Thank you.

An old man begging, and pissing off a couple of shop owners. I saw him walking into shop kitchens and helping himself to food. (1V, 24mm, Tri-X)

On our fist day X’s family took us out of Shanghai for a lunch at a …crab food complex extravaganza. By a lake, dozens of almost identical crab restaurants nestled on piers. This is the non-lake facing, entry side, where people live on little boats, and fish for and farm crabs. I was tired form the flight the day before, tired from the early wake up, but X’s family were great hosts, and it was good to be thrown in the deep end so early on. (Om-2N, 24mm)

Day two, on the way to the local camera supermarket to buy some film. (5D, 24mm)

The two boys had hung around me for a while, but the girl in the back hadn’t. I love how she’s trying to make sense of it all. (1V, 24mm, Rollei 400)

Locals of the watertown, Tongli. (1V, 24mm, Tri-X)

Another ‘old vs new’ statement, common in Shanghai. Not sure about this photo. (Beier Precisa, 75mm (MF), Tri-X)

Same old woman as before, a resident of Tongli. (Seagull TLR, Tri-X)

An elderly man having a rest in Tongli. (Seagull TLR, Tri-X)

Another one from the sleeping market. (Om-2N, 24mm, Tri-X)

Restrooms at the World Expo.

You know, come to think of it, looks like the Chinese probably invented the siesta as well. I’d ask X, but she’s having a nap…   (1V, 24mm, tri-X)

Three generations of women enjoying some delicious, mouth-watering corn at the World Expo. (1V, 24mm, Tri-X)

Ok, the World Expo. This was the line up to get into the Saudi pavilion, one of the most popular ones. Waiting time? 6-8 hours. This photo is not the end of the line – merely a break in the snaking line patrolled by soldiers (i believe). At first I was in awe, then amused, then realistic. For the vast majority of Chinese, the world is China, and it always will be. The curiosity to see other countries and cultures is staggering, hence the lines and waiting times.

The North Korean pavilion was…interesting. A big house of propaganda – but I was more interested how the actual people (N. Koreans) interacted and behaved, especially with caucasians. Some displayed genuine pride, others the kind of pride when a gun’s pointing at your head. In hindsight, I should’ve bought more souvenirs, and taken some photos inside. (1V, 24mm, Tri-X)

A snoozing cabbie. I’m tellin’ you…the siesta.

Similar to the one in the previous set, but a little better. (1V, 24mm, Tri-X)

I’ve got a bad habit of shooting people as they’re eating, although I haven’t done it in a long time (intentionally). (1V, 24mm, Tri-X)

A local character form a street market. (1V, 24mm)

Taken from The Bund, a vista of the ultra-modern and spectacular Pudong skyline. Despite being choked with thousands of people – 90% of whom were Chinese tourists, The Bund was one of my favourite places. I guess I’m a sucker for grand vistas. Oh, and good luck kid.

.

Cluster of residential buildings rise in the distance, tens of miles from Shanghai. The landscape was dotted with these.

A common back street in the suburbs of Shanghai. No foreigners for miles.

I walked into the back alleys, and was quickly surrounded by kids, to whom a foreign face was a rarity. Kids are the same all over the world. (The whole roll was underdeveloped by the local lab)

A view of Pudong, from Shanghai’s most famous little bridge.

The World Expo. More on that experience later.

Taken with a 1938 Beier Precisa folding camera. The camera warps the film in a way I really like, and this makes me reluctant to fix the problem.

A very cheerful resident of Tongli, a small watertown a couple of hours from Shanghai. Like all watertowns, Tongli is packed with Chinese tourists.

Deep in Tongli

Local tourists relaxing at the World Expo.

The lads at the Expo.

Ruckenfigur at Shanghai Railway Station

Young people outside the Shanghai Railway Station at night.

A Uighur family, at the Shanghai Railway Station. The father and son are almost identical.

A sleeping couple on the metro.

Well, it’s a broom, innit?

Taken during a walk with Jady and Jono, friends from Sydney.

Scooters are THE mode of transport around Shanghai, if not the whole of China. You can buy them at your local supermarket.

A local street, closed off once a week and turned into a market.

A dude on a bike at a street market. Not sure if these captions are really necessary…

The only 5D shot so far.

Taken from the top floor (11th) of the apartment we were staying in. In the background are the two of Shanghai’s iconic buildings.

A street sweeper in Tongli. At first, she was a little cranky with me. But I persisted, and she managed to crack a smile in the end.

Our local Metro station. The trains and stations are very clean, but during peak hour, it’s street warfare. At first it’s an eye-opening experience, eventually becoming a great source of amusement.

We ventured into a little food market in the middle of Shanghai, only to find almost everyone asleep. I have about a dozen more photos such as this, one stall after another.

Security guards in the Old Town. That’s an original Ming Dynasty Starbucks too….This place was a tourist mecca, and there is nothing I hate more than a tourist mecca. Lots of pasty skinned white people being tourists. I wanted to get out of there as quickly as I could – at least the dumplings were great.

Random traffic scene from the main rail station in Shanghai. Nothing to see here…

A night scene from the railway square.

Taken late in the evening at a metro station. The woman with the phone just pushed through with no regard for anyone else.

Cops, Red Army? Not sure. Shift changeover at Shanghai Station.

A very poor attempt at making a point. In Shanghai, old buildings are an enemy that has to be destroyed, replaced with brand spanking new apartment towers. Of which there are thousands. It seems like the whole city is just a massive dump for tall apartment buildings.

The first time I stepped out on my own, and just headed wherever my curiosity took me. I stumbled upon this scene, which led me to a street marked further down. No foreigners in sight…yesss.

The ’2′ stars will be next, in a couple of days. The above photos are the bottom 10% of a final cull. To those not-photographically inclined, it’ll give you an indication of what I find good and interesting in a photograph. To the photographers out there – be gentle.

Thanks.