acrobat clown, originally uploaded by elizabethbriel.

acrobat in white

acrobat in white, originally uploaded by elizabethbriel.

twirling badminton rackets

twirling badminton rackets, originally uploaded by elizabethbriel.

juggling tennis rackets

Some of my favorite dramatic shots from the past several years have been those taken under stage lighting with dark backgrounds, and subjects moving against them.

Photos of acrobats & jugglers from Guangzhou this week (taken last year).

Yet another photo w/the Musee d'Orsay scarf from the tired photo session w/R, this one the schoolmarmish version.

Last day at work, and last day of the week too. Signing off for the weekend.

Wearing a silk scarf cyanotyped with the famous clock at Musee d'Orsay.

Hai-YAAH!!

There's a Cantonese cri de coeur for you. It can mean anything from "Oh really?" to something nearer a banshee's wail. In my case, it's closer to the latter.

Well, I guess it had to happen, but it was sooner than anticipated. My contract was ambiguous at best, it had no definitive end, it was only "until we have no more work", so the news shocked me more than I'd expected.

There's no more work at my only steady job! Not for the summer, anyway, and I'm not sure I like it enough to fit it into my [hopefully overburdened with fascinating - and paid - activities by then] schedule in the fall. It's a kick in the [whatever] to get more work, fast. The timing could be better, though. R. hasn't worked in nearly two months, and there's no job in sight for him yet. It's harder for him though, as he's looking for a job that'll give him a visa.

Anyway, R. took photos of me the other day for a press release. In addition to my first really un-glamorous cold sore ever, I'd barely slept the night before, and it shows. And it also shows I no longer have those razor-sharp cheekbones/shoulder blades/whatever I had in Cambodia, thanks to the chronic interesting digestive experiences from street/restaurant food there. Still I like this photo because it sums me up, whether I'm arguing with my husband or my computer: determined to the point of looking slightly ridiculous.

One reason I decided not to use this photo when sending it out was it simply looks too much like what HK-ers think of as being your "typical Lamma hippie", headscarf and all. I printed the headwrap in Cambodia last year with water lily flowers bought at the wettest market in town.

The silk dress I found at an export shop in Hong Kong - it cost just over US$1 - then I printed it with tiny (uncooked) alphabet pasta. You can see the little letters spread across the fabric.

The HK Mural Society has a brand new website - and a brand new board member! Yep, that'd be me. And it's my job to do publicity and related photography, too. I'm very happy to become a more long-term part of this project. It's an organization that encapsulates everything I believe in about making art: it's made by and for the very same community that will live with it. Pictures that have gone through this communal artmaking process - it can be a baptism by fire in some communities around the world - are the antithesis of academic/commercial art products that can feel irrelevant to many people. They say what words often can't, and reach those who can't be reached in other ways.

Cover Article

bc cover, originally uploaded by e.briel.

Well, slaving over word-count while salivating at Lamma resturants was hard work, but someone's got to do it.

For once, taking the photos was harder than writing, as I've only got a zoom lens these days - for some reason my 55mm lens didn't make it out of Cambodia! I had to get plenty of distance for many of the restaurant shots - a tough undertaking with narrow village streets.



The dramatic cover photo wasn't taken by me, but suits the type/layout well. The article's text is available online here.

Murals and More

handsome guy, originally uploaded by hkmuralsociety.

You can keep up with the activities of the HK Mural Society by going to our brand new weblog.

Check out photos from our first hands-on session last week. We'll have regular updates on the mural's progress, and photos of murals from Hong Kong and beyond.

Dragon-boaters

"This drummer's by far the best of the dragonboat drummers," Roy remarked that day.



Relaxing after an intense race.

Riotous Reds

Red, as anyone who's been anywhere near a Chinatown knows, is an auspicious color. In Hong Kong, red - in all its shades - is a vivid part of the local landscape, from temple decorations to the plastic bags floating in Victoria harbor.

Here are some vivid colors from the Tin Hau festival last week:



Tin Hau closeup



Pinwheels

Playing around with depth of field is one of my favorite pastimes through the lens. It's a lot like painting, where rather than bringing out every element to its full potential, you've got to play the editor and select areas for the viewer's eyes to focus on.

Fiery Photos

More photos from the Tin Hau festival last week. This guy just walked into the frame as I hit the shutter. I love when that happens.



Apparently I need to calibrate our computer monitor, or something. My photos look much darker on the screen at home than they do elsewhere.

Twos from Tin Hau Festival

under tin hau
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

This week is the Tin Hau festival, in honor of the maritime goddess.

Here's a pair of guys who carried one of the Tin Hau effigies into the village. It reminded me of the Italian festivals I'd see in NoLiTa in NYC. But louder, with the dragon-dancers and clashing cymbals.

dragon mirrored nose
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

mirrored dragon
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

keys to double happiness

keys to double happiness
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

These are R's keys and mine, printed onto the scrap of a silk skirt. It's got an interesting, open weave, which often means midtones won't print, but here they did.

The double happiness symbol can be found all over the place in Hong Kong, a good idea in a place where the pace can strain relationships. I got us these keyrings before Valentine's day; we each carry around half of the symbol.

A week ot twos

bougainvillea
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

Pair of bougainvillea branches printed onto handmade Japanese paper.

double happiness in green

double happiness in green
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

Cyanotype photogram of double happiness chinese symbol on green linen skirt.

two circles

two circles
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

Cyanotype photogram of two chinese stone bracelets printed onto silk/linen blend trousers.

cropped tea on rose silk

cropped tea on rose silk
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

Is it Friday already?! That's what happens when you're working every day: they fly by.

I printed this onto a rose silk blouse last week, a tea strainer (again) sprinkled with medicinal flower tea. You can see the silhouettes of the camomile and lavender flowers.

Some days I can't believe how twee these tea prints are, but at the moment I'm experimenting with different fabrics and exposure times, using whatever I find around the house.

Next week: double happiness and entwined circles.

Green Tea

Green Tea
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

Photogram of strainer and jasmine tea printed onto linen/cotton skirt.

brown yum cha

Hooray for Dim Sum! That luscious, savory and succulent start to the day. Here's a dim sum container and medicinal tea, printed onto a piece of what was once a linen dress.

brown yum cha - cyanotype photogram
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

While not the most appealing brown, this linen reminded me of tea-stained sketches and photographs.

By the way, all this fabric I'm printing on was originally clothes - but the clothes have never been worn. They're brand new, bought at export stores from around Hong Kong.

Red Tea Strainer

Red Tea Strainer
Originally uploaded by e.briel.

Cyanotype photogram on red silk. Creepy.