Lines and Angles Gothic Style Architecture

Instrument: Vivitar 35MM 70mm zoom
Material: Ilford Black & White Pearl 8"x10"
F11 at 10 seconds

One of the key clues for me to tell if an architecture was Gothic inspired or Romanesque-inspired would be to look at the arches and the windows.  I remember in art history class, my instructor made sure everyone remembers the difference between the two.  Gothic architectures have pointed arches and large windows, and Romanesque architectures have round arches with thick walls and small windows.  Now, these are just one of the many differences between the two styles.  I am not well versed in this field of art, having only spent a week to study.  But I when I see the opportunity I will always try to learn more.

I have always love architectures.  My parents took me to the Forbidden Palace in Beijing when I was very young.  Even at a young age, I was fascinated by the structure and design of the Palace.  The rooms and the gardens are beautifully designed.  I just wish more of the area in the Palace was open to the public.  I want to be able to stand in the middle of the room and experience what the people in the past use to see.  Good news is, there is a way I might be able to experience this!  A while back I found out about Hengdian World Studios.  It is the largest film studio in the world.  Many famous historical TV shows (Empress Ki) and movies (The Forbidden Kingdom) was filmed in one of the studios on location.  The location not only the Palace of Qing Dynasty but also palaces and buildings of Ming, Qin, and Han period.  This might be the only place on earth that allows you to tour a palace of the early Chinese dynasties.

Next time I am on vacation in China, I will plan a trip to the Zhejiang province to tour the film studios.

Tomato Part 3

Instrument: Sakura Pigma Micron Pen
Material: Strathmore Bristol Smooth

I miss the late summer.  Looking at all the type of tomatoes I have drawn, I am craving for a few of these red poppers.  While it is possible to buy them from the market, it is another story when you are eating the one grown in your own garden.  The sour and sweet after taste of the cherry tomato is heavenly when they are fresh.  I miss the days when I can walk around my backyard and eating those red cherry tomatoes I find on the branch.

This year, I need to expand my garden a little bit more.  Every soon I need to start buying more pot and soils for the spring.  I am planning on documenting all of them on this blog.

First Black & White Print

Instrument: Vivitar 35MM 70mm zoom
Material: Ilford Black & White Glossy 5" x 7"

One of my first print made in my high school photography class.  In the beginning, I was not sure what I wanted to do when my teacher gave the class the first assignment.  Thank goodness my other friends had an assignment that required them to visit the Cloisters.  During high school, I really disliked the art reports I had to write every semester.  However, if it were not for those horribly long reports, I would not have gone to so many museums or art galleries.  This print was one of the good things that came out of those horrible assignments.

If you are interested in art, the Cloisters is one of the most amazing places you really need to visit in New York City.  The building itself is a work of art.  There is a mix of Romanesque and Gothic style in the architecture.  The first time I lay my eyes on the beautiful Gothic arches and the breathtaking stain glass windows, I was left speechless.

Fallen Trees

Instrument: Vivitar 35MM 70mm zoom
Material: Ilford Black & White Pearl 8"x10"
Print: F11 for 5 seconds

During one of my walk with my dad, I walked off the trail and ended up in a more secluded area in the park. There was a lot of fallen trees, making some very interesting composition.  That area of the park became one of my favorite place to wander around it.

This print is much darker in person.  But most of my prints look lighter when I post them, I chose a much darker prints.  For a physical print, I would want to set the enlarger to F16 for more than 5 seconds.