Many of us talk about labors of love, but Jorge Selarón has been tirelessly decorating the St Teresa staircase in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for over 20 years. This massive living artwork, which is now known as Escadaria Selarón, or Selaron’s stiarcase, is 125 meters high and includes colorful tiles from all over the world.

You may have seen Escadaria Selarón without even knowing it: the mad sculptor \ painter Selaron has gained international acclaim for his mosaic tile street art – recently being featured as part of the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Bid video “The Passion Unites Us” (1:48), The U2 music video “Walk On” (1:55) and “Beautiful” by Snoop Dogg (0:25).

Seeing the staircase on screen and in person are two entirely different experiences – videos don’t capture the warmth and excitement of the artist’s community in Lapa, show the sense of awe that people feel when visiting the Escadaria, or give a sense of the genius of the artwork evident in the details. If you ever find yourself in Rio de Janeiro, take a quick break from the beach because this masterpiece is a definite must see!

If you would like to licence any of the Escadaria Selaron images as stock photos, click on the images below.

Brazil I Love You Artwork by Jorge Selarón featuring his head on his signature Pregnant Woman

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Mosaic Tiles of Escadaria Selarón form the Brazillian Flag

Escadaria Selarón – Selaron’s Staircase in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro

Selaron Brazil World Cup Mural 2010 at the bottom of the Staircase

One of many cats on Selaron’s Staircase

A napping stray cat on the Escadaria Selarón staircase

At the top of Jorge Selaron’s staircase, the color ends, and the boring begins

One of the many houses on the side of Selaron’s Staircase

The 3 Musketeers on Escadaria Selarón

Escadaria Selarón – Coca-Cola and Michelin tiles – Anyone can send in tiles for Selaron to use

The hallway leading to Selaron’s studio, next to the staircase

An unusual tile of a woman with three breasts in the Brazilian flag at the top of the stairs

The stairs are unusually dull when you look at them from above

Escadaria Selarón – A Mad Painter Selaron’s Lifelong Obsession

Escadaria Selarón – a tile depicting a Native American Hawk catching a fish

A Diptych of Selaron’s Pregnant Woman in English and Brazillian – The text describes Life in the Favela (slum village)

Tiles on Selaron’s Staircase from Atlanta, Georgia

Brazil I love You – Brasil Eu Te Amo Selaron

A video I found on YouTube showing the genius and the madness of the artist Jorge Selaron. My high school Spanish skills (Selarón is from Chile) tell me that he is talking about how no one used to visit the staircase and how he couldn’t sell any paintings before he started adding red tiles to the staircase. After he started adding red tiles in 2000, his masterpiece started getting noticed.

I just got back from a South American journey that put about 3500 more clicks on my trusty Canon 5dmkII. The trip was a photographic gold mine, especially when we traveled into the beautiful Patagonian countryside of Argentina.

This photo series covers a small part of the trip where we visited Magellanic Penguins on an island just outside the port town of Ushuaia, the southernmost city on Earth that’s also known as the “end of the world.”

It’s not every day that you get up close and personal with wildlife, surrounded by thousands of penguins in their natural habitat. I never thought I would get the chance to experience this – our adventure seemed more National Geographic or ‘March of the Penguins’ than something I would do.

If you ever find yourself in the neighborhood, do yourself a favor and book a trip with PiraTour for a once in a lifetime experience. Make sure to bring a telephoto lens!

4 adults and 1 juvenile penguin on a rocky beach, near the Andes Mountains

Hundreds of Penguins on the Beach of Isla Martillo (Martillo Island) in Argentina

A Young Penguin looking out to the Andes Mountains from Isla Martillo

A Young Penguin Scratching with its leg

Adult Magellan Penguins have a black strip one their chest – this one is laying on the beach

A juvenile penguin stands tall over two sitting adults

Lost in a sea of sameness

Approximately 20 pairs of Gentoo Penguins also inhabit Martillo Island

A Magellanic Penguin stands in front of its nest \ burrow

An adult penguin cleans its wing using its beak

A Magellan penguin stands tall in the brush

A nesting pair of Magellanic Penguins

Penguin Love?

A penguin in front of tall grass

A Magellanic Penguin walks down a man made trail

This one waddles in front of me

Even though penguins are flightless, they are said to “swim” through the water at great speed

This Skua is one of the main predators of penguins – it eats their eggs

Geese also live on Martillo Island with the Penguins

Another image of the beach full of Magellanic Penguins

Humans get back on the boat while a penguins says goodbye

Penguin Island near Ushuaia, Argentina – PiraTour from Peter Tsai on Vimeo.

Penguins waddling and swimming on the beach

Penguin Waddle from Peter Tsai on Vimeo.

A Penguin waddling down a hill

Australia was an awesome place to visit! Apart from the beauty of Sydney, the people there genuinely did seem to enjoy their lives, there was lots to see, and the food wasn’t half bad at all. In fact, some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had (and I’ve been to Thailand) came out of some of the many ubiquitous Thai restaurants in the Sydney area.

Overall, I would reccomend Australia as a good place to visit for Americans who want to travel but who don’t want to get adventurous, as the food, language, and culture of Australia are all relatively similar to those of the USA. That’s not to say that there aren’t unique experiences to be had down under… where else in the world can you eat Kangaroo and emu, see the Sydney Opera house, come face to face with one of the world’s largeset crocodiles, and eat a pie from Harry’s Cafe De Wheels?

Enjoy and be on the lookout for another post on Australia!

Sydney Opera House at Dusk – Available as a Stock Image

Sydney Opera House Ferry

Sydney’s Harbour Bridge Tug during a Rainstorm

Bondi Beach Walk

Bondi Beach Walk – Waves Crashing

Bondi Beach Walk HDR

“Bondi Beach Rock Cliffs

Coogee Beach Walk

Manly Beach

Bondi Beach Graffiti

City Market in Sydney

Kangaroo at Sydney Wildlife World

Super Croc at Sydney Wildlife World – One of the Biggest in the World

Boyd’s Forest Dragon at Sydney Wildlife World

The Three Sisters Rock Formation – To get an idea of size, there is a man standing on a bridge on the left side of the photo

Flying through the Clouds

Sydney Monorail and a Couple in Love

Sydney Tower View

Sydney Fish Market

Sydney Fish Market

Balmain Bug at Sydney Fish Market. Tasted like a big crawfish

Lobster, Shrimp, and Oyster meal at Sydney Fish Market

Beef Pie with Mashed Potatoes, Mushed Peas, and Gravy

I made it down to historic Birmingham, Alabama a couple of weeks ago to attend a friend’s wedding. Having never been through the city before, I was surprised by the beauty of the architecture, public art, and parks in downtown Birmingham.

However, Birmingham has seen it’s share of hard times – like any other southern city, the nice parts of down are adjacent to more run down areas of the city. Downtown Birmingham was no exception but somehow there is a timeworn beauty to these older buildings.

Lichter’s Sign in Downtown Birmingham, Alabama

A faded wall mural sign for Uniforms in Downtown Birmingham

Birmingham Alabama downtown YWCA

Jefferson Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama

Birmingham Art Museum

Birmingham Blazers Stadium and Mascot at University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB)

Memorial to Patriots at the Jefferson Courthouse in Birmingham, Alabama

Abandoned Gas Station

A James Drake statue depicting police Brutality at the Civil Rights Museum in Birmingham entitled “The Foot Soldier”

The Raymond Kasky Statue of 3 Ministers in Kelly Ingram Park (John Thomas Porter, Nelson H. Smith and A. D. King)

Lyric antique fire escape in downtown Birmingham

Architectural scroll detail at the Jefferson Courthouse

Old Style \ vintage blue Parking Meter in Birmingham, Alabama

New Ideal sign in Downtown Birmingham, Alabama

The historic 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham – this church was fire bombed during the civil rights movement

Civil Rights March Route Sign in Birmingham, Alabama

Oscar Wells Memorial – Birmingham Museum of Art

Police Attack Dog Sculpture at Kelly Ingram Park by James Drake entitled ‘POLICE AND DOG ATTACK’

“Firehosing of Demonstrators” by James Drake Sculpture of water cannons being turned on protesters next to the Civil Rights Museum at Kelly Ingram Park

Downtown Birmingham, Alabama urban decay

University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Campus sculpture – abstract dragon

A sculpture in Kelley Ingram Park of children behind bars by James Drake entitled “Children’s March”. The caption reads “I ain’t afraid of your jail”

Alabama Theater in downtown Birmingham

In an upscale suburb just outside of Kuala Lampur, something extraordinary happens every night. Just around sundown, a pack of wild monkeys descends from the jungle to meet crowds of dozens of people who are more than eager to feed them all sorts of tropical fruits.

The monkeys have been at this for a long time as they are all relatively tame and non aggressive. I even saw several of them eat straight out of peoples’ hands and cross the street casually in front of passing cars. Luckily for me, the monkeys are not camera shy at all.

As we were watching the monkeys, a local Chinese man told me that wild pigs would probably come down from the jungle within the next 30 minutes. Just 1 minute later, about 10 wild pigs appeared as if on cue. This event caused a flurry of excitement, as lookers on showered them with apples and grain and people jostled with each other to get a photo of the pigs on their camera phones.

Monkeys descend from the Jungle outside of Kuala Lampur

Monkeys really do like bananas, it’s not a false stereotype

A young monkey perches in a tree

A mother monkey carries child while eating a rambutan fruit

Mother and Child Monkeys eat Rambutan together

A juvenile monkey on Monkey Hill near Kuala Lampur, Malaysia grasps rambutan in his hand

Monkeys eat rambutan fruit directly from a man’s hand

An adult monkey eats a mango in the middle of the street with little regard for passing traffic

Wild pigs emerge from the jungle on Monkey Hill as onlookers take pictures

A woman attempts to feed wild pigs directly from her hand on Monkey Hill

Pigs are showered by grain thrown by enthusiastic observers

The pigs are more shy than the monkeys, they will not come very close to humans

Kuala Lampur, Malaysia – Monkey Hill from Peter Tsai on Vimeo.

A curled Hawaiian Tree Fern frond

Mosaic artwork at the Imiloa Museum

A hill made of ancient lava flows

A Hawaiian welcome sign with a pineapple

Ala Moana park near Waikiki Beach

Banyyan Tree near Waikiki Beach

A local man rides an ATV up the mountain towards Kona

Not sure what these native plants are

Purple Banana Flowers in Bloom

Mai Tais at the Luau

Hawaiian Waterfalls

Fruits of the Jungle

My brother and mother standing at the entrance of a lava tube. My mom has this hat with 2 LEDs in the bill. Pretty crazy!

The Ae Fern – a species unique to Hawaii

Perilous Sea Cliffs in Hawaii on the southern edge of the Big Island

Bronze statue of Duke (the one to popularize surfing) adorned with flower leis

Closeup of a Model Japanese Aircraft Carrier at the Arizona Memorial in Honolulu / Pearl Harbor

Fruit for sale at the Hilo Farmer’s Market – Rambutan, Starfruit, Breadfruit, etc

My Brother swimming up close and personal with a sea turtle

A Pheasant running wild on Hawaii

A Chinese Lantern Plant on the Big Island

A Spanish Cowboy Petroglyph (Rock Carving) – Hawaiians called the cowboys paniolos, which is a transliteration of the word Espanoles

View of the Punch Bowl on Oahu, Hawaii from the sky

Daytime View of Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii

It’s been a little more than a month since I came back from Hawaii and I’m still not done going through all of the pictures I took. This is the continuation of my first post on Hawaii – be on the lookout for a third post soon!

Waiting at the Honolulu Airport Hotel Bus Stop

Tiki Statues at the Place of Refuge – Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau

Hawaiian Tree Ferns Close Up

Shaved Ice at Matsumotos on the North Shore – celebrities like to go here

Oil Spill Art at the USS Arizona Memorial

Park Bench at Ala Moana

Cows Grazing on the Big Island – Most people are surprised to hear there are a lot of cows and a cowboy culture in Hawaii

This Sea Turtle looked like it needed a nap at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau on the Big Island

Coffee Trees in Kona – Coffee beans are the seeds of the red berries (you can see some on the far left side of the photo)

Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut factory in Hilo

Backlit dead Tree Ferns

Volcanoes National Park – Active Volcano!

I just got back from my first trip ever to Hawaii. The 2 week long adventure was amazing – Hawaii has to be one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world. There are so many things to photograph in a small area whether it’s gorgeous beaches, lush rain forests, delicious food, interesting people, or mountain landscapes.

It’s not just it’s natural beauty that draws people to the island. It has a wonderful warm climate which makes it’s water and waves lovely and inviting for swimmers and surfers. It’s the perfect place to come for a break because the people really do give you a huge welcome that will make you not want to leave.

There’s so much more than the beaches to Hawaii though. It is full of culture and has a great night-life. You will find something for everyone here, from bars, to lovely food, to great hotels where you can spend your evenings watching TV or playing about at www.foxybingo.com. I found myself wanting to do so much, that it was hard to find time to do it all.

No lie, it was hard to take a bad picture in Hawaii. Of course I had my Canon 5dmkII and all of the associated gear in tow to document the experience. Here is the first batch of photos from the trip (and a video!) Be on the lookout for more in the future!

Sulphur – y Fields Forever at Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island

Ferns in the rain forest on the Big Island

Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau (Place Of Refuge) on the Big Island – these were holy sites in the past

Tiki statues at Pu’uhonua o Hōnaunau (Place Of Refuge)

Stand up paddle boarders on a black sand beach in Hawaii

Fishing on the pier at Ala Moana near Waikiki

Downtown Hilo Streets

The View of Honolulu and Diamond Head

USS Arizona Memorial shortly after the shootings at Ft Hood

Hawaiian Rainbow

The Royal Hawaiian AKA The Pink Hotel on Waikiki Beach

Eating Fire at a Polynesian Luau

Sea Turtle on the Beach from Peter Tsai on Vimeo.

In March of 2008, I took a 3 country trip through Asia (see my past posts “Portraits of Cambodian People”, “Vietnam Modes of Transportation”, and “Taiwan – Portrait of a Nation”, and “Kaohsiung, Taiwan 2008″).

I recently had some time to look back on photos from that trip and there’s tons of images I want to get out there that didn’t make the first pass. It’s funny how sometimes your best work doesn’t come out until long after the experience, when you have the benefit of hindsight. This post gives a small glimpse of what I saw in Cambodia during my 5 day stay.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

One of the temples of Angkor Wat – This reminds me of Machu Pichu for some reason

Tourists climb to the top of Bakheng Hill Temple to watch the sunset

Cambodian stone relief

A long tunnel at Angkor Wat

Cambodian Guard Monkey

Cambodian Propaganda – We No Longer Need Weapons

A Cambodian fruit stand at night – selling Longans, mangos, bananas, dragonfruit, etc.

Cambodian Street Vendor

The view from Bakheng Hill Temple close to sunset

Ravana Shaking Mt. Kailasa carving in Banteay Srei

Faces of Kings in Cambodia

Angkor Wat Ruins

Photos from my trip to Spain in 2004 – the country is beautiful although I had mixed feelings about the trip due to some drama and an attempted mugging where I had to fight off a gypsy who tried to steal my camera! I guess it’s all funny a few years later.

On the way from Paris to Madrid, I flew over this little town built around a church. Yep nothing like this in the States! I know that this image has the trendy “fake tilt shift” look to it, but no Photoshop trickery here – the blur is caused by the heat of the jet engine.

Perros Calientes! The Spanish take their translations literally here. If you are ever in Madrid I wouldn’t get these… I think the hot dogs are the best here in the US. Also, Gofres are belgian waffles w/ syrup on them.

The old meets the new in a street scene on the streets of Madrid.

Looking into one of the many courtyards of the Palacio Real, the Royal Palace of Spain.

The exterior of the Palacio Real in Madrid, Spain

The city wall of Toledo protects this old city

Christmas decorations and storefronts illuminate the night in Toledo, Spain.

A street performer dressed up as bull fighter stands perfectly still on the streets of Madrid (in front of a currency exchange).

A family looks through the window of a tapas bar in Madrid, Spain. I didn’t get to eat the calamari there, but the tapas in Madrid were all delicious (with the exception of the raw sardines – yuck!)

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2009 Fall Winter – Austin based runway photographer Peter Tsai goes covers New York Runway Fashion Shows in historic Bryant Park in New York City.

Back in February, I was in New York to cover the runway shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion week in New York! It was an awesome trip, had a lot of fun covering the shows and meeting lots of photographers from all over the country, but freezing cold was something I wasn’t used to! After one week of nonstop shooting, long trips on the subway, a few “dirty water hot dogs”, amazing runway shows, open bar in the tent, and lots of celebrity sightings, I came away with some amazing images.

Here’s a taste of what that week was like in a 10 photo essay.

Historic Bryant Park during Winter – This was the last fashion week to be hosted in Bryant Park – It’s moving to the Lincoln Center next season.

Backstage before a big show – Brunette makeup artists work on blonde models 30 minutes before they walk the runway.

Before the show, dramatic lighting sets the mood and security makes sure that everything is under control.

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn talk to the cameras and to the crowd before the start of the Project Runway Season Six Finale.

And the show begins – models strut their stuff down the runway during the Project Runway show.

A model poses at the end of the runway during the Ralph Rucci show at NYC Fall Fashion Week 2009

A very interesting look from Narciso Rodriquez during NYC Fashion Week 2009

Not all of the runways are white, Akiko Agawa put on an amazing show complete with moody lighting and dramatic looking models and makeup.

The crowd applauds at the end of the Rebecca Taylor show at NYC Fashion Week Fall 2009

Tommy Hilfiger waves to the crowd after showing his Fall 2009 collection

I just got back from a trip to New York City and had my trusty Canon A590 in my pocket to document the trip. Take a look at the shots I got of the subway shooting from the hip while killing time on the many subway trips I took.

Peter Tsai Photography – Tokyo, Japan 2006 – Stock images available

I went to Tokyo in 2006 for 8 days… I had not walked so much in my whole life. Our feet were so sore at the end of each day that we had to soak them in hot water for 10 minutes at the end of each day. If I lived there I would be pretty skinny and in shape for sure.

It was a good trip, I got to experience the Tsukiji Fish market, riding in the subway crammed in like sardines, some amazing food, seeing lots of sights, and hanging out with a buddy I had not seen in 5 years!

Here are the photos I managed to capture, hope you enjoy.

A fish monger slides fish scraps around in the early morning at the Tsukiji Fish Market. (stock image available)

Kabukicho in the Shinjuku shopping district in Tokyo, Japan (stock image available)

A menacing spider statue (Louise Bourgeois’ Maman) stands outside of Mori Tower at night. (stock image available)

A mosaic made entirely of colored Suntory bottle caps pays tribute to Mozart’s 250th birthday at the Tokyo International Forum (stock image available)

Another shot of the Tokyo International Forum, site of many conventions

A store called Condomania that sells, you guessed it… condoms. Notice the happy cartoon characters on the walls :)

A man relaxes against a mosaic depicting the life of Hachiko, the faithful dog (stock image available)

A giant chef head in the kitchen district of Tokyo called Kappabashi, which literally means Kitchen Town. (stock image available)

People browse the shops leading up to Sensoji Temple. We went to Japan when the cherry blossoms typically come out (stock image available)

Taiwan is where both of my parents grew up, and these Taiwan photos are from my March, 2008 trip. This was my 4th time going back, and I had the privilege of travelling with both of my parents this time around.

Taiwan is a very interesting place to me. I have probably a hundred cousins and about 30 aunts and uncles living there, while back home I don’t have much extended family at all. It’s cool to be around so much family even though I don’t know them that well.

The culture is very different in Taiwan – I would say that Taiwan is a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, native Taiwanese cultures, and western influence.

Oh yea…. the food is amazing too (more posts on that later)

If you would like to purchase any of these images for stock, follow the hotlinks below:

Kaohsiung at night

Taiwan 101 (World’s Tallest Skyscraper) Tuned Mass Wind Damper – Stock Image

Speeding through Taipei on a Scooter

Dam outside of Taipei

Taiwan Temple Dragons

Kaohsiung Train Station

Taipei near National Taiwan University

Boats at Yilan

Shilin Night Market Arcade

Peikang at Night – next to Matsu Temple

View from Taipei 101 – Sun-Yat Sen Memorial

View from Taipei 101 – 3 Bridges

Praying at Matsu Temple

Traffic Hour near Taipei Main Station

Want to See More?

Peter Tsai Photography – Austin, Texas.

In my last post from my trip to Southeast Asia in March 2008, I highlighted portraits of Cambodian people.  This post is a portrait of a city (Hanoi, Vietnam) using transportation as the common thread that connects the photos together.

You can tell how far along a country is in it’s development by what the people are riding around in. Gone are the days of the ubiquitous bicycle all over Asia… as more money flows into Asia, scooters and mopeds are in. In the richer Asian cities, cars have replaced mopeds.

Vietnam is an emerging country but it’s still a little bit behind by western standards, but it’s really moving up in the world. The streets here are full of great opportunities for photography, and it was quite easy to get candid shots, as no one really paid any attention to me.

I was only in Vietnam for a few days, but I really enjoyed my time here.

Traffic moves around a huge roundabout outside of the Hanoi Sofitel

Ho Chi Minh’s Russian made luxury car

People on a rowboat in Halong Bay, an hour outside of Hanoi

Fisherman at work in Halong Bay

A crew member of a tourism boat in Halong Bay

Young men on a smoke break in Hanoi

A man sends a text message on a mobile phone on a street where no cars are allowed

Smoke break and a nap in Hanoi

Stores and vendors along the train tracks

A beer delivery boy in Hanoi

A resourceful man moves large packages on a bicycle

Afternoon nap on a motorcycle

A homemade motorcycle truck

Photos Copyright Peter Tsai Photography 2008 – Austin, Texas.

I got to go to Cambodia in March 2008 with my parents. We didn’t stay long but it was a pretty awesome experience.

We stayed in Siem Reap near the Angkor Wat temples for the most part so I guess we didn’t get a great picture of Cambodia, but what we did see was pretty eye opening. The people there definitely don’t have much – it’s a much more simple place and it feels like a different time.

My dad said Cambodia now is a lot like Taiwan when he was growing up – very rural, not a lot of money and life is pretty hard. Still, there’s an energy about the people that was fascinating to capture and it was interesting to see how people can persevere in any circumstances (and Cambodia has been through some terrible times in recent history) and even be happy in spite of a lack of wealth or material things.

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Motorcycle for Four

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Floating Market Banana Vendor

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Family Outing by Boat

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Cambodian Mother and Child

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Child Boat Hand

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Young Boat Pilots

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Playful Boy at Angkor Wat

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Angkor Wat Street Vendor 1

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Angkor Wat Street Vendor  2

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Angkor Wat Street Vendor 3 (Candy Girl)

Siem Reap, Cambodia – Boy with Knife

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 2009 Spring in Los Angeles – Austin based runway photographer Peter Tsai covers the LA Fashion Week Runway Shows at Smashbox Studios.

I went out to LA to cover the runway shows at Mercedes-Benz Fashion week in October 2008. It was my third time in LA, and I had a good time. LA Fashion week is a bit more low key than the other bigger shows in cities like New York and Paris, but it was still cool seeing how fashion is on the West coast.

The weather was great and I got to take in some sights in addition to shows and see some celebrities as well. Some of the bigger names at the show this year were Christian Audigier of Ed Hardy Fame, Lana Fuchs, and Kevan Hall. Some celebrities that made appearances were Lauren Conrad from the Hills, Kim Kardashian , and Holly from The Girls next door.

Check out some of the shots I got from the runway – not a bad way to spend a week.

Breakdancing kids take center stage during the very colorful Ed Hardy runway show

Models show off swimwear looks from the Ed Hardy Line at the end of the show

A teal dress from the Julia Clancey line

All of the girls come out at the end of the Julia Clancey show

Beach Bunny Swimwear

Lana Fuchs Wedding Gown – This dress was a sensation at the show

Models show off the dresses of the Lana Fuchs line

Joseph Domingo shows off a layered dress

October 2008, Lauren Conrad shows off her Spring collection in Los Angeles

Located near the southern tip of the island, Kaohsiung is a large city in Taiwan that recently had a face lift. With a newly developed waterfront project, a brand new subway, and a high speed rail line that goes all the way to Taipei in the North, Kaohsiung has become a popular destination in Taiwan. Check out the photos I took during 1 day in Kaohsiung in March, 2008.

Underneath a lighted bridge on the “Love River” on the Kaohsiung Waterfront

The brand new Central Park Station on the Kaohsiung MRT

My family waits for a train on the MRT

View from the former British Consulate

The stairs leading up to the former British Consulate in Kaohsiung at Takao (means hitting the dog – I have no idea why it’s called that)

I just got back from a business trip to Seattle last night. Didn’t have too much time to shoot photos, but I got a few good ones. The leaves are turning in Seattle – lots of yellow, orange, and red out there. It’s the cloudy season out there right now – It was only sunny for one of the 5 days I was out there (the first 5 photos are from the first day). Food was awesome there – Went to Ivar’s Salmon House and had the best salmon of my life.

Mount Rainer from the airplane. We got a pretty good view – flew around a couple of times while we were waiting to land.

A closeup view of Seattle’s skyline. On the left you can see the Safeco stadium and the space needle.

The view from our hotel in Bellevue, WA (about 20 mins away from downtown). You can see the seattle skyline in the distance. Also, you can see lake Washington in front of the skyline too.

View of Bellevue from my hotel window

My hotel room. Microsoft hooked it up.

Museum of Flight – I think this is a 737. They also had Eisenhower’s Air Force One and a Concorde

Museum of Flight main exhibition hall

WWII exhibit – this is P-40 fighter from the Flying Tigers. My dad said he saw some of these planes when he was a little kid

Microsoft Museum in Redmond.

Bboy circle at The War Room – Circle of Fire and about 20 other bboys were there that night.

A piece of the Berlin Wall on Microsoft Campus. This thing is huge – 12 feet tall. Check out the vintage graffiti too!