Saturday, June 16, 2007

Restaurant in flames


Dinner is seared
Shanghai, China, May 2007 [Click to enlarge]


While waiting for dinner to be served at the hotel restaurant, I noticed the very large flames coming out of the very cool-looking oven in the middle of the very open-concept kitchen area. I had to get a closer look, so I took my camera with me and went for a little walk.

I propped the camera up on the counter and took a couple of pictures with the remote control. A really tall guy in a really nice suit walked over to me and started chatting with me about how neat the ovens are, that he understood why I'd want to take pictures of the very flamey scene.

He was exceptionally friendly. And as it turned out, he was the director of the hotel's restaurants. As it also turned out, he had just bought the same camera, a Nikon D80, as mine. So we yakked and yakked about the neat things we did with our equipment. I carded him, and he carded me back, so it looks like I'll be sending him the link to this entry.

Small world, eh?

Your turn: Ever have a neat moment with a stranger simply because you pulled your camera out?

16 comments:

Anna said...

These moments are just just one of the reasons why I love photogrpahy. I interact with people that otherwise, I might never have met.

Great shot....I SO would have done that too! :)

Michael K. Althouse said...

Yup. It always starts out like this, "That's a nice camera. I bet it cost a lot." To which I reply, "It wasn't cheap." I don't know if I bragged too much when I got it (I know too much is a relative term), but I have been the proud owner of a Canon EOS 30D with an image stabilizing lens for a few weeks now. I still have the digital Rebel, but it is in the trunk of my car mostly now.

Michele sent me at this unGODly hour!

Mike

craziequeen said...

In answer to your question, not really - being a painfully shy person. I don't tend to speak to people off the bat very well.

But your flames are absolutely beautiful - and who knows....the start of a beautiful intercontental friendship?

cq

Anonymous said...

Nope, I don't think I've ever had a neat moment because I pulled out my camera. However, I did get a weird look from JK (Jamiroqui) when I took his photo at a motorsport event!

Anonymous said...

P.S. - Neat shot :D

kenju said...

Not that I can recall, Carmi, except the mean-spirited wedding photographer who didn't want me to take photos of my flowers at the reception site. I guess he thought if I didn't take them, I'd buy some from him....LOL....wrong!!

Chad Oneil Myers said...

Good image, Carmi.

I just picked out a D80 for the company I work for as a Graphic Artist. I'm their primary photographer and will be using the D80 to photograph their trade show at the end of this month.

I recently saw the term "Photographic Artist" used in one of the photography mags I subscribe to. I never really put those words together quite like that before. I like to think of my self as a "Photographic Artist" as well. I think you are too, bro.

As far as getting spoke to because of my camera, it's happened from time to time.

Prego said...

Yeah. I was threatened with bodily harm in Brooklyn near Coney Island. I guess people don't like strangers taking their pictures...

p

here via michele

tommie said...

People constantly strike up a converstion. I am usually just trying to take pics of the kids in natural settings, so it is always in the diaper bag.

Anonymous said...

Yeah...I had this one homeless guy catch me taking pictures of a tree or something random like that and he paid me $5 to take his picture.

Anonymous said...

by the by michele sent me over....but I would have come anyway

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

Drat. My Nikon's only a D50. (0nly!)

Pat said...

No! That hasn't happened to me yet but I'm just a youngster in camera terms. However what did occur to me was a couple of language differences and usage. The other day jonnyb - a famous British blogger (he's on my side bar) used yakking to describe his baby daughter's being sick. He is very funny I should warn you. And the expression 'carded him' I assume means you gave him your card? Neat!
Michele says hi!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

I love that bit of BLUE-PURPLE right there in the center at the bottom...GREAT GREAT Picture, Carmi!

Susan Helene Gottfried said...

#1 is only six, Carmi! He's not IMing yet (although some of his friends have e-mail, apparently).

No clue what lens I have. A heavy one?

Here's the box... Tamron DiII, AF18-200mm -- does that tell you anything? Like I said, I inherited the set-up from my dad!

Gyrobo said...

I imagine the hotel advertises their food as being cooked by solar flare.