*Old Macau*
Fuji x100s
Despite over 100 years of British presence, Hong Kong has very little architecturally that points to Britain. Old Macau on the other hand is an absolute blend of Chinese and Portuguese. Some streets look so Portuguese it’s astounding, especially when the sun is shining like in Lisbon.
*At the Temple Gate*
Fuji x100F
The A-Ma Temple is a wonderful hillside religious complex in Macau, very old and very atmospheric. In front of the Temple gate this old lady was begging and she looked like something out of a folk story with the stone lion on her side…
*The Glitter of the Fake Tower*
Fuji x100F
I love doing long exposure shots and light trails, so when I saw the fake Eiffel tower glittering at night I knew I had to find a spot to do such an exposure. I had to give it six or seven try outs before I got this one (not matter what they say, a gorillapod on a lamppost is not a very stable setup) but I finally got this one and I was happy. Added bonus: unlike photos of the real Eiffel tower lights, this one is probably not illegal.
*Macau from on High*
Fuji x100F
At the top of the Studio City hotel there’s a ferris wheel of sorts actually built into the hotel structure. This is the view from the top of the wheel.
*Crazy Diner*
Fuji x100F
There’s a lot of « fake American » in Asia: things (places, objects, foods) that look superficially American, but are in reality what Asian restaurateurs or entertainers think the American thing is when quite often it’s not. Not necessarily a bad thing, and rather fun provided you don’t expect the real thing. This diner though was so over the top that it made us laugh real hard. Only in Macau.
*Ultraman*
Fuji x100F
Studio City is one of the massive hotel and casino complexes in Macau, this one themed around movies. I was immediately struck by the gigantic statues at the front which made me think at the same time of retro-futurist designs and of a classic comic metropolis. I hope there’s no copyright on Ultraman, but I felt that was a good name for this guy.
*Paris-Venise à Macao*
Fuji x100F
A couple of week-ends ago we went to Macau for the first time. I’d been to Vegas (once) so I kind of new what to expect, at least as far as the kitsch side of Macau was concerned. Still, the clash of the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop to Venetian buildings with tropical greens at the forefront is not something you see everyday!
*Teamwork*
Fuji x100F
Shooting from the hip is hit and miss. In fact, it’s a lot more miss than hit. But when you hit you get photos from an angle you wouldn’t normally get without kneeling, which would be conspicuous, to say the least.
Winter Snacks
Fuji x100F
To me (and probably to most other Europeans) it’s really funny to see, since early October and while it’s still 25-28 degrees outside, these staples of winter appear on the streets: sweet potatoes, chestnuts and what I believe to be quail eggs. I should try all three one day, just to compare with what we get in Europe, but there’s no way I’m eating that in this heat!
Asian Crouch Again
Fuji x100F
I have often talked and illustrated what I (and many others) call the Asian Crouch, this particular waiting posture that you see everywhere in China and in other parts of Asia also. I don’t know what people did when crouching before mobile phones existed, but I know what they do now… Incidentally, this is when I’m really glad I’ve worked on my hip shooting skills. The shot would be entirely different (and less effective in my opinion) at eye level.
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