nwlynch: @HanDowns eat.

Archive for photography

Two-Ought-Twelve

Dec
30


;

The end, the end is nigh!

Huddle close to fire and watch the embers final light;

Remember the days behind and minutes between;

Follow the rabbit trail into a dream;

Listen, don’t speak, for the final moments are near;

Close your eyes, the end is here.

;

Album on Facebook

Album on Flickr

Onward and Upward!

Categories : photography, writing
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Seven Super Shots

Jun
7

 

As a Texan with an International soul stuck in Arkansas I was challenged by an Arkansan trapped in Madrid to share as what Hostel Bookers called the 7 super shots.  Now I’m not a photographer, nor have I asked people to “like” a photography business on Facebook, but I’ve been a few places and taken a few photos along the way.  Click the photos below for larger images.

However like my estranged Arkansan friend I haven’t always been so good with remembering to take a camera with me.  Here’s a few pictures to keep yourself occupied while I’m gone on another adventure full of planes trains and automobiles.

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Here’s what it is:

Choose seven of your own photos, one for each of the following categories and add a little caption:
  • A photo that…takes my breath away
  • A photo that…makes me laugh or smile
  • A photo that…makes me dream
  • A photo that…makes me think
  • A photo that…makes my mouth water
  • A photo that…tells a story
  • A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

 

A photo that takes my breath away

Uphill Battle

This photo takes my breath away because of the feelings it evokes in me.  I remember watching this woman walk this narrow path in the village and I remember her face as I passed her by.  I took this in a tiny town near the border of China and Myanmar.  I can’t find it on a map to this day. Breath taking because of the realness and power behind it.  Maybe not the best picture, rather grainy and a bit blurry, but nonetheless breathtaking.

yeah

Tiered Fields

A photo that makes me laugh or smile

Neice

It never fails that my nieces make me smile.  They’re two little bundles of joy that changed family holidays for the better and made my sister’s life twice as busy and interesting.  I miss their little faces and how alike they look and how different they are.  They have a little brother on the way which I’m sure they’ll be great sisters for.  However I think my nephew on the way will have his hands full with these two.

Ryliegh & Raegan

Twins?

A photo that makes me dream

Crabtree Falls

Sleeping next to a Waterfall.  Maybe I’m taking the dreaming part too literal.  One evening instead of camping under the stars I chose to camp next to Crabtree Falls in North Carolina.  Every time it rains I close my eyes and try to remember the cool calming feeling of sleeping next to a roaring waterfall.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Looking Out

A photo that makes me think

Hong Kong Alive

One of my favorite memories of wandering around a foreign city was wandering around Hong Kong.  Hong Kong was my first truly foreign city to wander. If you want to know what the future looks like, I’d look to Hong Kong, which is quite easily one of my top 5 cities in the world.  I remember walking around the city, getting lost and finding my way again.

Heart You

Blurry in HK

 

A photo that makes my mouth water

Noodles

鸡蛋炒面 (Ji Dan Chao Mian). Chinese food and warm sprite, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it, but for some reason this meal evokes memories and tingles the taste buds.  I would put a picture of my Dad’s tacos, but I don’t have one.  They don’t stick around long anyways.  However below are some photos of some other delicious items.

Scorpion
Scorpion Cooked

A photo that tells a story

Well, Hotdog

When i think of a story I think of the crazy story.  This little hot dog has one story, the cat in the tree has another.  I collect stories, and each thing in my life keeps those stories attached to them.  So it this hot dog in a phone carrying case in the back seat of a ford explorer have a story to it?  Yes, but that’s one you’ll have to ask for another time, it’s a bit longer than I have time for here.

Bebop & Tree
Incrimination

A photo that I am most proud of 

smoke

Maybe it isn’t the most amazing, but I enjoy it.  Thanks for reading this far.

Another story for another time I suppose.

-NL

Categories : photography, traveling
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Day 52: Mental Photography

Jul
14

You don’t need film.

My final full day in Xi’an started slowly as I didn’t roll out of my bed until 11 am and leave the room till about noon. I guess I was more tired than I thought.

I made a plan to go see the two famous goose pagodas in Xi’an the small one and the big one. I knew some of the history behind one of them, but overall I was just on a “wild goose” chase to see the Wild Goose Pagodas. (I think I’m just beating my dad to the comment section with the Wild Goose chase joke. Pre-emptive jokes are hard to beat)

I was impressed with both of them, but particularly impressed with the mini museum next to the Small Goose Pagoda. The big goose pagoda was quite interesting well. If you’ve heard of Journey to the West a famous Chinese folk tale this pagoda has quite significance to that story. However the highlight of my day was riding a bike around the city wall.

Many Chinese city walls are not intact if even noticeable at all, However they have refurbished and rebuilt an entire portion of the wall in Xi’an. It encircles some of the more Historic parts of the central part of Xi’an. I entered at the South Gate and rented a bike for 20 RMB to ride around the wall.

I started off and it was another hot day in Xi’an. My plan had been to ride the city wall till about nightfall, watch the sunset and take photos along the wall.

I rode around each turn with each bump and hole in the city wall walkway rumbling beneath me as I rode across with the city below me. The bike I was given was not quite the best bike I’ve ever ridden on, in fact it might have been one of the worse, but for 20 RMB I cannot complain too much.

So turning round the east side I felt the sun as it shined in my face and the breeze followed me and kept me cool high above the streets below. I made each subsequent return stopping periodically for a photo and drink of water. I rumbled over to the West gate where the sun had begun to sink low and sky grew darker in the east.

I pulled out my camera to begin to take some photos, but then I stopped.

This trip had been full of finding “that photo” or telling “that story” but I hadn’t just stopped and wondered at the beauty of something. So I did. I put my camera away and put my fingers together as to frame the photo and I flashed in my memory a mental photograph of the sunset.

That moment seemingly simple and perfect left me watching the sunset slowly dip into the west as the breeze blew the beads of sweat on my brow away.

I rode my bike to the end of my journey with the last bits of the sun disappearing behind my back. I turned back as I was looking back at an old memory or an old friend. My western sunset and I were in that moment seeing each other eye to eye and face to face. I’ll always remember it.

A photograph stored away for another day.

~

Photos below are of the small goose pagoda and big goose goose pagoda before and some on the wall before I decided to put away my camera. I know it’s ironic to have photos on a post named mental photography, but I figured you’d want a little photographic evidence.

-NL

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Categories : China, photography, traveling
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Day 48: Oh My Lady Gaga!

Jul
6

Sometimes it feels like our biggest export is Lady Gaga.

Let me explain. I was finishing another day at work and I was told by my supervisor that we got a free Dinner tonight. I’m all about free dinner, so I was on board.

There is a restaurant that is in a hotel on the campus that the International Affairs office uses for VIP meals with their delegations and other groups that come in. It’s the place that they will show off at dinner and give a traditional big Chinese dinner feel. They were given some free vouchers for meals because they go there so much and spend so much money there.

This dinner however was me and two other student interns in the office. So I walked into the restaurant being followed by these two other Chinese women. I’m not quite sure what thoughts were on everyone’s mind when a white guy dressed up in work clothes is followed and lead by two young Chinese girls.

So during dinner we started talking about anything and everything. Somehow Tibet and Taiwan came up, but I wasn’t the one to bring it up. I’ll leave that talk for another day, but I asked them if there was an English equivalent of “wow!” I knew of one, which was a bad wow. But maybe a good wow. They told me that often they just say “wa!” or some of the younger people say “Oh my Lady Gaga”. To that I said Wow.

I responded with a quick why? And they didn’t have much of answer besides that she is very popular and that everyone in China knows who she is (which I know is an overstatement). Cause I’m guessing that my grandparent who are reading this may not know who she is. (She’s a pop star Grandmother, people compare her to Madonna).

That’s all I got today. I just thought I’d share a new hilarious saying that you should all start saying.

In other news I’ve posted my photos from my trip to Taishan and Qufu on Flickr. Check ‘em out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23292852@N07/

They may even make you say, “Oh My Lady Gaga!”

Categories : photography
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Beijing Flickr Photos!

Jun
3

Hello All.

I just uploaded some photos to my Flickr account. I finally found a way to make it work. Other posts coming soon, but here’s the link if you want to check them out.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23292852@N07/sets/72157624193427814/

I’ll have some Qingdao photos coming up on Flickr soon too. Watch for a post about those.

-NL

Categories : China, photography, Social Media
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Day 14: Computer City

May
29
Got the camera battery charged and I have a new charger that only cost me 60 Yuan, which is less than $10 for those who are keeping track. Here’s some photos to make up for lack of good photos recently.

These are all photos of some sculptures down by the seaside. The big red one represents a flame and the symbol of Qingdao.

-NL

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Categories : China, photography, traveling
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Blurry Photos

Apr
8

Blurry sometimes equals beautiful.  That’s one of the things that make ol’ timey cameras great is the fact that sometimes things came out blurry.  That’s where the saying of the camera never lies came from.  It was a picture of something, somewhere, that will never be the same ever again. I’ve only taken a few really good blurry photos and I thought I’d share them.

I’m in Hong Kong

I was trying to take a picture of a bee.

Radio in the car at night… and a shaky hand.

Memphis Bar

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Categories : photography
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