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Timeless
Published: 2009-01-07 01:53:42 +0000 UTC; Views: 52600; Favourites: 3841; Downloads: 42
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Description
When I first saw a photograph of the karst peaks of Guilin, China thirty years ago, I couldn't believe a landscape like this really existed. The area remained at the top of my 'life list' of places to see since then. When I finally found the opportunity to visit, I wandered alone on the riverbanks and met a cormorant fisherman who showed me his traditional methods. They fish at night and the lantern attracts fish toward the raft so the cormorant can dive in and catch them. The fishermen tie a loose string around the cormorant's neck so they can't swallow it completely, and the men pull out the fish and store them in a basket. This method of fishing has existed for over a thousand years here. I decided to call the image 'Timeless' in honor of the men and their tradition. It is still possible to find the 'old China' if you know where to look.Related content
Comments: 417
I have featured this beautyful shot in my "boat on the water"-collection![link]
I hope you will agree!
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this photo has been featured in my journal "FREE TRAVEL THROUGH THE LAND" thank you for lending your art to this project
luca
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Did you sell this pic to HSBC (or their ad agency), Michael? Only minutes after commenting here yesterday I saw it - or rather something very like it - on a poster in an HSBC bank branch window in London. The background was cropped out and the lamp moved (?) to the other side of the boat, but every other detail looked identical...
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Thanks for the heads up! Yes, I did license the image to HSBC. I haven't seen the final product yet. I hope they did a nice job with it. The deal will pay for my October travels.
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Yes, I think they did a decent job - much as you'd expect. I'm very glad it's kosher and that you're going to reap the benefit
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This is as stunning technically and compositionally as it's fascinating and beautiful. But then you don't need me to tell you that!
You don't really need me to feature your work in my journal, or suggest this for a DD either, but I'm going to do those things anyway
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This fine Deviation, is featured in my Journal of this week !!! greetz lenZ
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best photograph ive ever seen to be perfectly honest
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Someone coppied you [link] I just wanna know if he had permision.
I really luv your work ^^
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Let me know where I can get a bird like that, I may change my ways as a fisherman, cause it seems to be workin' out well for this man. Beautiful photo. Just a breath-taking view.
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Oh, so it's from China. They still have it in Japan as well but more ceremonial.
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great shoot! all, the colors & composition are the ancient China... all! congrats.
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Perfect lighting, composition, subjects, atmosphere and the emotion on the man's face is priceless.
This is an excellent picture.
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I'm just wondering how you took this photo... The last time when I was attempting doing the same thing at the same location (I presume; at the bank of Li Jiang?), the (not the same) fisherman shouted "no photos" at me angrily.
Also, if you don't mind sharing, how did you get so many details? The front part of the raft looks almost HDR... Did you take 3 bracketed photos or did you bring out the details entirely through post processing?
And how did you achieve such noise-free image? I don't suppose you shot this on film, did you?
Thanks in advance for answering so many questions
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I took this on the Li Jiang in XingPing. When I met the fisherman, it was during the day. We was far from the main dock area and I was the only tourist walking the riverside trails leading downstream. I asked him to show me how he fished with the cormorants and I didn't take my camera out. He showed me and we joked around a bit. I think I was able to build a relationship with him and then asked if I could watch if he went fishing that evening. I met him at sunset and I took a few photos and talked to him some more. The sunset was pretty lackluster that evening. I went back to the same spot the following evening and he was there and the sunset turned into the best lightshow of my two month trip. He posed for me and I got the shot. I gave him 50 yuan for posing that evening. Then he went back to his night fishing. I used a fill flash to illuminate the fisherman's face and to freeze the wings of the bird although it actually held it's wings steady for the 1/30 second exposure. I was waiting for the moment when the sunset exposure matched the exposure of the lantern and then took about 30 shots waiting for the bird to spread it's wings. It's one image and no double process or blends. The light balance between the sky, lantern and flash are the key to the image. It's noise free because it was shot with a Hasselblad MF camera at ISO 200.
Hope you have a great time in Yunnan. I spent 5 days at Feilei temple hoping for sunrise over Meili mountain but it was shrouded in clouds every day. There is a cool spot on the hill to the north of the temple where you can get beautiful trees in the foreground for the sunrise if the mountain shows itself.
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Thank you so much, Michael, for being so helpful!
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I just visited your website and perhaps "Hasselblad" is (part of) the answer?
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awesome (emphasis AWE) mood and captured atmosphere. keep up the good work!
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Hi there !
I featured this wonderful artwork in this news article :
Waterscapes - a feature presentation for EARTH DAY
Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful art for the world to see
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This photograph really needs no introduction, the colors are first what catch the eye, the composition leads you up the boat to the fisherman, and eventually the beautiful cormorant, ever ready to catch that flopping fish in its gullet. Beautiful photograph, Mike, another favorite for you!
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This is a stunning capture of how tradition can withstand time...I lived in Guangzhou, China for a small portion of time and was lucky enough to visit Guilin. It really is one of the most magical places left on Earth. Again, absolutely wonderful work here!
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long time no see! everything about this is perfect. the bird really adds something, too, with his raised wings!
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Truly magnificent photo.
In sure i saw a simular shot in a Cathay Pacific inflight magazine. No sunset, but still magic
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That's amazing. Both the picture, and the story that goes with it.
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wonderful 
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wow an amazing photo! so clear and sharp. the composition is also great. the photo have a kind of spooky but kowsy mood. i like this aloth, comfertable to look at.
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Congratulations on the contest win
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The warmth of the light and depth of the details in this image blow my mind. Was this taken in RAW? Is it an HDR image?
You've captured the feel of this place in an image better than anything in my imagination. I'm in awe.
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