Brother Matt Atkin photographs the village of Tai O, Hong Kong. Thanks Matt – these are fabulous!
Matt Atkin photographs the village of Tai O, Hong Kong
Tag: Matthew Atkin
The Englishman’s eye: Matthew Atkin photographs Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco
It’s been a while since we published a set of photos from a harbour stroll – so I was delighted when my photography enthusiast brother Matthew Atkin sent these over from Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco.
He’s a runner and photographer rather than a boater, so can’t say too much about the boats themselves – but that doesn’t prevent him from taking a fine set of photos. Thanks Matt!
Of course explanatory comments – see the comments link below – would be most welcome.
As usual these days, click on one of the images to see this set on a carousel. There are links in the carousel that allow you to see still larger copies of these shots, which are sized at a healthy 1300 pixels.
Cormorant fishing and rafting at Yangshou, China, photographed by Matthew Atkin
My brother Matt has been taking more fabulous photos in the Far East – this time of rafting activities in the Chinese county of Yangshou. The photos are his  copyright, naturally.
Perhaps the most striking images here are those of fishermen on narrow bamboo rafts working with cormorants at night.
Matt was told by locals that the fishermen tie the birds’ beaks during the day to make them hungry, and take them out at night, this time with their necks loosely tied. Once the cormorants dive down and catch the fish they can only swallow the small ones – the large ones they take back to the fisherman and the birds voluntarily stay with their masters.
It’s a strikingly strange way of making a living and seems very harsh on the birds, which are of course prevented from pursuing their natural behaviours. But it you’d have to say that it’s very inventive.
The rest of the photos are largely of tourist rafting – the holidaymakers are largely Chinese, says Matt – but there is one fascinating photo of a boat that’s clearly an ancient prototype of the Mouseboat. This Googlewhack may give you some idea, and there are various plans at the Duckworksmagazine website. You can even a book from Amazon, Ultrasimple Boat Building: 17 Plywood Boats Anyone Can Build, that includes plans for several of them…
For more of Matt Atkin’s photos, click here.
Boat at Yangchou – photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
Narrow raft at Yangchou – photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
Cormorant fishing at Yangchou 1 – photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013
– photograph by Matthew Atkin 2013