China 2013 | The Photos, Part One
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As I get ready to head out on another crazy adventure I've had a few people ask, "Did you ever post about your China trip?"
Good question! I didn't. Not because I didn't want to but because, you know, time gets away.
First of all, it was awesome.
Where do I even begin?
I took 1982 photos with my DSLR (aka my "big" camera) on my two week trip to China last November.
I took 290 with my iphone.
Aaron took about 1700 photos all with his iphone.
Total photos in my China folder in Aperture: 3975 (before editing)
That could be the most I've taken on a trip but I don't think I've recorded any of the numbers in the past.
Here's how I tackle starting to even scratch the surface of those photos:
STEP ONE | Look through all the photos. Delete the ones that are absolutely terrible - totally black, really extra blurry, really bad facial expressions, multiples of the same thing x10. This trip I shot in manual with my DSLR so I had multiples of quite a few photos that were either way too light or way too dark (so thankful I can learn via digital where I can actually see the mistakes I'm making). I'm pretty ruthless when it comes to deleting. I really don't need to have five of the same photo. Really.
STEP TWO | Decide what to print. For this travel album I'm using an album from Basic Grey but I haven't tackled that at all yet.I don't print everything. I mainly look for my favorites or ones that really move the travel story forward. Could be favorite memories or monuments or something totally random. I'll choose a few to enlarge to the full page size in the album but I haven't made any of those choices yet.
I started going through which photos I wanted to share here and it's quite a process in and of itself. For this post I started adding in photos until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. I'll do a Part Two with the rest of the trip sometime soon.
Here's a look at the first part of our China adventure from November 2013:
Our trip began with an overnight in San Francisco. It happened to be my 38th birthday.
And in case you didn't know, I love experiencing the world so it was a pretty fun way to celebrate.
Aaron came along with me on this trip.
Meeting someone who also loves experiencing the world was important to me. He is a darn good travel companion.
Our hotel room in Beijing.
The view when we woke up. We were super lucky with some very blue sky days in Beijing.
On these trips we tend to travel by bus. In the case of the China adventure we also took two or three flights within China as we moved from location to location.
So many great people joined us on this trip.
We actually had amazing weather on this trip. Blue skies for days.
I can't even fathom how old everything is there.
I took a lot of shots of rooftops. The details were insane.
Someday I'd like to get really good at photographing people I don't know. It's something I thought a lot about while we were there. So many weathered faces. So many faces with stories I wondered about.
The Great Wall was so, so cool.
Standing on the Great Wall, looking out, I saw this:
The night market. We had just one adventurous eater in our group - that would be Barry. He ate a snake among other things.
Just so beautiful. All of it.
I loved walking down this long walkway and watching all the people playing games. Their faces. Their laughter. There was even singing.
Looking back.
A page in my travel journal.
A group rickshaw ride that was one of my personal favorite moments. The air. The sounds. Being there. It was one of those memories you feel with your whole body.
The Summer Palace.
How can you not smile when looking at these people.
The Birds Nest at the Olympic park.
I'm a Chinese food fan so I was perfectly happy to have it breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Visiting the Terra Cotta Warriors.
Oh there's still so much more.
Another day friends.
PS | Did you notice we did a Shop update yesterday? I've now got four new clear stamp sets (Birthday, Celebrate, Photos, and Thanks) and a few of my other go-to products available in the Shop. You can see it all here.
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50 comments
What an incredible set of photos and it looks like an unforgettable experience.Travel is definitely something I hope to do more of. Those photos tells a beautiful story and I think the pictures of you and Aaron are too cute. You are inspirational Ali, thanks for sharing!
Replies to IAmMikki
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You took some stunning pics. Thanks for sharing them. Love the ones of you and Aaron together. Question: when you photograph random ppl, do you ask permission or do it discreetly.
Replies to kcp_
Hi - I just do it discreetly. In the case of the couple, if I remember right, they had been watching me take other photos and I looked over at them and smiled and took the photo.
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When I see your travel photos, I realize I have absorbed a lot of your teaching through the years! I am a photo fanatic: my ex was so embarrassed by me rounding up the gang for shots in front of important landmarks. But I didn't care!
All of the couples on the trips asked for their own "coffee table book." The last trip I didn't go on but made a book for them, had NO Group photos!!! Who's sorry now? Never mind, it's the memories that one loves to capture to relive over & over. I like to get mug shot of every person who went on the trip too, besides, lots of group shots. Incidently, the guys have to get pictures of their Goldwings all lined up in front of landmarks, no people just bikes . . . can you imagine?
Replies to Raylene
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Ali, your post today really made my day, my moment. Love that you had mostly blue skies during your trip and that you were able to shoot the awesome scenery and people because of the awesome weather.
The stories you've told with your photos gave me smiles and I kind of need them today...my Dad had 2 back to back heart attacks the beginning of this week, and though he's out of danger and is stable, I took the time to just be this morning. Which was a mistake, because I was sad. After viewing your journey though, I'm much lighter and smiling.....which I'll share with Dad when I go visit him in an hour or so.
Around here I'm grateful for your post! Have a great day!
Replies to vkimmycat
Sending your Dad lots of love.
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OMGosh. I get overwhelmed with much less than that for a single project, but these images are beautiful and will be a wonderful accompaniment to the full story. Love what you said as part of this - "a memory you feel with your whole body". Perfection.
Replies to rhereford214
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Thanks so much for you patience in uploading such a huge # of images for us. You are the only person who has ever made me want to visit China. You definitely capture the humanity of that country but of course I'm not surprised. It's what you do best - help us see the real in the everyday.
Replies to Cookingmylife
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This made me relive my own travel to Bejing quite a few years ago. So overwhelming and perfectly normal at the same time to walk down those streets. So many, many photos. So not even started on doing something with them - this was before I got my digital DSLR :) Thanks, Ali!
Replies to johannahoerrmann
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WOW, would my camera and I have loved to have gone on this trip. : )
Replies to edillow
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Love your photos! My husband and I took a trip to China years ago. When we visited the Great Wall, it was raining and pretty cold. We hiked to the top and... all we saw was fog. We didn't get to take in the view or see any part of the wall that wasn't beneath our feet but isn't it just amazing to stand on those stones?? Can't wait to see the rest of your photos!
Replies to littletoki
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Ali, I love love love your photos, they are just in the nice angle and view, Beijing looks so pretty under your lens.
Replies to hannie
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Wow! Amazing trip, love how you have captured the moments!
Replies to mrsbandco
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Love you pictures of Beijing and Xian!! I am sitting ere very smugly and happily looking at them. Mostly because many of my pictures taken in 2008 are exactly the same!!! not sure why that should be thrilling, but nice to know we have the same eye.
Replies to Sphorton
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You've captured your trip so beautifully!!!! Makes me want to totally go there, love your photos, the images are stunning!
Replies to clippergirl
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Wow! Amazing trip. Hope Peru is just as fabulous and that your awesome travel companion is going with you! Have a great weekend!!
Replies to scraplea
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Wow, China looks amazing! I think it would have been such an amazing experience being there! I especially love the repetition photos!
Replies to J3SS1C4
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Just wow! Total wow!
Replies to cannycrafter
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I just marvel at how your post is so awesome! My eyes were glued to every picture, every word...as if I was there with you. Thank you so much for sharing!
Replies to froggywinks
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Ali, this post brought me such happy tears! Three years ago this month, my husband and I travelled to China to adopt our little girl. She has changed my world! These photos brought back so many memories. She is three now and I will show her these pictures. We talk often of her country and strive to bring as much Chinese culture as we can into our lives, this is her heritage and we always want it to be a part of our lives. Thanks for posting, these photos are beautiful.
Replies to librarygirl
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Man that takes me back to my trip to China!
Replies to Dcorder
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Worried about Fading Pictures
Hi, I have been scrapbooking since I was young but didn't realize there was a whole world of it until a year ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. Now, I'm going through an overwhelming sense of wow-there-is-SO-much syndrome.
Because of my perfectionist nature, I get stuck often!
My current road block is printing pictures. I don't know what the best way is, print at home or print through Persnickety Prints.
You use a Canon printer right? Aren't you worried that the pictures will fade with time?
Replies to glicelle
Hi! I use Epson printers and have been really happy with them. For me it's really a matter of convenience. I like being able to print from home on demand in sizes I choose to go along with my projects.
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