nathanielgingras

Hello all! Happy 4thof July to those in the ol’ USofA. I already heard one house exploded in New Hampshire from fireworks indoors... stay safe! Today, like every day of this job, was pretty awesome. First I learned about photographing interiors and using the flash to assist with it. Usually I don’t use flash (actually, I NEVER do). To me it makes colors get washed out, casts sharp and obnoxious shadows, and generally just stinks. But with the magic of a couple diffusers, I saw what could be and it was really cool. Note to self: pick up some extra camera equipment in HK where it’s much cheaper. Note regarding note to self: I hope it’s cheaper here because while everything else seems to be, Nikon is a brand name and I would need Nikon parts ... read more

Yesterday my host family and I went to the races for the entire day. Sure, it was the 15thanniversary of the transfer of power back to China and there were celebrations and protests in Central, but it was also a great day for racing, and they had special events at the racetrack as well (in between EVERY race). These included presentations, salutes, a marching band, Cantonese singing, traditional dances, etc. I’ve never been to a racetrack (for animals) before. And here I was at an internationally renowned track owned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (which is also Hong Kong’s largest charity organization, donating 85% of its profits to local communities for projects such as gyms, schools, hostels, etc). The stands and the track have a gorgeous view of mountains -- we were not at Happy ... read more

Today, I woke up every couple of hours after midnight. Egad! Not sure if that means I’m still jet lagged or what. But I ended up going to breakfast early and staying awake until it was time to go meet my boss for the first time! My internship over here is with a high-quality fashion/product/commercial photographer through the first week of August or so. I have to complete at least 220 (unpaid) hours. Today was the day I was going to figure out my bus route and go see my boss. So today consisted of many firsts: 1.) I killed my first spider! It was in the bathroom, in the morning, with the toilet paper. 2.) I ate dragonfruit for the first time! It’s a very mild fruit with white flesh and lots of little black ... read more