上海
February 2024 ––
February 2024 ––
The Great Wall of Silence
Shanghai seems like a cool city. Seems to be. I haven't seen any other Chinese cities, so I might be wrong. Its history has clearly left its mark on the architecture, yet Chinese mentality spills from these buildings, leaving no doubt about where I've landed.
A producer picked me up from the airport. Small talk quickly turned… interesting:
- You're from Poland, right?
- Yes, I am. It's a country bordering Ukraine, where there's currently a war started by Russia. And we, as their neighbors, are quite concerned about what comes next.
- You probably have a wrong idea about Russia. The West is evil, and Russia is just defending itself.
Just like that, my ability to speak freely was cut off, much like Google Maps in this city. I decided it was best to simply say nothing at all related to the work I was there to do.
Jet-Lagged Night Walk
What do you do after landing on the other side of the world? You hit the city. Knowing that the photo shoot wouldn't start until my second day after arrival, I ventured pretty deep, though I probably only scratched the surface of this city's vibe. Google was blocked by government servers, yet Apple Maps, Tesla... everything works perfectly here, which I don't quite understand.
The city itself, as I mentioned before, feels like 19th-century Europe or Great Britain, but filled with Chinese faces. You can't live here without WeChat. You pay for everything with it—public transport, food, taxis. EVERYTHING! I hit the streets on foot, not yet having fully set up WeChat. To pay for a river crossing on public transport, you, as a foreigner, need to provide your passport number and visa number within the app. It feels quite restrictive, almost police-like, but it's also incredibly secure because of it. Do I like it? Not really. But I'm only here for four days, and then I'm out.
I grabbed a bite, had a few drinks, and headed back to the hotel. And here's a funny, or perhaps terrifying, little story. Outside the hotel entrance, a young Chinese guy—tall by local standards and quite handsome—was puffing away on a cigarette (China is all about smoking). He then flicked the butt into a hotel planter with a palm tree, despite a trash can being right next to him.
I'll admit, I'd been sampling some local alcohol—what better way for a Pole to truly delve into Far Eastern culture, right? So, I pointed out that there was a trash can right there. He looked flustered for a second, then stood two centimeters from my face and screamed, "You, the West, you should all be burned!"
Not the Best Start. Well that was my cue for bed.
The City
Where Are All These People? ––
A Misty and Rainy Day OffYou fly halfway across the world, dreaming of unique lighting conditions for the best damn photos ever. Then it pours! People are huddled, there's zero light, everything looks flat. But you go for it anyway. There's no other choice. You'll probably never fly here again.
Shanghai in February: A Fleeting Glimpse
Barely any photos to show for it. The streets were empty, it was February, cold and drizzling. Nothing much to say, really. The few shots below fully capture the situation. But hey, I was there! I saw Shanghai!
Shoot Day
Somewhere in the Hall and in the Forest
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The time had come for what I was paid to do. It was a shoot for SMART's latest car, still in its conceptual phase for the German brand. The car doesn't drive on its own yet—it's just a shell with an interior and wheels—but it looks superb. Seriously great design.
No complaints here, though, because Polish shoots have the same problem: working from dawn till dusk. Except back home, we get overtime. Here? You do it in the name of the party. Probably. Nobody dares to complain. From 7 AM until 3 AM the next day? Hold my beer.
Weather Day: A Lucky Break
Oh Sun, I Love You! ––
This was our buffer day, reserved for shooting in case anything went wrong. Luckily, everything went smoothly. The client was happy. The director, being a director, would have loved to shoot more, but production held the financial reins tight.I woke up well past noon. I had grand plans to photograph the entire city, but I overslept (or rather, finally caught up on sleep!). Thankfully, the weather was perfect. Now fully savvy with WeChat payments, I took a taxi to the city center, snapped some photos of a Buddha statue and bamboo in the park, and then crossed to the other side of the Huangpu Jiang. That was about it; pretty much the end of the story.
KLM and the Gobi Desert
The Journey Home! ––
Time to head back. The return trip went smoothly. Shanghai... it surprised me, but it didn't quite captivate me. That's probably due to the lack of time to truly connect with the people and the culture.
From the plane, I caught glimpses of Jinan City, the Xiwengzhuang Dam, and the vast Gobi Desert (Dibiheerge in Mongolia).
And you can see the results of many talented people's work, supported by this journey, Right Here ︎
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