Category Archives: art

Light as an angle.

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Teaching photography tomorrow to Chinese students, I want to introduce right brain thinking and how to use intuition to capture strong images. The one thing needed is an interesting light source. We will be on the prowl for an unusual composition, which others will walk past. Sometimes it is in the detail, the zooming in and finding a design with strong contrast of light and dark. It might be catching someone doing something interesting or humorous without their knowledge. Ann made a comment my photographic angles are getting better. Thanks Ann, I think it is the passion that bubbles within to create a good artistic composition. My friend Bill said my eyes twinkle when I am interested or get excited about something. It must be the light within my soul shining through those blue eyes, creating a genuine sparkle! Once again the passion within. Thanks Bill for the compliment!

I want to enlighten my students on passion and how to use it to create strong art work. Here are photos I think that have that sweet twinkle, a bit of passion, and humor too. Check out those lions! The light within directs the light in a composition. Use it to your advantage.

Zhujiajiao, another Venice?

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A lovely ancient water village in the Qingpu district of Shanghai, Zhujiajiao is a unique city. (pronounced zoo jowl jowl, sort of…) Randy and I spent one full day sightseeing during the spring festival.
Here is a little snip-it of our day. I love finding images of people without their knowledge your taking their picture.

What is your angle?

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Exploring Shanghai I found some interesting pictures, angles of life.

I was thinking about “angles”! An interesting word, with many definitions. How we manipulate one another, “What is your angle?” and “What is the angle of that building?” or “What angle will I shot this picture?” How can I combine all these angles into one blog. Many facets into one.

I asked a question today about angles…on Facebook, and to my co-workers, just to see what responses I would get. Thanks Mike Bell for “Obtuse!” Peter Smith said his angle when it comes to women is to ask, “What is your star sign?” Then there was Joey in “Friends” and his famous “Howww you, do-innn?” in his Bronx voice. Alice said the Chinese angle was for a young man to ask a young woman to borrow her book, then return it with a note inside. The note would say how about going to a film? If he returned the book without a note, guess he wasn’t interested! Poor girl.

My angle or ‘one line’ was never to have one. But by not having one, I have one, no matter. It is like being alone, or lonely or on your own. It is one in the same, like an oxymoron. You don’t have one, you have one.

My artist angle is to zoom in and crop what I like, look for the details. Are you what I like? Let me adjust my aperture and decide on my angle! Click! Nice shot! I like this one.

For Jess, Randy’s gal!

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Randy the other Beatle……. trying on wigs in the market…. hee hee

Photo shots of just Randy and Susan… Jess this is for you! Hugs……
My favorite is this one of Randy walking away!

Shanghai Zoo, pandas and lions, me and Randy

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Where to start! Shanghai Zoo! Panda bears, oh my gosh…. cutest things ever, I wanted to take one home. How many people own pandas….? Only the Chinese government. But I see why they are precious. So here are photos from the the zoo with my son Randy.


Okay the male lion was trying to get some from his harem… She wouldn’t him. Too Funny! He had three lionesses and they just blew him off. Such is the life of a male bubba lion! HA!

Happy Chinese New Year or Xin Nian Kuai Le

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It is 9 pm and you would think bombs were going off in Nanjing to celebrate the year of the rabbit.

Dinner was great with my colleagues.  I took the metro and bus back to my apartment.  Although I still had to walk three blocks, the entire way I dodged fireworks.  Just imagine you are in New York City, only four times the size and every 3rd store, someone is out front lighting fireworks, roman candles and any thing that goes boom, buzz, whiz, and bang!  I was running around them, put my hat on, didn’t know if they would blow up over my head.  The amount of red paper trash and ash is unbelievable.  Andy, Casey,  Randy, Sam where are you, we could go shoot  bottle rockets off the roof of my apartment?  It’s legal!

I did get a Chinese text today from the government to be careful and not start a fire with fireworks.  My neighbor read it to me!  This is the best fire works show ever.  It is non-stop.  Everywhere I look there are fireworks.  This is better than any fireworks show CCCCD ever had!  One gigantic roman candle just exploded right out my bed room window.  I was like all over it, hanging out my balcony window.

Now it is 12:30 and it is still going.  At midnight it was like a war!  My apartment complex set off  those giant exploding dandelion-like balls in the courtyard which shot up to my 28th floor and exploded only ten feet from my glass enclosed balcony.  The sound was deafening, the smell like an arsenal went off and the entire building shook.  I loved it!  Now the town is filled with smoke, car alarms are going off, I hear an ambulance  and I just saw a fire truck rush by.  This was the best Chinese New Year’s ever.

Snow on plum blossoms, an auspicious omen

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Plum Blossoms in the winter snow, an auspicious Chinese omen.  Have you ever seen flowers bloom in the winter?  I must admit this is a first for me.  These lovely blooms I photographed today on campus after the snowfall.  In China this is one of the “Four Gentlemen”  or one of the four plants that represent the four seasons in Chinese tradition ink wash art.  The plum blossom represents winter, the orchid for spring, the chrysanthemum  for autumn, and the bamboo for summer.

I photographed bamboo from Tonglu and chrysanthemums from a traditional Chinese ink painting a 16 year old student created.  Now I need to find orchids!  My spring quest!  I am so ready for spring.  Today was the end of our fall semester.  What is spring festival?  I am about to find out.

Chinese Medicine or was that marijuana I smell?

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My experience with Chinese Medicine has been a humorous encounter!

As an American our standards are just entirely different than the Chinese.  The traditional basic Chinese customs are fresh air is a must, even if it is below freezing.  One should open a window and let the cool air in.  Hot water is drank all the time, no ice and no cold water.  One must wear many layers of clothes and jackets pretty much all the time.  Of course if you are into the “fresh air belief” your home will be as cold as it is outside, therefore  jackets are worn in the house.  Surgical masks are worn by a majority of the people on the street.  Is it a fashion statement or is it to stay well?  I just bought one to keep my nose warm when I bike in 23 degree weather.  Mine has words on it– “Not Paranoid!”  One is allowed to cough, hock up a loogie and spit it on the street, or in your hand and then flick it on the road. One must always watch where one walks.  Kleenex tissues, impossible to find in the store are not used by the Chinese.  I have pockets full.

My wonderful Chinese neighbor brought me some throat lozenges to help my sore throat.  They are pink, round and chalky.  I tried one of these “Watermelon Frost” tablets as it was titled in English.  As fast as it went in my month, hit my tongue I expelled it!  The taste was that of Lysol!  I don’t want to disinfect my month but soothe it.  Last week I walked into our library to smell marijuana wafting throughout the room.  I saw the librarian holding a white cigar lit stick, in front of the heater letting the blowing air dissipate the smoke.  I asked, “What in the world are you doing with a huge doobie?”   She said it was Chinese Medicine to ward off the flu virus we all have.  I have news for you it may not get rid of the flu, but no one will care in an hour or so.  Someone needs to tell me, is hemp legal here?