A Child At Heart

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.
- Pablo Picasso

Last October I was fortunate to shoot with my friend Brad for his child's school fund raising. This time the subject was kids!

I was a bit apprehensive at first, since I haven't taken photos of kids professionally before, just for friends and family, but I was excited at the prospect of this new aspect of photography that will open up to me. So I did as much research as I could regarding my subject and absorbed photos, tips and inspiration before the shoot. One can say that fear can only be tempered by understanding.

It was a two day shoot, an hour for each family at Riverside park in New York on a chilly October morning, and slowly they came... one by one, shy and leery at you at first. I was like, ok how do I get them to like me? I did not know what to do. I had to adapt fast and the best way is to be like them, to see the world through their eyes.

I had to be six again and still keep my wits about me, and you know what, it worked. In a couple of minutes we were running along the park, laughing and tossing leaves at each other. It was fun and they were full of energy and joy. I did not have to pose them, I just let them play, and I acting as a photojournalist just sat back and captured the moment. Here are some of the pics that day.

Enjoy!













Tip:To take pictures of children, you need a camera that focuses fast and can do multiple shots. Keep your eye on the viewfinder and anticipate their reaction. It could be a fleeting smile or a serious look. Go low as much as possible and be at the same eye level as them. Shot with Canon 135 f2.

Hong Kong Day 2 and 3

Day two can be summed up in two words, eat and shop!

It is the main reason you go to Hong Kong anyway, the food is excellent and there are shops galore from really high end brand names to knock offs of Prada for $5.

I started day 2 by going for a bit of a walk at the wet market. This is always a good barometer of the culture and the food of the people of a country, it tells us where all that excellent food comes from. It was an eye opener, with fresh fish still swimming in their containers and a great selection of fruits and vegetables. I had to get some dried scallops and oysters to bring back home, these little widgets of dried seafood will add a profound flavor to soups and stews.

The highlight of day two was the birthday of my mom in law. We reserved dinner at the Japanese restaurant of the Hongkong Shangrila hotel, called Nadaman. We had really fresh sushi, the likes I haven't had before, Nobu was close, but this was more classic. I had eaten in a hotel in Japan once before and this was better. I ordred the Uni (sea urchin) sashimi to start and miso glazed black cod for my entree. The table ordered some more sashimi to share. My wife and mom ordered the Lobster and Scallop Teppanyaki. It was amazing, the lobster meat was so fresh a bit chewy and very flavorful. The nighttime view of the harbour was great as well. We ended the meal with a berry and pistachio cake for desert with a wee li'l candle for our mom to blow.

After the very sumptuous dinner, we had to walk it off. Off we go to Mongkok, shopping bargain central and brand knockoff haven. I wasn't a big fan of it, but it is part of the allure of Hong Kong and it is definitely worth the visit not just for the bargains but for a bit of the culture of the city itself.

Day 3


We started day three by riding the tram all the way to the top of the "peak", for the best views of the city's skyline and harbour. The tram takes you to an incline so steep going up, it felt a bit weird to see the world at an angle. There are shops and restaurants up top as well and lot of nice nooks to enjoy the views or to just walk along the path with covered with trees.

After having coffee at the peak we headed out to Kowloon Island via ferry for lunch. We had dimsum this time, fresh steaming little dumplings where Hong Kong and Cantonese cuisine really shine. This is definitely a must for anyone visiting the city.

After lunch we headed out ot Lantau Island to see the Giant Buddha. It is about a half hour drive to the island from Kowloon and we took the cable cars up the mountain, the ride itself is 25 minutes and the views are spectacular, with the mountains and the sea surrounding you. You could also take the bus to go up top, but this is the way to go.





At first I thought this was more of a pilgrimage site and a place for meditation, but no, not with the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit. The place was packed with shops and restaurant designed as little pagodas to blend with the scenery. More of a theme park than a serene setting, but I had to admit I like how they did it though. I mean how long can you really stare at a giant Buddha. It's nice to have a place to sit and have coffee or get souvenirs hehe. It is tastefully done though, no street hawkers of sorts, just a nice place to spend the day. There are also trails to the nearby mountains with incriptions of the Heart Sutra along the way, if you need to clear your mind and relax. We headed back around 6:00 pm just perfect for the sunset to light our path going down the mountain.