Lion Vuitton

[Don Ellis]

Here’s wishing you sure footing in the new year… especially when people are watching.



Happy Chinese New Year from Hong Kong (again - this Lion Dance took place just today, 15 February 2005).


Don

[marie]

wow
very very nice Don

I just saw this now and like it a lot
very clever shot
especially when I got to the bottom of the picture and saw the group of boys
a surprise ending
just love the clarity (ahem) of the whole picture, among other things
beautifully done



lion dance
not a dog one?

is he really jumping through the air
then it's an even greater shot

terrific

[Don Ellis]

Originally Posted by marie

wow
very very nice Don

I just saw this now and like it a lot
very clever shot
especially when I got to the bottom of the picture and saw the group of boys
a surprise ending
just love the clarity (ahem) of the whole picture, among other things
beautifully done

lion dance
not a dog one?

is he really jumping through the air
then it's an even greater shot

terrific

Hi Marie,

Thank you... only took 95 shots to get a good one. Visually, it's an awful place because this is just a temporary brown wall with poster covering the Louis Vuitton shop that is still being fitted out prior to its grand opening.

The surface of the covering is reflective and has unsightly seams, there were masses of people around, just to the right of this shot is the building entrance and to the left some clear windows. On the plus side, I do have Uma Thurman (impossible to avoid her so I tried to get an angle that made her an interesting part of the photo), the background is conveniently dark, and the sky was overcast so I didn't need to worry about blown highlights.

Learning from my village dragon dance, I set my ISO to 100 so I could get a 1/250th of a second shutter speed. There are two men (four legs) per lion and if you look closely, you'll see the lead man's face just below the lion's whiskers. He has his arms extended to hold the lion's face out and up. There were three lions on the day.

Below are a couple of reject shots for reference. They leap about on 5-foot-tall metal poles that have 9-inch circular platforms on top. In the photo above, they are leaving four poles (only one foot still touching) and are flying towards four more. Perhaps this should be considered for the Olympics.

Cheers,

Don





The girl, by the way, is the drummer.

[marie]

thanks Don
I love these other shots a lot.

good advertisments always look great in a picture but especially when you got great action around them

the quality and the colours are especially super

especially the gold and the red
and the lovely red eye of the dragon highlighted in the shots
this is photography as it's best.



95 shots.. is that all ?
you want me to put a smilie after that

I thought you were in auditorium of some kind with advertisements just hanging around.
difficult surroundings for photographs

I don't know how those people manage the leaps so well.
if all came crashing down on them
I mean the platform and when they meet their flying partners
marvellous what they can do
you had a good view

I had no idea it was Uma Thurman on the posters
I thought she was a lot older by now.
now that I look again this is the older and elegant look

thanks a lot Don

and thanks for the advice tips etc

the shots are crispy nice and so colourful
the red gold and green stand out beautifully
and even the 'quality' of the material can be seen in your pictures
they really are just stunning
I really mean that sincerely

ps
the drummer girl looks tired

[Don Ellis]

Originally Posted by marie

thanks Don
I love these other shots a lot.

good advertisments always look great in a picture but especially when you got great action around them

95 shots.. is that all ?
you want me to put a smilie after that

I had no idea it was Uma Thurman on the posters
I thought she was a lot older by now.
now that I look again this is the older and elegant look

ps
the drummer girl looks tired

Yes, one nice thing about shooting advertisements is that some really talented photographer already did the work for you.

I don't begrudge 95 shots when I get one... it's those times when I get none that are bit annoying. But it's happened and I've learned to live with it and enjoy the fact that digital film is free.

I don't think Uma Thurman is aging at the same rate I am. And the drummer girl looks like she's having a difficult time in life. After they completed this performance, they went to all the shops in the Lee Gardens complexes and when we went to lunch at West Villa, they were at their door, bestowing prosperity and lettuce leaves on the restaurant. She wasn't drumming this time, but standing apart and looking even sadder. I tried to capture her several but she was almost always turned away from me. I hope life goes well for her soon. She was great on drums.

[Belmondo]

Don:
With your permission, I'm going to give my wife a print of your photo in lieu of the very expensive LV handbag she has her eye on.

I love the paradox.

Thanks for posting.


Tom

[Don Ellis]

Originally Posted by belmondo

Don:
With your permission, I'm going to give my wife a print of your photo in lieu of the very expensive LV handbag she has her eye on.

I love the paradox.

Thanks for posting.

Tom

By all means, Tom... I'm sure she'll understand.

I used to work next to a huge shopping complex and Leela would complain that there was too much temptation and that every day I seemed to bring something new home. Now that I work in Causeway Bay, I'm surrounded by Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Celine, Coach, Dior, Tods, Jean Paul Gaultier (and the list goes on). The best I can manage is window shopping.

Don't forget to buy a nice frame for the photo -- or make one out of those used 2x4s in the backyard.

Cheers,

Don

[Don Ellis]

No matter how difficult photos are to come by, sometimes the titles are even harder. A day later, I finally figured out what this should be called...

Uma Lion Down

Don

[CyberDyneSystems]

Very good Don!

[Mills]

Originally Posted by Don Ellis

Hi Marie,



There are two men (four legs) per lion and if you look closely, you'll see the lead man's face just below the lion's whiskers. He has his arms extended to hold the lion's face out and up.



Cheers,

Don





The girl, by the way, is the drummer.

Interesting. I was confused because I thought there was only one person in it and I could not understand it. The minute I saw the quote above, I saw the second person. Excellent shot Don

[marie]

"She wasn't drumming this time, but standing apart and looking even sadder. I tried to capture her several but she was almost always turned away from me. I hope life goes well for her soon. She was great on drums."


thanks Don

she could have been tired just that evening
but I imagine these celebrations going on all week
and see how her arms are hanging limply by her sides in your third (I think) last picture

in the last shot she looks as though she is putting her all into the drumming.
and as you say she was good it must have took a lot of energy

my brother was/is a drummer (jazz band, when here and in australia over 45 years)
so I know something of what it takes out of a person.
they are on a high while it's happening
but very tiring for them later

and as she was walking or standing all the time. probably for some time
it's not easy

she is beautiful.
glad you got at least one shot of her.
funny how you tried to get the other shots, having seen her too

I like very much to see this one anyway.

thanks

[marie]

Originally Posted by Don Ellis

No matter how difficult photos are to come by, sometimes the titles are even harder. A day later, I finally figured out what this should be called...

Uma Lion Down

Don

[Trekker2005]

Very nice and happy new year to all the Asian, I know, it's little late.

[Pugdaddy]

Maybe thats the school girl from "Kill Bill' and she's mad because Uma gets to do a big ad like that and she has to drum.