Hello! Just to say how much I am looking forward to meeting you all in China, on what promises to be a truly fabulous holiday.

I will be buying extra memory cards in the expectation of lots of amazing photo opportunities, and I’m particularly looking forward to some wonderfully atmospheric landscapes – and to our shoot with a cormorant fisherman on the Li River.

I do rather like using a tripod, not just to avoid camera shake but so that I can really fine-tune my compositions, so I will probably pack my (rather heavy!) tripod in my suitcase and just make do with a very small selection of clothes for the trip!

Like John, I’ll be keen to hear about everyone’s photographic hopes and preferences!