[Produced by Senior Yowei Kitty] Occasional Night View Shooting Record

### Kitty’s Travel Notes: A Day in Shanghai — #### Duration: 1 day *Visited places: The [...]

### Kitty’s Travel Notes: A Day in Shanghai

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#### Duration: 1 day

*Visited places: The Bund, Seagull Hotel, Chen Yi Square, Waibaidu Bridge, Shanghai*

*Published on September 20, 2007 at 10:12*

*My blog is here: Kitty’s Travel Notes*

**Please indicate the source and author when reprinting. It would be best to provide a hyperlink.**

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### The Unexpected Adventure

**Quack.** Most of the time, things develop unexpectedly, and this time it seems too unexpected. Black Cat Doesn’t Sleep (hereinafter referred to as Black Cat) heard others recommend that the clouds these days are very beautiful and the night view must be excellent. So on a whim, he wanted to take night views. And I happened to have no one to have dinner with at night. So when chatting in a group, I brought it up. Gradually, it turned into an outdoor shooting with Yiyong Jinxi and Robin.

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### The Evening’s Plan

After work, I contacted Black Cat and had dinner together. I specially ordered pizza to bring to Yiyong Jinxi who hurriedly went home to get the camera and tripod. When eating halfway, when Black Cat sent a message to Redeyes, he mentioned that we were taking night views at the Bund at night. He said he was at Zhengda and then hurried over. On the ferry, he kept sending messages to Black Cat whose phone was about to run out of power. So there was one more person to take pictures together.

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### Exploring the Shanghai Night

I took Black Cat to the Seagull Hotel because I really like looking at the Huangpu River from this angle. However, because we didn’t have enough time, we just walked around the open-air tea house. Unexpectedly, we ran into a very powerful uncle who set up three tripods by himself. It seems that each one is full-frame. Since we are already here, we have to take a few pictures. The clouds in the sky are indeed extremely beautiful. But today the wind is strong. In 20 seconds, the clouds in the pictures are moving. It’s extremely wonderful!

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### Gathering at Chen Yi Square

Leading Black Cat through Huangpu Park to the appointed Chen Yi Square, we finally waited for classmate Redeyes (hereinafter referred to as Red-eyed Driver or Driver). Calling Yiyong Jinxi, he is still on the way. So we looked at Driver’s photos from this afternoon. He is very satisfied with several backlit ones. It seems that his hobby is very close to Yiyong Jinxi’s.

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### The Unexpected Encounters

When waiting for Yiyong Jinxi, there are all kinds of people around: There is a person with a white butt squatting in the fountain behind us for defecation. (I推测的，not necessarily accurate); There are people who纵容 their children to pee half a meter away from us. I said that Yiyong Jinxi is always very that way. After coming over, he will definitely step on it. As it turns out, it is indeed so.

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### Robin and the Photography Session

Robin and them will arrive a little later. So we started taking pictures first. I found myself extremely irresolute and followed them to the flood prevention wall. Yiyong Jinxi and Black Cat each set up tripods and started taking pictures. The driver has steady hands. Taking pictures handheld is also excellent! When Robin came, I first noticed her in the crowd. Seeing that she was about to walk outside, I quickly called out to her and then met up with Yiyong Jinxi.

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### The Waibaidu Bridge Excursion

There are a group of people behind Robin. It seems they are all friends. They said they planned to go to Waibaidu Bridge to take some portraits and so on. Coincidentally, Black Cat brought a reflector. So we walked slowly over. There are really a lot of people on Waibaidu Bridge. So we went to the other end. Black Cat and Yiyong Jinxi successfully got another pair of photography enthusiasts to help hold the reflector. I really admire them to Genghis Khan… The driver still plays with backlighting. Perhaps backlighting is indeed more clever there. The light is too complex.

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### Conclusion

This day in Shanghai was a whirlwind of unexpected encounters and adventures, proving that sometimes the best plans are the ones that evolve spontaneously. The night views were as stunning as promised, and the company was equally delightful. Here’s to more such unexpected adventures in the future.

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**A Day Out with Photography Enthusiasts in Shanghai**

We had an extra person to take pictures together, which was a pleasant surprise. I took Black Cat to the Seagull Hotel because the view of the Huangpu River from there is simply stunning. However, with time being a constraint, we only managed to stroll around the open-air tea house. To our delight, we encountered a very resourceful uncle who had set up three tripods by himself, each seemingly housing a full-frame camera. Given our location, we couldn’t resist taking a few pictures. The clouds in the sky were exceptionally beautiful, and the strong wind made for some dynamic shots—clouds in motion within a 20-second exposure, which was incredibly mesmerizing.

Leading Black Cat through Huangpu Park, we made our way to the agreed-upon Chen Yi Square to wait for our classmate Redeyes (henceforth referred to as Red-eyed Driver or Driver). While waiting, we reviewed the photos taken by Red-eyed Driver that afternoon. He was particularly pleased with several backlit shots, indicating a shared passion for photography with Yiyong Jinxi. As we waited, we observed a variety of people around us: a man with white buttocks defecating in the fountain behind us (a guess based on his posture), and parents allowing their children to urinate just half a meter away from us. I remarked that Yiyong Jinxi is always quite particular, and sure enough, he stepped right into it upon arrival. Robin and their group were expected later, so we began taking pictures in the meantime.

I felt rather indecisive and followed the group to the flood prevention wall. Yiyong Jinxi and Black Cat set up their tripods and started capturing the moment. The driver, with his steady hands, managed excellent handheld shots! When Robin arrived, I spotted her in the crowd and quickly called out to her before meeting up with Yiyong Jinxi.

We noticed a group of friends behind Robin discussing plans to take portraits at the Waibaidu Bridge. Conveniently, Black Cat had brought a reflector board, so we joined them. The Waibaidu Bridge was crowded, prompting us to move to the other end. Black Cat and Yi Yong Jinxi managed to recruit another pair of photography enthusiasts to assist with the reflector board—a feat that I admire immensely. The driver continued to experiment with backlighting, which seemed to work well given the complex lighting conditions. The resulting backlight photos were met with delight from the models, garnering praise all around. The friend who helped with the board exchanged contact information with Robin, and I provided the name of our group, Baba Change, and my own name for him. It turned out he was heading to Beijing the next day—a small world indeed! One of Robin’s friends was also traveling to Beijing, so we exchanged contact details for when we’d be there. It’s the love of photography that brings us closer and introduces us to like-minded people, isn’t it?

After bidding farewell to Robin’s friends, I recommended they visit the Seagull Restaurant. We took a few more shots before Black Cat suggested a group photo, a tradition she enjoys from every outing. We are a group of memory collectors, not out of loneliness, but because we understand that happiness is meant to be shared. The night in Shanghai was slightly cool, and we agreed to catch up online once we were back home, all with the same happy mood, our smiles curling up at the corners of our mouths at a 45-degree angle.

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