Ascot Crowds

Ascot Crowds

Saturday was our annual trip to Ascot's Diamond Day, courtesy of Denise's company. This is the first trip since they've completely rebuilt Ascot, and we now get grandstand seating as part of the deal. This is a view down over the general public enclosure from the 4th level of the grandstand, looking at the huge crowds of people that come to watch (and bet on) the races. I quite like this shot on two levels...it's a nice scene in and of itself, but on a more abstract level I like the four stripes of colour moving diagonally across the image. I have to be honest and confess I didn't see that at the time - it's one of those things you only see when you come to examine the image later.

Skyline and Typhoon

Skyline and Typhoon

We were dead lucky on our trip. The most severe typhoon to approach Hong Kong in May ever hit us on that trip...the above shot is from our room in the hotel, the rushing clouds scraping the top of the buildings over in central. The typhoon missed us by about 100kms in the end. It did provide some spectacular skies though.

Rainy Thailand

Rainy Thailand

So, those of you that we've spoken to since the holiday will know that Thailand was a touch wet for our tastes. This shot is taken from the bedroom of our villa, looking out over our pool with the sea out in the distance. If you look carefully you can see the rain hitting the pool. It was a beautiful place and the villa was fantastic...it was just really upsetting that the weather wasn't better...!

I want that one...

I want that one...

Last goldfishy picture - this guy had somehow decided that there was one particular fish he was after in that rather full tank - and he wasn't afraid to spend some time getting it. His intense concentration makes this a picture I'm rather pleased with.

Abstract Goldfish

Abstract Goldfish

Back to the Goldfish market now and this shot is of one of the many tanks filled with turbulent tumbling tumultuous fish. Alliteration aside (there's another bonus one for ya), I think the mild abstraction caused by the slow shutter speed emphasises the depth of movement in the tank, giving an end result that's rather nice.

Electronic Monk

Electronic Monk

Not much to say about this. It was a quickly-grabbed shot in Bangkok Airport when this monk wandered around looking at the shops. He paused in front of this electronics shop and I couldn't resist the moment.

Not Pak Tak Yuen

Not Pak Tak Yuen

It's back around the other side of the world now, and on the hottest day on the planet Denise and I decided to set out to see what had happened to the place where I used to live. We took the KCR out to Sha Tin, and had a good wander around the shopping centres there - I think they've been breeding since I left. We then thought we'd take a walk out to see if we could find Pak Tak Yuen. Unfortunately, I didn't realise that Fo Tan was actually the closer station so it was a very long (and hot) stroll. Eventually we got to Fo Tan and walked up the hill to find, as expected, that Pak Tak Yuen just isn't there any more. This photo was taken from the road directly below, looking up at the new apartments that have replaced the complex where we used to live. Not a photographic masterpiece by any means, but one that my clan will nonetheless appreciate I hope.

Sister and Niece

Sister and Niece

So I thought I'd round out this little set of pictures with an impromptu portrait of my sister and my niece. This was taken standing on the balcony of Annis and Andrew's flat in Aesch. I think it's quite a sweet little picture. Have a nice weekend folks!

Parapet and Hillside

Parapet and Hillside

It was sufficiently hot on our trip to Basel that we couldn't really go for a proper walk. Instead Andrew drove us up the hill above Aesch to a castle ruin, and we had a brief stroll around there. This shot just presented itself - the parapet is being reclaimed by the vines and trees, and the descending hillside in the background provides a nice counterpoint I think. One could say something here about man's transient and brief impact on the earth but I'll leave all of that stuff to the philosophers.

Amateurs & Professionals

Amateurs & Professionals

As we headed back up to the car, we zig-zagged through the streets, attempting to avoid the piper troupes. The associated drums were somewhat loud and we didn't want to wake the sleeping Amber. We were about to head up this street when we saw this sextet of non-uniformed 'older' pipers. I've no idea whether they're amateurs or not, but the group behind in their red uniforms created this juxtaposition, and I couldn't resist this shot.

Celebrating Pipers

Celebrating Pipers

Rather randomly, when we arrived in Basel on saturday, there was a bit of a piping competetion going on. It's no exaggeration to say that you couldn't throw a brick without hitting a piper or drummer - they were marching up and down pretty much every street, bridge and thoroughfare in town. We walked down a street where they were actually judging this contest, and as we turned the corner at the bottom, a troupe (if that's the right word) came past having just given what was presumably the performance of their lives. Above is a shot of the pipers celebrating just around that corner, looking exceedingly pleased with their display of piping excellence. I just love the expression on the centre guy's face. There's a captured moment if ever there was one...!

Amber Delice

Amber Delice

In a somewhat unusual departure from the normal order of things here, I present my new niece, Amber Louise Mayne, daughter to Annis (my sister) and Andrew. She's the first new child in our family since...well...me, 28 years ago. We went over to Basel in Switzerland to see them last weekend and had a great, if exceedingly warm, time - you'll probably see a few other pictures crop up from there over the next few posts.

Junk at Sunset

Junk at Sunset

When I was a kid living in Hong Kong, you NEVER saw a junk in Victoria Harbour with its sails up. You just didn't. They were on the postcards, sure, but you never saw them in reality. Now they're such a symbol of Hong Kong they run tourist dinner cruises on them. This one posed perfectly for me in front of the skyline at sunset. It doesn't seem as magical (or legendary) as when I was a kid, but I guess that's what growin' up does to you. Still, it's as typical as a Hong Kong photo could ever be.