@jeffwheels, the Chinese see so few foreigners that it's not really too surprising because they simply have never had to deal with this issue. Also, you have to think about the Mao-ear past, when millions were taken away and not seen again. We of course don't have anything to compare that to, so it is difficult to understand. The stories my wife tell about living during the cultural revolution are astounding.


@Ogee... you're my new best friend on this forum. :-)

Thank you, Earnest. I noticed you're an N1 user. Me too. I have the N1AW1 and just love it.

I miss the beach. The water along costal Asia is so polluted, you'd dare not enter it. I lived on the beach in Destin, Florida and got so spoiled. Lucky you. Nice shot as well. I love the color.

I know. It is amazing how humanized these creatures become when you can really look into their eyes. I felt the same when I was doing the post processing on this image.

The Chinese government owns ALL of the world's Pandas. Zoos are charged $1 million dollars a year, with a minimum 10 year contract to display these amazing animals. The money made from these contracts goes directly to supporting the habitat and scientific research needed to preserve these animals, so it's a good thing in my opinion. About an hour and a half bus ride outside of the city of Chengdu, is the national reserve for Pandas. My son and I volunteered for a week of cleaning and caring for these animals (under the supervision of the keeper, of course). We were literally able to hand-feed these bears, which honestly took my breath away. An amazing experience that I will never forget. This is one of the bears that we assisted in keeping. By all means, if you get to China and want an amazing experience, this should be high on your list. Anyway, hope you enjoy this image.

Imagine having no food, no money, no place to live and being so ashamed, you can not even look at the people you are begging to. This is a reality for many here in China and it is a place where there are the "haves", in the background with nice clothes and obviously going on a trip, and the "have nots". I shot this photo and a woman got very angry with me, but as a photojournalist, I feel I am obligated to photograph the things that I feel are compelling and that the world needs to see. This to me, is one of those situations. I also gave him money as well.

Thanks so much, Fred!

OK, and apologies if that came off wrong about simple. I like the background in the new shot, but would still crop vertical. Just above the bottom of the shorts and to the top of the bridge super structure and the width just outside the arms of the couple.

Number 6. A nicely done, peak action shot.

Yup. Lived here for 3 years now and love it. Just FYI, the Chinese love America. In fact the Chinese name for America is "Mi Guwa" (pronounced May Guwa), which translates to "Beautiful Land". Cool, huh?

Lovely scene and good for you for recognizing it. On the first shot, I would crop this vertically with only the palm trees and boat. Will make for a cleaner shot and the palms will balance the boats, compositionally.

Regarding the shot of the couple, I would turn the camera vertical, so that you show more of them and the bridge in the background. It is an interesting backdrop, and you should use it to your advantage. Here, it is cut off and when I look at it, I want to see more. The lighting is good and I like the pose as well. Regarding the 2nd shot, I like the repeating lines and their shape is pleasing to me as well. The shot is a bit busy though. When I teach basic photography to my students, I tell them to show ONE thought in the image. Keep it simple and if there's several "things", make several shots. I also tell them that if I can't look at a photo and tell you exactly what the photo is about in 2 seconds, there's generally too much in the frame. Simplify.

What a stud. Hand holding an 800mm? That is amazing, and the level of sharpness in the image is a testament to your skills. Great shot and a beautiful bird. The Bokeh is really nice, too.

I see these and can hear the Dick Dale riffs clearly. Better shread than dead, right? Nice work. The shot of the lone surfer cutting the wave is exceptional.

Nothing wrong with using your phone. In fact, many colleges are teaching their photojournalism students how to get the most out of a phone camera. I have an iPhone X and the quality of the images is pretty nice, and if you understand the limitations of the medium, you can capture great images. And the old adage is "The best camera to have is the one you have with you..."