PhotoWalk 1a — Liwan area of Guangzhou

Saturday was forecast to have heavy rains and high winds- the outer bands of typhoon Magi. Fortunately for Guangzhou, the typhoon took an easterly change in course. Instead of rain, wind, and generally poor weather, we had a sunny, balmy, pleasant day. It was the ideal day for being outside. I mention this first because, like so many things in photography, a little determination is often rewarded with a little luck and the result is nearly always one or a few great photographs.

(October 24, 2010. Guanghzhou, Guangdong, China) In a small alley of restaurants off of one of Guangzhou's major streets, Kangwang South rd, a man finishing lunch spits onto the ground, a common habit in Chinese culture, as he walks away from the sidewalk eatery Saturday afternoon. Photo by: CS Owsley

The photo walk was a great success. Five of us met at the arranged starting point in the Liwan area of Guangzhou; an area of the city rich in European colonial influence. We met at noon and planned to walk from the Huangsha Metro station to the Changshou Lu metro station, one stop back towards the central hub, by weaving our way through the alley streets and markets of the area.

Thanks to the compact size of the group, we were available to adopt a more flexible schedule of time and routes. 5 pm was the original time to meet at the end point, however, we never made it to the final destination. At 5 pm we were photographing a dragon boat rehearsal for the opening ceremony of a newly restored canal leading away from Liwanhu, the lake park on the western edge of Liwan.  At 7 pm we collected ourselves at a KFC near the Chen Clan Academy metro station, one stop further along the line from Changshou Lu, after meandering through the lake park and the neighboring area northwest of Liwan.

During the day’s walk, we came across: restoration workers and home owners trying to protect and restore 300 plus years worth of Guangzhou’s historic neighborhoods, an elderly woman who held on strong to her home of 60 years in one of the alley streets, a foreign man retained in a police station talking through the open window and simple bars of the police holding room to his friends on the sidewalk, the home of the father of the Chinese railroad, and many other interesting events and places.

Seven hours of exploring by foot can be a little overwhelming for a photography hobbyist. This group, however, held on strong until the end with energy to continue taking pictures well up till the end. It was an exciting afternoon.

Next week we will come together to share and talk about our best photographs from the day. I’m looking forward to some great imagery and conversation.