There is a general poetic peace when it begins to go dark outside and the town comes alight with shopkeepers and villagers come out to turn on the lights. If you look around, you can see them popping on, one at a time, like little fireflies coming out to play for the evening.
This area is no different, and it's made even more magical by the little river that flows through the middle of it all. And then you are faced with all these nice decisions... where to eat? where to drink? where to find an inn for the night?
- Trey Ratcliff
Read more here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Tags: China feng Feng huang Phoenix City stuckincustoms treyratcliff stuck customs stuckincustoms.com travel blog travelblog photography photoblog photographyblog hdr high dynamic range imaging digital processing software tutorial hdrtutorial trey ratcliff east asia people’s republic of china republic prc hunan Húnán 湖南 province 省 shěng division 湘 Xiāng 湘西土家族苗族自治州 Xiāngxī Tǔjiāzú Miáozú Zìzhìzhōu Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Fenghuang County 凤凰县 Fènghuáng Xiàn Xiangxi ancient history historic historical culture harbor town village unesco October 2010 Nikon d3x
Right after I arrived in Feng Huang, I went down by the river to walk up and down both sides... and I was drawn to this old waterwheel right away. It was all so quaint... here were old Chinese women washing clothes in the river, and it was all right out of a movie. I only got to spend a few days here... after seeing how wonderful everything was, it's on my list to revisit some day.... I hope it stays like this.
- Trey Ratcliff
The rest of this entry and a video interview is here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
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So, maybe the full title of this photo should be what I realized after I took the photo: "Adorable Chinese Girl OMG I Think She's About To Pee On The Street". But she didn't. She was just in that position. And her pants are kinda funky. Or maybe those are leg-warmers or something. I don't know... it's all confusing. Her mom was right by her, sitting on a set and eating rice. She smiled at me, and was very excited when I was taking a photo. Or maybe she was laughing because she thought it was funny I was trying to take a photo while her daughter was about to go to the bathroom. I really can't say!
But I did see lots of kids go to the bathroom in the street, on sidewalks, and this sort of thing. Not all the time, mind you, but they would just drop their business right there in the middle of a busy sidewalk.
- Trey Ratcliff
Read more here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Tags: China feng Feng huang Phoenix City stuck customs stuckincustoms stuckincustoms.com travel blog travelblog photography photoblog photographyblog hdr high dynamic range imaging digital processing software tutorial hdrtutorial trey ratcliff treyratcliff east asia people’s republic of china republic prc hunan Húnán 湖南 province 省 shěng division 湘 Xiāng 湘西土家族苗族自治州 Xiāngxī Tǔjiāzú Miáozú Zìzhìzhōu Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Fenghuang County 凤凰县 Fènghuáng Xiàn Xiangxi ancient history historic historical culture harbor town village unesco girl person people street candid funny shocking squatting squat smile sidewalk cute adorable October 2010 Nikon d3s
While in China, one of the small towns I visited had several little low walking-bridges across the river. It was the sort of river that was too shallow for boats, but good for fishing and washing clothes.
This one was in a residential and commercial area. Many of the women wore colorful dresses and walked back and forth across... it all seemed very nice and peaceful so I grabbed an image.
- Trey Ratcliff
Read more here at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Tags: China feng Feng huang Phoenix City stuck customs stuckincustoms stuckincustoms.com travel blog travelblog photography photoblog photographyblog hdr high dynamic range imaging digital processing software tutorial hdrtutorial trey ratcliff treyratcliff east asia people’s republic of china republic prc hunan Húnán 湖南 province 省 shěng division 湘 Xiāng 湘西土家族苗族自治州 Xiāngxī Tǔjiāzú Miáozú Zìzhìzhōu Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Fenghuang County 凤凰县 Fènghuáng Xiàn Xiangxi ancient history historic historical culture harbor town village unesco shoes sandals traditional heritage walking bridge footbridge water river confluence bright colorful October 2010 Nikon d3s
This was a beautiful and relaxing night for me.
I strolled up and down the banks of this old river-town. All the houses up on stilts were so charming... the little boats motoring around... old ladies still washing clothes deep into the night... young lovers skipping along the opposite bank while I set up for shots...
After a few hours of shooting, I stopped at a small family-run restaurant that overlooked the river. I pulled out my sketch pad and started drawing the scene around me for a few hours while the nice mom inside brought me all kinds of mysterious hot foods, teas, and little cookies. It was a very peaceful and nice night...
from Trey Ratcliff at www.stuckincustoms.com