »

Lightroom 3 (beta)

October 29th, 2009 Eva

As I type this, I’m downloading the beta version of Lightroom 3.

For the past year or so, Lightroom has been my primary workflow tool and I truly wonder how I’ve managed before it. If you own or use a DSLR in any capacity, Lightroom is a must-have. I would even argue that it’s a must-have for amateur photographers, because at least in my experience, it helped me think of my photographs globally as a complete collection of work. Managing my images before hand was a nightmare of sifting through files, naming and cataloging, and then importing into Photoshop and out.

This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive post about Lightroom, but here’s a few reasons why I’m totally in love:

1. great way to catalog and manage images
2. photo editing distilled into exactly what a photographer needs
3. work flow tool to grow on, and start thinking about images beyond amateur
4. seamless integration with Photoshop
5. non-destructive editing (i.e. changes are made only when you export – your RAW files always remain in-tact)
6. seemingly unlimited resources on learning how to use it better

.. and so on.

But here’s why I’m excited about the release I just read about:

1. integration with Flickr and other photo-sharing sites
2. new vignette options in develop module, smoother grain, and other goodies
3. advanced output options to create slideshows
4. ability to import videos

This release will be available until April 2010, once Adobe 3 is shipped. Installing it won’t import your catalogs and thus, it will work alongside your existing version. It also means you’ll have to re-install and purchase the new version once it becomes available. BUT, it looks like it’s really worth checking out Get yours here.

More to come.. once I fiddle around with my new toy.

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culture crab

October 21st, 2009 Eva

Above is an iPhone photo of a questionnaire I was recently given, which is supposed to help a facility improve its teaching and approach to students. At first, it looked harmless enough.. where have you been in China, what is your language proficiency.. etc. And then the questions got… stranger.

What is your attitude towards Chinese people? Four answer choices given: admiration, contempt, envy, pity.

Please rate the following statements according to the scale (how much you agree):

1. I am certain that I can produce novel and appropriate ideas.
2. The people in this country can handle whatever comes their way
3. I like to live close to my good friends
4. Aging parents should live at home with their children
5. Children should live with their parents until they get married.

… and so on.

Along with 30 or so questions on (a foreigner’s) opinions on the individual characteristics of Chinese people, in four different formats.

I really had to stretch my imagination on how any of these answers would help an institution tailor its teaching towards international students. Especially my personal favorite – the question on whether parents have the right to feel honored if their child wins the the Nobel Prize, pictured above.

Parents?? Let’s not forget that most of America (and albeit, the world) is still flabbergasted by the latest Nobel Prize winner. I don’t think anyone’s given any serious thought to whether his parents have the right to feel honored.

I would be remiss to make a mountain out of this molehill, but this was one of the daily reminders of the various culture shock(s) one is bound to face while living in China. I have long since come to the terms with being a global mutt. There are some serious perks. But then again, you’ll forever be standing in the divide between the nations of your birth, youth, and influence. Being asked these questions, however impersonally and far-removed, made me realize how stark the difference in thinking between the country of my ethnicity… and everything else that has been influential.

To put it in broader strokes, I forget how important image is in China, once I get accustomed to the day-to-day details of living here. What foreigners think really seems to matter. This is what drives the censorship, which makes educational surveys come off as something entirely in it’s own category, and why there is no Freedom of Youtube. If I could write my own charter on the universal rights and freedoms of the intar-web, freedom of Youtube would definitely be one of the first articles. Broadly interpreted as the right to access what’s blocked by the Great Wall.

But on a more cheery note, I bring you another iPhone picture, as part of my chronicles of the mundane that I find hilariously interesting.

There you have it. A scene which perfectly expresses what I am feeling this particular day. I snapped this picture while grocery shopping this evening – a lone little crab, who had somehow managed to scramble out of the crowded tank, holding on by a claw – TO FREEDOM.

Posted in China, General updates, iPhone photos | 1 Comment »