Greetings to the China in Focus group!
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!
Hi there! Getting close now and both Jayne and I are looking forward to this great trip! So many expected fantastic photo treats! As to photo gear I will be taking a Nikon D700 & D300 with a 16-35mm, 24-85mm & 70-200mm lenses, tripod with polariser and ND filters! Hope this with a Canon S90 might be sufficient! (My poor aching back).
Jayne is not really into photography but will be taking a Nikon D5000 with 18-200mm lens and possibly a video camcorder! However she is beginning to get the photo bug and wants to take a tripod too!!!
Always enjoyed taking photographs, but have always thought I take snaps more than photographs so am looking forward to getting advise from our accomplished professionals!!
We have both done a lot of underwater photos, and for that I have a Nikon D80 with Ikelite housing and strobe and Jayne a Nikon D70 and this is our first non diving holiday for years so a bit different to be always breathing air that is not bottled.
Look forward to meeting you all and hope you can put up with me!!!
- oh and by the way at the risk of getting a thump I won’t divulge that on Oct 7th it’s Jayne’s birthday and our wedding anniversry!
Hi Peter and Jayne – good to hear from you! It sounds as if you should be covered for all eventualities with your range of lenses – and I know what you mean about the aching back! I’m a Nikon person too, and I’ll be taking my D2x with a D70 as a back up. I haven’t finalised my choice of lenses yet – I will have to weigh them all and then make some difficult decisions!
Your underwater photography sounds fascinating, I’ll look forward to hearing more about that, and to meeting you both soon!
Hi there! My wife maggie and I are both very much looking forward to the China in Focus trip and I have been spending our recently acquired pensions on buying some gear to take. We will have a Canon 7D, 16-35, 24-105 & 75-300 lenses with polarising filters and a compact Canon Ixus, plus a light tripod. Originally, I wasn’t planning to bring my flashgun but noticed it was on the list so I guess I’ll take the extra weight! We are definitely looking forward to having some advice about capturing good images and gaining from the whole china experience, this being our first time.
I thought I had better mention that I know very little about photography and that the compact Canon Ixus is mine, the rest is Tony’s! I am looking forward to seeing all the sights and hopefully I will learn more about photography as we go along.
Hi! My wife Maggie and I are very much looking forward to this trip and learning more about taking good photos. We will be bringing a Canon 7D with 16-35mm, 24-105mm and 70-300mm lenses, all with C polarising filters. We’ll also bring a Canon Ixus. I think my tripod will be light enough to carry but originally I didn’t intend to bring the flashgun but after seeing the advice, I think I will. I am resolved not to miss out on the sights by just looking through the viewfinder all the time, however! Tony
I thought I had better mention that I know very little about photography and that the compact Canon Ixus is mine, the rest is Tony’s! I am looking forward to seeing all the sights and hopefully I will learn more about photography as we go along. Maggie
We are both looking forward to meeting you all
Hi Tony and Maggie – lovely to hear from you! It certainly sounds as if you’ll be covered for all eventualities on the equipment front – and I absolutely take your point Tony about really seeing the sights as well as photographing them. Looking forward to meeting you both soon!
Thank you to everyone for the equipment information. We will have an interesting range of kit between us!
We’ll have to track down Chinese champagne for your celebrations on Oct 7th Peter and Jayne! I know for sure that we have at least two birthdays to celebrate on our trip.
I completely agree with your comment Tony, that we must not miss the real sights of China by being glued to our viewfinders all the time. As much as anything we are there for the experience and a great holiday.
Look forward to seeing you all.
Hi there! It’s me again!!! Well two more weeks to go before our fabulous trip and two weeks of numbers 16 & 42 with a portion of spare ribs!!!!!
But the closer we get the more I am finding “Well of course I can’t do without my macro lens and can’t do without a couple of primes” – my good lady Jayne though thumped me again saying she draws the line at me wanting to take a portable studio lamp & battery!!!!
- got to get the Cormorant fisherman lighted correctly says I innocently, but she thinks I just want to set up stall making a few chinese coins doing on the spot portraits for the locals to pay for the trip!!!!
Seriously, we are both really looking forward to the trip and I admit I have decided to take a 105mm macro lens after getting Sue’s fabulous book! (Hoping to get a few macro tips there!).
Not sure what I am really looking forward to as the highlight though, we will see some fabulous sights in Beijing, Xian etc and the Panda’s will provide some great photos but I also love the wonderful photos that can be obtained in the streets of everyday chinese life that compares to our own, people going about day to day life provide an insight and balance into our own lives!
So really looking forward to meeting you all and hope to make good lasting friendships with not only our fellow travellers but also with some of our chinese contacts and locals!
Hi there Peter! Yes, not long to go now – I’m getting very excited! I’ve just spent the last hour cleaning my camera gear to make sure there were no grains of sand after my trip to Greece a couple of weeks ago – whilst there I was unexpectedly asked to photograph a wedding, with photos of the happy couple beforehand on the beach – very beautiful, but all that sand and sea salt is not very camera-friendly!
I’m so pleased you have enjoyed my book, and yes, I will be very happy to talk about macro as much as you like while we’re in China!
See you very soon!
Greetings to all!
The arrival of our trip details this week has finally spurred me on to introduce myself here. Briefly – I live in East Lothian, along the coast from Edinburgh.Over the past couple of months I’ve retired, moved house and coped with the annual influx of friends and relatives here for the Festivals…and I’m really looking forward to this holiday. I’ve always enjoyed taking photographs, particularly of children and wildlife (Some might consider these just one category!). I’ve had a bridge camera for a couple of years (Panasonic Lumix FZ-8) and, as far as DSLRs are concerned, I’m a newbie. However, retirement gifts included a Canon EOS 500D, tripod and telefoto lens. I’ve also invested in a small compact (CANON Ixus 130). I now have one week before the off to get to grips with all of this. So, lots of new learning to look forward to.
Finally, I’ve opted to share…so, if my room mate reads this, it would be good to hear from you. Also, I’m flying from Glasgow via Dubai….Dep. Glasgow on Sep 26 at 14.15, arr. Dubai 00.30, dep. 02.50, arr Shanghai 15.30. Anyone else on the same flights?
Hi there once again,
- just spent the day getting organized, seems strange that there is only a week to go after booking it so long ago! But then time stands still for no one! Anyway, had to go and buy a suitcase this weekend as all our cases are dive bags with fin pockets etc and I am not diving the River Li!!!!!
- but after sorting out what I was going to take – yep you guessed it – Jayne gave me another thump, saying I cannot take the kitchen sink!!!
– just because I had laid out only a few more ever so essential lenses and a couple of flash guns, she said we are all going to look like a group of Japanese tourists already without me standing out like a photography Christmas tree!!!
- But seriously, we all know it’s not the equipment that makes the photograph but the mind behind the shutter finger that produces the stunning shot and I am sure there will be lots of our fellow photographers who will capture the scene, the mood or the moment with such finesse that I will skulk away in shame blaming camera failure not recording my photos so I will not embarrass myself with my lowly efforts! But in all honesty, from the whole trip I only really want one photograph, good or bad, but it will be mine. I can frame it, put it on the wall and in future years look at it, because a personal displayed photograph is a time machine enabling you to travel back to the moment of it’s capture and see again the wonderful sights and re-live the experience in your mind and remind you of the time when new friendships are forged – or in my case when I caused you all to bury your head in your hands and say “who is this guy and what did we do wrong to have to be lumbered with him!!!”
- see you all next week!!!!
Hi Jennifer!
- We are also on the Dubai to Shanghai flight with you!!!
but flying from Manchester to Dubai first!
Anyway we will probably see each other wandering around Dubai airport duty free – I will be probably eyeing up the cameras and Jayne the make-up!!!
email address is pcbraddock@gmail.com or jaynebraddock@gmail.com
Look forward to seeing you!!!
Hi Jennifer – good to hear from you! And hi again to Peter – I enjoyed the latest instalment of the packing debates in the Braddock household!
I will also be on the same flight from Dubai, as will John Humphrey and his wife Jenny. So as you say, no doubt we will all identify each other in the airport – it’s always easy to spot other photographers bowed down by the weight of their camera backpacks!
Jennifer, I’m sure you’re going to have a lot of fun with your new equipment, and John is also a Canon user so will be very able to help you out with any equipment queries.
And Peter, I do so much agree with you that it’s the photographer’s eye that really is so much more important than the equipment. And also about getting that one image to bring back that really means something to you and evokes all the memories of the trip. That’s what it’s all about in the end!
See you all in 6 days from now!!!
Sue
Hi Peter….
Thanks for that. I’ll look out for you both in the duty free!Any distinguishing features…apart from the fact that, at that time in the morning, we’ll all be looking fairly knackered?
Thanks too for the email addresses. Mine is;
jennifer.nisbet1@btinternet.com
Hi Peter
I did leave a reply to your message, but it has disappeared!
Will look out for you and Jayne in the Duty Free.
My email address is:
jennifer.nisbet1@btinternet.com
Cheers.
Good to see everyone’s messages. It seems that some of us may well spot each other in Dubai airport – alarmingly my wife Jenny has decided this is the place to buy gold!
In these final days of agonising over what to take/not take, I have decided not to pack the macro lens. Instead I will rely on the surprisingly good close-up capability of my back-up compact camera (Canon S90).
I quite agree with everyone that it’s the eye that counts, not the equipment. Also that one great personal picture is what we’re after – and I’m sure we’ll find it.
See you soon!!
John
Hi Jennifer!
- distingiushing features??? Well I would say what I had wanted to be put on our Wendy Wu name tags – handsome hulk and blonde bombshell for Jayne – but Jayne said I should be honest when describing myself!!!!!
I will email a photo of this happy couple so you can spot us and say hello – or avoid us like the plague!!!!!
See you at the weekend!!!!
Peter
Hello everyone!
I’m Kay from Wendy Wu Tours and I’m really pleased to see the excitement about the tour. Only wish I was coming too!
We are running a competition where the best photo from the tour will win a £200 gift card from Jessop’s – watch this space!
Just wanted to let you know that I will be at London Heathrow airport on Sunday from 11am, in the check in area at Terminal 3. Hope to meet some of you then. I will also be contactable on Sunday on 07984 041625 should you require anything.
All the best,
Kay
Hello all, little miss last minute. com here! I have really enjoyed reading everyone’s messages and am looking forward to meeting you all. I need to put my hand up and confess I know nothing about the the technical side of photography but am a very happy snapper. I had a film camera back in my student days and have until recently been travelling with a point and shoot. I bought a Canon DSLR earlier this year but I am still trying to find my way around it, so I will be picking everyone’s brains to try and learn as much as possible from you all!
I am a single traveller so I may be your room mate Jennifer? I will be flying into Dubai from Gatwick and am due to touch down about 15 minutes before you, I will keep my eays peeled for any Wendy Wu tags but if you see a short redhead that looks lonely it may be me. See you all soon. Sarah
Hi everyone!
- just thought I would put down how fabulous this trip was! Great locations and photographic opportunities! But first and foremost the trip was a true success due to four elements, firstly our professional photographers, John and Sue who I noticed put so much of their time and expertise into helping everyone, without exception, achieve so much from this trip and no matter what time of the day it was or how tired they were – they still gave a first class and understandable level of help to everyone! Secondly, Wendy Wu – a remarkable level of organisation to provide an unbroken seamless flow to the whole China experience. Thirdly, The Group, yes it was a first class bunch of characters who pulled together in the spirit of the Three Musketeers and helped each other and gave so much friendship so freely. BUT most importantly to our National Guide, Jason, who was the cement between the bricks, holding us all together and showing so much concern for our welfare, enjoyment and comfort, that back in the UK I am already thinking in times of stress “Where’s Jason – he’ll sort it out!” A good friend I am really looking forward to meeting again!!!!
So thanks Wendy Wu for this fabulous opportunity and Jayne and I are certainly going to be front runners in any more photographic tours you do – with the help of John, Sue and JASON!!!!!!
Hi Peter!
I’ve been away for a few days photography in Yorkshire, and returned to find your posting on the blog – thank you so much for your kind words, and I’m so glad to hear that you had such a good time on the holiday! I have to echo all your comments about the Wendy Wu organisation which was absolutely first class, and Jason’s excellent care of us all. And one of the things that made the trip so much fun was our fabulous group! Each person was so friendly and outgoing and fun, and as you say there was a fantastic team spirit amongst us. I’m missing all of you already!
Great to have the feedback and to have seen some of the really excellent pictures from the trip. I’m still working on mine! Good luck with the Wendy Wu competition – I think Sue and I are going to have a nearly impossible judging challenge!