Jarpo Ancient City - Jiuzhaigou / Equipment

What was the equipment taken during this trip to China?

Here is the list:
- Nikon D700
- 24mm PC-E f/3.5 manual
- AF-S 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
- AF-S 50mm f/1.4G
- SB400 flash
- the three lenses with their respective hood
- circular polarizers for the wide and tele
- 0.6 graduated ND
- a cleaning kit (microfiber cloth, air blower, Eyelead sensor cleaning, Lenspen)
- some large zip-loc bags (usage explained some days ago!)

all of the above fit into the bottom compartment of a Vanguard UpRise 45 backpack, the top part being used to carry other useful items such as sunglasses, raincoat, etc. A Lowepro waterbottle pouch was attached to the side of the bag.

What wasn't used? Well, the 50mm was rarely used and the sensor did not require cleaning.
What was missing? Out of convenience, a 24-70mm lens would have been useful for landscape photography to avoid changing lenses. It would have been used at 24mm and at 70mm mostly.

Over two third of the landscape shots were made with the wide angle; most portraits with the telephoto.

Jarpo Ancient City - Jiuzhaigou

Jarpo city from a different angle. It is difficult to assess how close the current design is from the original old town. It is still an impressive sight.

Jarpo Ancient City - Jiuzhaigou

On the way back to the airport, we stopped at Jarpo, an ancient Tibetan fortified city that has been recently renovated and partly transformed into an hotel.

Doors - Jiuzhaigou

Time to take the door. We are leaving Jiuzhaigou with a feeling that we had not enough time here. That might be a good reason to come back in Autumn. We hear that it is the nicest season in the park and we can very well believe it. We are however told not to come during the Chinese October holidays as the park and hotels are overcrowded. Best time would be the first week November.

Tibetan and Qiang Tribe Performance

A fantastic show, highly recommended when in Jiuzhaigou. The performance is about an old Tibetan lady going through the Buddhist rituals resulting in re-incarnation. She is having flash back of her earlier life in the process. The music, singing and dancing are powerful and exceptional, the stage lighting and effect just breathtaking. Better or equivalent to well know Broadway shows.

A mountain lake under the rain - Jiuzhaigou

And the last picture from the Jiuzhai Valley National Park. While the equipment was kept dry, the photographer was thoroughly soaked. Let's not keep everyone else waiting too long at the entrance cafe...

Shu Zheng Lake - Jiuzhaigou

Another view of this mountain lake.

Shu Zheng Lake - Jiuzhaigou

Whether it rains or shines, opportunities are there for the photographers!

Shu Zheng Falls - Jiuzhai Valley National Park

A majestic sight, even under the rain.

This is when one unusual item of the photo kit became most useful: the large size zip-loc bag! Yeap. You read correctly. Ensure that the lens hood is on. Place the camera into the bag, with hand access from the opening. Make a hole in the bag to fit the hood of the lens. You have now a very practical rain coat for your camera, that permits you to continue your photography session while keeping your material dry.

Due to the shallow depth of the hood on wide angle lens, the microfiber cloth is still useful to ensure that no drop of water rest on the glass as it would add blur spots to the image. Short telephoto have longer hood so water droplet are less likely to reach the glass. It is however wise to check regularly to avoid surprise when reviewing the images on a larger screen...

Shu Zheng Falls - Jiuzhai Valley National Park

Detail of the water flow within the Shu Zheng Falls.

Shu Zheng Falls - Jiuzhai Valley National Park

The Shu Zhen Falls is a round multi-level waterfall with thousands of water streams running through the stems and trunks of the plant life that grows from it.

Waterscape - Jiuzhai Valley National Park

A small stream joining the main river.

Waterscape - Jiuzhai Valley National Park

Another view of the Nuo Ri Lang Waterfall system.

Nuo Ri Lang Waterfall - Jiuzhaigou

Located at the centre of the Jiuzhai valley Y, Nuo Ri Lang is the largest waterfall of the park.

Mirror Lake - Jiuzhaigou

A newly wed couple chose the Mirror Lake for their wedding photographs. The calm of this reflective pool offers a strong contrast to the rushing waters of the Pearl Shoals Waterfalls just before the lake.

Pearl Shoals Waterfalls - Jiuzhaigou

Rushing water. Same waterfall, different location, feet were almost in the water with the 24mm glass on the camera.

An interesting feature of this waterfall is that it is growing outwards rather than eroding backwards as most waterfalls do. The reason for this is that calcium carbonate is combining with roots, leaves and branches to produce a matrix of cemented plant-stone, which then continues to grow once established. Additionally, since the water flowing over the shoals is shallow and filtered, lacking abrasive sand and gravel material, it has little erosive power that might otherwise cause the waterfall to erode back up the valley.

Pearl Shoals Waterfalls - Jiuzhaigou

Same vertically. I could not resist to post a second image from the same location... Almost in the water.

Pearl Shoals Waterfalls - Jiuzhaigou

Loud and breathtaking.

Pearl Shoals Waterfalls - Jiuzhaigou

View from the summit of the fall...

Pearl Shoals - Jiuzhaigou

Waterfalls alternate with lightly forested stream and mirror lakes.