Guizhou May 25.

Doing photography as a freelancer, as I’ve previously mentioned, really has it’s ups and downs. Some months you’re struggling, too much time and not enough income, and sometimes it’s the opposite. During these quiet-spells there’s plenty of ways I find to fill the time. I teach. I read. I write. And sometimes, just sometimes, I get to go on magnificent adventures. At the end of May, 2025, I was offered the chance to join a handful of media people around Guizhou, taking in the sights of lesser-know but potential tourism attractions. Now I’ve been to several of the more popular hotspots, the Great Wall, the Avatar mountain, Guilin and the 20rmb-note boat tour, plus tons of others my failing memory has difficulty in recalling. But these places can oftentimes leave you feeling a bit sweet and sour. The heat, the traveling to and from, and the sheer numbers of people can sometimes make you wish you’d just stayed at home with a chilled bottle of prosecco and a good book. But this trip around Guizhou was to be different. Small places, quiet places, full of charm but empty of tourists. Now this really was my cup of cha.

One of our media chaps gets a facial.

The other lovely people on the trip were all photographers, videographers, and journalists from different branches of the media here. All very nice people indeed. It was a week away, a lot of changing hotels and driving here there and everywhere, but Tesla were in some part supporting the trip, so at least we had two gorgeous cars to carry us around. The places we went to were quiet, but not boring. Bridges, ruins, places of historical importance, parks, a temple, ancient (or sometimes not quite so ancient) town areas. All very pretty, very quaint, and very charming. Over the course of those days I saw some pretty incredible scenery, as Guizhou has a ton of mountains and rivers and forests, and had some nice conversations with warm and welcoming people. And what I enjoyed most, was just taking photos with zero pressure. There were no real expectations placed on me to deliver anything special, just potter around and grab some snaps here and there. And doing that is just about my favourite way to spend some time.

If I ever get married, this is how I want my wife to look at me.

For fun, this lady catches wild birds then ties string around their legs. Entertainment in rural areas is scarce.

This little chap was pretty impressed whilst watching the drone fly.

This blog post thing is a very brief one, more like just a few words to go with some pictures. But one thing I will mention is this astonishing gentleman I managed to grab a few words with, with the translation help of a lovely lady who was there to guide us round the old temple area. Him and his wife were bent over double, knee deep in water, planting rice in their paddy field. I asked him for a photo and he agreed, and he engaged in some small talk. Where are you from, what are you doing etc. Then he asked me my age. This is quite an unusual question, not part of the usual line of routine askings. I told him, and asked him the same. “78” he replied, and I was far more shocked than surprised. Farming, especially planting rice, is back breaking work, and here he was, strong as an ox and not looking a day over 55. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be working as hard as he was when (if) I get to 78, but damn, I hope I’m as physically able as he is.

The aforementioned farmer. 78 and fit as a butchers dog.

This little princess was both equally shy and inquisitive, bless her.

I’m very lucky, and very grateful, to be invited on these trips a few times a year. They let you see places you’d never normally be able to, and meet some super interesting people along the way. It will be hard to beat the trip to Yueyang for sheer fun and enjoyment, but this trip around Guizhou was more about slowing things down, closing your mouth and opening your eyes. It was quiet, it was slow, and it was very enjoyable. Guizhou is probably my favourite province I’ve visited in China, but there are plenty more I haven’t had the chance to see, yet. Every time I’m in Guizhou feels like a totally different experience, and I’m very much looking forward to going back there again soon. Many photo-people can only dream about being a full-time travel photographer. I know it’s my dream, but those guys have far more skills and talent than I am blessed with. But, at least for a few days, on these trips, I can dream.

Long, happy days, and warm golden-hour sun.

Photography Blabber; For these days I need something reliable, tough, and rain proof. The weather was looking very changeable from day to day, and I didn’t want to be a total fanny and be worrying about it getting dusty or wet or dropped a few times. I took my 5D4, and although I took 3 lenses, I only used the 24-105 f4. That combo is such a workhorse of a set-up, it’s never failed me, from minus 16 to plus 40, through typhoons and floods. Towards the end of this year I’ll be looking to upgrade to a mirrorless full-frame, just to enable me to do more video stuff, but for just images, the 5D4 is a killer camera. It’s a heavy and cumbersome beast, but after all, like Boris says, “Heavy is good. Heavy is reliable.”

Equal parts functional, practical, and ridiculous. But what a smile!