Driving through Remote China I took a six hour drive through part of the Hangzhou. At some point, it began to get very hilly and moody. The ride was a little rough, so I would pull over from time to time to take breaks.One time when I popped out, I thought the road and the scene felt fairly cinematic. I went through the old routine of opening up the tripod for a shot… - Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Awesome Lobbies of Beijing – The Opposite Hotel Everything about this hotel was pretty funky. Yes, they were trying too hard to be edgy-funky, but that’s okay, because it kinda worked. I guess what I’m trying to say is that there was subtlety here in the funkiness. The decision to be bold and different was evident in every little detail of the hotel.Even if you don’t stay at the hotel, make sure you stop by and have a look inside!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Shopping Scene from BeijingSpeaking of parallel universes (the question from yesterday), I often imagine I have side-stepped into one when I travel to other cities, especially as global commerce becomes more homogenized. For example, maybe you can see the Apple store in the background there. When you walk in, everything is exactly the same except for the language and all the Chinese people (of course). Now, this may seem like a totally obvious thing, but it is one of those other universes that is right in the middle of our own.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the entire post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
The Black Void of CouchesThis is the amazing little restaurant that was attached to the opera in Beijing. It was built inside of an ancient farmhouse that has been converted into one of these ultra-stylish modern restaurants.By the way, this is one of my strangest photo titles ever… I was feeling a little weird.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the entire post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Lighthouse on Roanoke Island at Sunset Ahhhh - finally a good sunset!  I keep track of the sunsets like an insane meteorologist combined with a native-American shaman.  I do my best to look at each day and figure out how things will end up that evening.  Predicting more than a day ahead is almost impossible, unless you are at a special place on the planet around a certain type of year.On this day in North Carolina, I knew that the late afternoon storm was a small cell, and it would pass quickly, perhaps letting the sun peak beneath the clouds to light them from the bottom.  And, to my satisfaction, it actually happened!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this entry at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Little Beijing
While at the top of one of new towers built for the Olympics, I was able to get a good vantage back towards different parts of the city.  Beijing is so spread out -- there does not seem to be a central focus in the traditional "skyscraper" sense.  I've taken a few other downtown shots you might recall (click on the"Beijing" category), but this spot was kind of cool and unique because of this tower I was in.I happened to be outside with Joe McNally, after we finally convinced the officials to let us get beyond the inside and dirty windows.  We were out in the "5th ring" where many Olympic venues were built.  And so, here was this huge tower in the outskirts, looking back towards the city.  It seemed like a good situation for a zoom-in compression shot.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this entry at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Walking in the Park
Instead of describing this photo, I'll talk about a little trick.  See how the background is all blurry and quite flat (not complex)?  This happens when you use a very low number for your F-Stop.  In this case, it was 1.4 on the 50mm 1.4 lens - although this would have also worked with the more inexpensive 1.8 lens.  Anyway, if the person (or object) you are shooting is a lot closer to you than the distant background, the entire area back there will be very washed-out and flat.  Behind her, there was actually a lot of complexity.  There was a park with trees and sky and lights and everything, but it all gets washed away with this technique.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this entry at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Colorful Cambodia Many of my Cambodia photos ended up going in more of the monochromatic direction.  I like the black & white look + sepia treatments.  They make it all seem sort of timeless and nice.  But when I was processing this one, I decided to have the sunrise colors shine through.I remember at this point in the morning, my lens was finally fog-free.  This was a hard lesson to learn, but now I no longer go from AC environments to muggy outdoors in the same way.  If I have to go through this situation, I normally keep my camera inside a big ziplock baggie, which ends up getting most of the condensation when I go back outside.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of the post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Boat in Feng Huang
It was a cool and calm afternoon in the ancient and impossible town of Feng Huang. It's an old town, wreathed in many legends.

On the old river, you can occasionally see a boat passing here and there. The boatmen come in all shapes and sizes, but many wear the same hat and style. It is absolutely like a warp of time...

- Trey Ratcliff

Read more here at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Colorful Cambodia


Many of my Cambodia photos ended up going in more of the monochromatic direction. I like the black & white look + sepia treatments. They make it all seem sort of timeless and nice. But when I was processing this one, I decided to have the sunrise colors shine through.

I remember at this point in the morning, my lens was finally fog-free. This was a hard lesson to learn, but now I no longer go from AC environments to muggy outdoors in the same way. If I have to go through this situation, I normally keep my camera inside a big ziplock baggie, which ends up getting most of the condensation when I go back outside.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of the post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
Click here to read the rest of the post at the Stuck in Customs blog." href="javascript:openLB(1707327823,'',XLarge,'',1024,762);">Colorful Cambodia Many of my Cambodia photos ended up going in more of the monochromatic direction.  I like the black & white look + sepia treatments.  They make it all seem sort of timeless and nice.  But when I was processing this one, I decided to have the sunrise colors shine through.I remember at this point in the morning, my lens was finally fog-free.  This was a hard lesson to learn, but now I no longer go from AC environments to muggy outdoors in the same way.  If I have to go through this situation, I normally keep my camera inside a big ziplock baggie, which ends up getting most of the condensation when I go back outside.- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of the post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

Colorful Cambodia


Many of my Cambodia photos ended up going in more of the monochromatic direction. I like the black & white look + sepia treatments. They make it all seem sort of timeless and nice. But when I was processing this one, I decided to have the sunrise colors shine through.

I remember at this point in the morning, my lens was finally fog-free. This was a hard lesson to learn, but now I no longer go from AC environments to muggy outdoors in the same way. If I have to go through this situation, I normally keep my camera inside a big ziplock baggie, which ends up getting most of the condensation when I go back outside.

- Trey Ratcliff

Click here to read the rest of the post at the Stuck in Customs blog.
See photo in original gallery.