Rue's Photos - Update: 'Le Mans Classic '12'

Cool theme for your shots! Really does remind me of those old kung fu type of movies from the '70s. The first shot is nice and detailed. Also really like "chairs" and "buses." 👍

Ibonibo · Dec 1, 2011

Amazing shots again Rue!
Love the train shot (ctrl+s)

Cano · Dec 4, 2011

man your city excursions are even better than your car shots. I love these, they have such an urban feeling, but none of that graffiti crap, this has a real-every day life feel. It's awesome.

Mac K · Dec 5, 2011

Looks like the opening to an action or martial arts movie, very nice.

FishforRent · Dec 5, 2011

Rue
buses by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Really like this shot. It gives a sensation of movement and action. All of this set are well done. Your presentation talent is remarkable. It's amazing how the top/bottom black bars add so much (as well as the tone). Very impressive and topshelf! 👍👍

Rue · Dec 15, 2011

Thanks for the comments guys, they really inspire me to go out and do more. Here are some horse racing shots from a couple of weeks ago. Like the street shots above, trying to achieve a 'timeless' feel here. As in it's difficult to know when they were shot.

Shatin Races by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Shatin Races by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

And then this really interesting concrete works we came across. THought it would be great for shooting cars in then lo and behold I opened Top Gear HK today and one of the Porsche features was shot right here! I thought the mood lent itself to a kind of B-movie film set. So I edited these with a kind of foreboding zombie-esque mood to them.

cement10 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement9 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement8 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement7 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement6 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement5 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement4 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement3 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement2 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

cement1 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

MatskiMonk · Dec 15, 2011

Love the look of your work Rue.

I have a question though, how do you go about taking pictures of strangers? Do you ask them, before or after, do you try to hide it? do you ever get in trouble?

Rue · Dec 16, 2011

I don't try and hide the fact, that makes it look way worse. I sometimes try and make it look like I'm shooting past the subject by continuing to shoot a couple in the same direction when they've moved on and not making eye contact. This seems to work well. If people do clock me and we look at each other then I give them a friendly smile and they usually smile back.

You have to realise too that people in Asia have a very different outlook to photography than in the West. I've had cars on busy roads stop and wait for me to take a picture before carrying on and almost every single time in the street people will stop and wait for you, no matter how long you have that viewfinder to your eye.

The biggest advantage for me though is that I'm a 'foreigner' so people just let me get on with what I am doing. I have never had an altercation here be it taking photos of cars or people, all the experiences have been positive. I consider myself very lucky to have this hobby in such a camera-friendly place.

F1GTR · Dec 16, 2011

Really like most of the last set, you work really well with the panoramic format. 👍

Dac_Xint · Dec 16, 2011

You've come such a long way Rue, it really humbles me

Rue · Dec 27, 2011

Thanks, I really appreciate the comments! Really enjoying my hobby at the moment. I'm going to use this trip to the UK to try and further myself.

A Walk in the Woods by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Walk in the Woods 6 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

A Walk in the Woods by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

A Walk in the Woods by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

After Bourke-White

After Bourke-White by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

bourke-white-margaret-1904-197-24-hour-worker-u-s-s-r-1930-19-1749558.jpg

Cano · Dec 27, 2011

Rue
I don't try and hide the fact, that makes it look way worse. I sometimes try and make it look like I'm shooting past the subject by continuing to shoot a couple in the same direction when they've moved on and not making eye contact. This seems to work well. If people do clock me and we look at each other then I give them a friendly smile and they usually smile back.

You have to realise too that people in Asia have a very different outlook to photography than in the West. I've had cars on busy roads stop and wait for me to take a picture before carrying on and almost every single time in the street people will stop and wait for you, no matter how long you have that viewfinder to your eye.

I consider myself very lucky to have this hobby in such a camera-friendly place.

This...

Dac_Xint
You've come such a long way Rue, it really humbles me

And this. We have talked about it in the past, my friend. You are absolutely fortunate to live in such a photogenic and photo-friendly place. I wouldn't last half an hour with a DSLR in my neck in here. You have gotten every last drop of juice off your love of photography, and the fact that the place you live in allows you to really delve deep into your hobby, has made you an outstanding photographer. You have an incredibly good eye to catch things, your compositions are absolutely spot on most of the time, and even your post-pro is amazing.

We all are also fortunate that you live there, believe me.

CodeRedR51 · Dec 28, 2011

Do you sell any of your photos?

If not, I think you should.

Rue · Dec 29, 2011

Again, thanks for the comments. It's people like Cano and Dac_Xint who really introduced me to this fantastic hobby and continue to drive me on to developing my skills. I have a serious amount of respect for the work you guys do and I have a lot to learn from you. On the subject of making money out of photography, I don't like the idea of my hobby becoming stressful, but I would love for it to be able to fund gear, travel, etc. At the moment I just want to improve my skills, learn from the pros and develop a solid portfolio of work. Speaking of which, I have just put together this website. I am going to send it to a few dealers/garages in the local area while I am here in England and see if I can get an opportunity to get some photo-shoots out of it. Happy New Year all! Thanks for your support!

Rue · Jan 2, 2012

A few more from my UK trip. Weather is awful so I haven't been out much but I hope I can get some more photos before the trip's out.

Manor by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Church by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Cemetery by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Terminal by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Fallout by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Are we there yet...? by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Sheep by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Avebury by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

WIltshire Skies by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Stig2 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Some say he's just a plastic figure in a box... by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

St John's Street, Devizes by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Devizes, Wiltshire by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

St John's Church, Devizes by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

This was in HK the week before I came back to the UK.

Mercedes 190 2.3-16 'Evolution I' Cosworth by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

R1ch85 · Jan 5, 2012

All of your pics are stunning, Rue. If there's only one criticism I could make, it's that you chopped the top off alot of peoples heads at the Shatin Races.

You could easily make some money with your photography, it's just awesome. :sly:

Rue · Jan 7, 2012

Haha! Thanks and well spotted, but I did it on purpose. The characters were getting lost in the backgrounds so I cut off the tops of the heads in order to make them the most prominent part of the picture, cutting a swathe through the backgrounds. Again, just experimenting.

I am trying to make the most of my visit back home and today I went to the Hawk Conservancy near where I live. I was fascinated to see those majestic birds in action. There were loads of photographers there with their huge Canon glass; 600mm and the like. Amazing equipment, but I had to manage with my 120 quid 55-200. Happy with some of the results though...

Snowy Owl by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Where Eagles Stare... by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Golden Eagle by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Eagle by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Bald Eagle by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Preparing to Land by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Snowy Owl by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Untitled by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Dogfight by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Bird and Master by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

And some from the zoo that I visited the day before

Young Lion by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Meerkat I by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Meerkat II by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Lizard I by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Lizard II by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Seals II by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Seals V by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Rue · Feb 1, 2012

Huge update incoming. Lots of random stuff including buildings, birds and (surprise, surprise) cars. Getting a new camera tomorrow

Hong Kong by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Mega-city III by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Mega-city 2 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Mega-city 1 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

birds17 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

birds16 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

birds15 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Great Cormorant, Nam Sang Wai, Hong Kong by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor), Nam Sang Wai, Hong Kong by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Gull and Cormorants by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Nam Sang Wai, Hong Kong by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Black-headed gull, Nam Sang Wai by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor), Nam Sang Wai by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Nam Sang Wai by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Striated Heron, Nam Sang Wai by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor), Nam Sang Wai by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Striated Heron, Nam Sang Wai by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

United Colours of Hong Kong 4 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

United Colours of Hong Kong 2 by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

United Colours of Hong Kong by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

香港 Fragrant Harbour by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

VW Golf GTi by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Trees II by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Trees I by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

V by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

IV by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

III by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

II by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

I by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Nissan Fairlady Z by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Porsche 996 Turbo by R-W-P (Hong Kong), on Flickr

Boffin · Feb 2, 2012

Too much stuff on this page/thread to separately comment about but all in all very cool. 👍

Gawd I need to update my gallery....

Blitz187 · Feb 2, 2012

I find the United Colors shots superb! Great view of those buildings with great colors as well. 👍

Cano · Feb 4, 2012

My God what an amazing dump HAHA!

Some of those bird are incredibly crisp! my favorite, though, is this one:

such timing!

Also, the "United Colors" set is absolutely smashing. Where IN THE HELL were you?

Rue · Apr 20, 2012

Cano
My God what an amazing dump HAHA!

Some of those bird are incredibly crisp! my favorite, though, is this one:

such timing!

Also, the "United Colors" set is absolutely smashing. Where IN THE HELL were you?

I was on Victoria Peak, the mountain that overlooks Hong Kong Island.

Been a long while since I updated my thread. Since my last update I went out and got myself a new camera and switched allegiance from Nikon to the darkside of Canon in the process. I was offered a 1D Mark III at a price I couldn't refuse off a chap I met recently, the guy who gave me the opportunity to shoot the birds on the last page. He also sold me a Canon 200mm F/2.8 L-series for a great price which I am addicted to. The other day I went out and spent money I don't really have on the famous 24-70mm F/2.8 L which I currently have a love/hate relationship with. I hate the blurriness of the images on the screen, but love how they turn out on the computer. Anyway, here is a selection of photos from the past couple of months while I am finding my feet with the hardware...

This was basically the first proper shot I took. Not ideal at 200mm in a darkish car park, but hey.

por_996gt2_kc13_1280_03 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Nissan Skyline by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Stacker by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Hard Times Ahead by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Welder by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Nissan Fairlady Z by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

z_JH10166 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

z_JH10083 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

z_JH10237 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Sign Language by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Bric-a-brac by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Lamborghini Miura SV (Ex-Rod Stewart) by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Jaguar XJ220 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Jingoist by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Jaguar E-Type Roadster by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Lotus Esprit Turbo by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Jaguar XJ220 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Ferrari 550 Maranello by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Temple St by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Nissan GTR by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Tram by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Porsche 997 Turbo by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

zz3_JH10110 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Aberdeen, Hong Kong by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Shek O, Hong Kong by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Hong Kong by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Nissan Fairlady Z by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

nis_skyline_sha0khan_1920_01 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Nissan GTR by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Apothecary by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Untitled by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

z_JH10261 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

As you can see there was an eclectic mix going on there, so I decided that my photography needed a bit of direction and a unifying theme. It was due to this that I came up with my current project 'The Face of Hong Kong' a work in progress of gathering a collection of one hundred photos that represent a cross-section of Hong Kong daily life and culture. I have 50 so far and here are a few examples.

The Face of Hong Kong #06 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #18 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #17 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #13 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #32 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #38 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #43 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #41 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #11 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #05 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

The Face of Hong Kong #12 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

That kind of thing. I was trying to get away from cars a bit, but you know me...

Nissan GTR by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Lamborghini Gallardo by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Honda Integra Type-R by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

118 by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Trofeo Stradale by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Toyota Estima by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

Toyota Trueno BZ-R by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

If you got this far, thanks for looking! That's a tiny fraction of all the photos I have taken. They can all be found here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48817379@N03/

Cano · Apr 20, 2012

YESSSSSSSSSSSSS

I had seen the "Faces of Hong Kong" tag on your Flickr but I didn't know you were trying to put together such a big project. Good luck, you certainly have the privileged eye it takes to pull off such a thing. I also you don't stop shooting street-style stuff and cars, of course, but your portrait project really calls me, as I love people's faces. The guy smoking and the kid amidst the crowd are amazing, as well as the elrderly lady crossing the street. Long lenses sure help, right?

I'll be watching your Flickr closely, I sure want to see what you come up with.

Blitz187 · Apr 20, 2012

I am in awe. Some of the shots in there are just top notch. My absolute favorite has to be the R33 at the stoplight at the beginning of the set. That looks like a shot straight out of a magazine. Your "Faces of Hong Kong" Project also looks very nice. Interesting idea for a project. The ariel city shots are amazing to look at too, how where those taken? Were you in a heli or plane? Keep up the great work, it really inspires me to keep shooting and practicing.

👍

Rue · May 2, 2012

Thanks guys! I took the aerial shots in a light plane, a little Cessna 172 and it just happened to be the best weather we'd had for two months. We still haven't had a day like it since. Glad you like the photos. I have finally finished my 'The Face of Hong Kong' project.

The Face of Hong Kong by R-W-P (Rupert in HK), on Flickr

photonrider · May 2, 2012

Priceless work, Rupert. I really love it when members show pictures of their locales - and not only does HK seem a fantasmagorical place, your photos are so good I can almost smell the air and hear the thoughts of the people. The vista views are breathtaking. Great job - no waste of time here. To echo Cano - Mooaar!