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To those who’ve inquired: thanks.
Stay thirsty, my friends……. and on my birthday this Sunday, 9/11, I hope that all of us have the chance to reflect upon how that Day of Days has affected the last 10 years- and our future.
This is a book recently released by Professor Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist at CUNY.
I highly recommend it as a possible blueprint for the rest of the 21st century regarding the potential impacts of science, and the resultant scenario of what life may be like by 2100. He was interviewed today on NPR and related that the book was based on trying to replicate the predictive methods of Jules Verne in the nineteenth century- which were usually very accurate.
In doing so, he interviewed hundreds of cutting-edge scientists from many disciplines around the world.
As had been so well said in STAR TREK VI: it’s about the UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, the future. And be prepared for some extraordinary contact lenses…
All my thanks for the music which helped inspire this documentary: THE SYMPHONIC SESSIONS by David Foster (The Ballet); soundtracks from INCEPTION by Hans Zimmer, CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON, and THE DEER HUNTER.
Most of the narration is complete. With a few modifications, it’s ready to send to my most helpful and gracious Chinese associates in Jinan and I ‘d love to return at my earliest opportunity.
I have to say that Premiere Elements 9 did the editing job well on my Fujitsu Lifebook computer- after some intensive care to deal with crashes and glitches.
Nikon, you just make my projects so much fun and so easy… after over 40 years, I’m in awe.
Finally, to Rick Yen and David Wu I owe so much for the invitation to travel to a country I ‘d thought I might never be able to visit. Both of you get free mammograms for life.
Today I had a conversation with my main contact in Jinan, China (Ma Xiudong), Dept Director of Shandong Economic and Information Technology Commission, regarding the possibility of extending my documentary to include the Confucius Festival there in September. In addition, we are continuing plans to bring Hu Meng to the USA as a guest artist to exhibit his paintings and conduct a tour.
My schedule will hopefully allow completion of the first edit of my doc’ by around mid- August, at which time I ‘d relay it to them as well. Isn’t the internet a wonderful thing?
Here’s to international cooperation and cultural exchange- I’m excited to be a part of it, and with luck I may even be able to expand my exploration of Chinese art to include its music in the future.
Saw the sun for first time entire trip, and had kettle corn… excellent laser/live theater show this evening about the history of this area.
If you want chicken in China you can always visit the Colonel…..finally, I managed to set my electric shaver on fire in my room, due to plugging into the wrong socket.
Busy day, finally got internet access- had difficulty yesterday in Shanghai.
I’m trying to fit into Chinese society as I would anywhere else I travel, and hope that these images from the current post will help explain my efforts. More to follow tomorrow from Nanjing with luck, including images from landscapes to urban..
Hope all are enjoying this week as much as I am- stay thirsty and if you like, write me at my e-mail address, benjaminlafayettesisko@gmail.com as not only doesn’t Facebook work here, neither does my Nikon GPS (so far).
Otherwise I have to say that the D5100 and D3s have worked very well- I wish I hadn’t accidentally dropped the lens hood from my 85mm f/1.4 into a river this afternoon……
Arrived this evening late from Shanghai, plan to begin with on the street and other interviews with students from Jinan University and the general citizenry. It was a long flight…… cooler here than in Shanghai, about midway between that region and Beijing.
There’s some Tsingsao beer cooling off behind the door.
Another piece of the setup added today, and had fun hanging out with a fellow northern Californian (hi to Stepfanie Atkinson from Mill Valley), even though she shoots Canon….
I ‘m planning to use this shoulder rig mostly for projects like documentary clips and abstracts, and certain travel applications. The Genus variable 8X ND will help a great deal with being able to use wide apertures in bright lighting conditions , therefore isolating subjects.
And my field audio gear finally found a home, the LowePro utility S&F bags.
To all: enjoy tomorrow, 4 July- my personal Independence Day, because that day in 1863 marked the Union victory at Gettysburg.
Just arrived in Visalia and will tweak this mic vs the others for ambient recording/voice/ effects in coming days, before finalizing gear to take to China.
I’ll be relocating my radiology practice a few weeks after returning from China, sometime in mid-August 2011 and moving back to La Puente in southern CA.
William Hooks
maximpactphotography 