A few months ago I posted a loving photo of my little girl hugging my husband and captioned it “why is it that my husband gets photos like these while all I get are blurry ones of my most unflattering angles?” And boy, oh boy did my girlfriends have comments about that. So many of them related to it!

If you’re lucky enough to have a partner who’s got an eye for photography, lucky you! While I love my husband, his knack for photography leaves a lot to be desired… His vacation photos look like travel advertisements, while mine are mid-chewing, blinking, looking away, or just straight up out of focus…

After all these years, I’ve given up complaining about it and resorted to the next best thing to having a professional photographer follow us around all day – the trusty selfie stick.

When they were first invented it was so tacky to be holding a selfie stick out in public, but now, especially with the domination of the TikTok generation, it’s completely normal. Seriously…

I’ve gone through my fair share of selfie sticks of all price ranges. From the most basic ones you find at Miniso to thousand-RMB ones that double as video stabilizers. Here are my recommendations for your best selfie sticks without spending too much, so that when you lose one on vacation, it doesn’t ruin your mood.

Pro Tip: Don’t get a traditional one that will only take pictures if you hold it. Always choose one that also doubles as a tripod.

Xiaomi 

Xiaomi is essentially China’s version of the Apple store, but with gadgets for everything from computers and phones to toothbrushes and doorbells. Their selfie stick is sturdy and you’re able to turn your phone for vertical and horizontal photos without having to reattach.

You’re also able to pick one up at any Xiaomi store in the country, which make it convenient for last-minute packing (and for replacing it when you lose it on vacation).

The Kind With the Lights

There’s no argument that your photos will improve drastically with the proper lighting. There are plenty of selfie sticks that now come with built-in additional lighting attachments. Those will help give you better photos, especially if you’re planning to go somewhere indoors that doesn’t have natural lighting. But they tend to need to be charged independently of the stick and these professional-looking ones with big round lights may seem like a great idea, but their design makes them a hassle to carry around in smaller bags all day.

The One With the Little Mirror

The quality of your photos varies depending on which side of the phone you’re taking your photos. The selfie side will have a lower resolution than your back camera. So, the selfie sticks with the little mirror on the stick are perfect if you’re picky. You don’t need to keep taking selfies with this one. While you can’t see every small detail, you’re able to get a rough idea of what’s being captured on your phone for beautiful, high resolution, photos.

Video Stabilizer Selfie Stick

I purchased one thinking it would be great for shooting videos and taking photos all in one. It wasn’t… They’re inconvenient to carry around since they’re a lot heavier than regular photo selfie sticks, and unless you’re planning on shooting only videos there’s really no point.

Not a Selfie Stick, but It Works

I got one as a free gift with purchase and haven’t stopped using it since. It’s a Bluetooth ring that controls everything from volume, taking photos, to scrolling TikTok on your phone. If you’ve got a phone case that’ll keep your phone upright on its own, then carrying one of these in your pocket means you can take selfies anytime, anywhere.

Plus, as a bonus, they’re great for scrolling TikTok or WeChat Channels videos on your phone from a distance.

Images: Mina Yan, Taobao

Summer is here and it’s the perfect time to take some photos! Check out these exciting competitions and workshops to improve your photography skills.

Gurushots.com Photography Contest 

Submit your photos to one of the world’s largest online photography contests! Contests are held daily and are completely free to enter. Each contest has its own theme: examples include nature, street, black and white, and adventure.

Gurushots uses a ranking system in which participants start at a beginner level and can progress up to “guru” status (level 9). Higher ranking is decided by achievements from different contests.

Every participant gets a chance to vote on the uploaded pictures, with a Guru’s vote holding the most weight. The best photos have a chance to be selected as a favorite by the Guru. A variety of awards are achievable, including Top 10, Top 100, Top 30%, or Guru’s Pick.

This is a great opportunity for both experienced photographers and aspiring photographers, who may be searching for photo inspiration. 

Tsinghua International School Summer Photography Competition

This year’s theme is “The Horizon”: submit photos of what you consider a horizon (figuratively or literally) along with a brief description. The competition is open to students from all schools in Beijing. 1st place wins a camera bag, 2nd wins a UV lens, 3rd place wins a camera shoulder strap, and all winners get their photo showcased in the Tsinghua University School hallways. 

The deadline for submissions is August 25 and results will be announced during the week of September 4. 

Beijing Photography Company Workshops

Francois Nadeau, owner of Beijing Photography, offers many different photography workshops. This summer, sessions will commence in mid-July. 

The various workshops include Street Photography, Intro to Studio Photography, Intro to Digital Photography, and Intro to Adobe Lightroom. Also available are private workshop options to work on skills more individually.

Visit the website to stay tuned for workshop dates and other photo-related news.

Capture the Magic! 5-Day Photography Workshop

This beginners’ workshop is perfect for young photographers aged 7 to 14. Either a mobile phone or camera is required. The workshop culminates in an exhibition of all the kids’ photos on the last day.

The workshop runs from July 24 to July 28 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Beijing Orchid Garden. The total fee of RMB 4,500 includes the studio fee, warm lunch, and an afternoon snack.

Only 5 spots are available, so scan the QR code if interested!

Enjoy your summer of snapshots!

Images: Pexels

High school graduation is one of the most important milestones in a person’s life. Whether you partied your way through school or dedicated every waking moment to your education, walking across that stage and receiving your diploma is worth remembering for the rest of your life. And being an international school student, you deserve graduation photos that are as unique as your education experience has been.

You don’t want to move on to the next chapter with generic graduation photos that look like they could be taken at any ol’ school anywhere in the world. You want something uniquely Beijing, just like your education experience has been. Jingkids has been working with Dave Hanssen from Dave’s Studio on our outstanding magazine covers for years, and we’ve taken the chance to chat with him about his top 5 recommendations for uniquely Beijing graduation photos that every high school senior should check out.

Confucius Temple

Originally dating from 1302, the Confucius Temple is one of Beijing’s main temples honoring the great sage, from the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368), the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The grounds of the temple house hundreds of inscribed stele, recording the names of successful candidates for the examinations for the imperial bureaucracy. And locals believe it’s good luck to come visit and pay respect to Confucius before major academic exams.

It’s only fitting that you move on to the next chapter of your academic career with a visit to the country’s most famous sage.

Temple of Heaven

Known for its rigorous symbolic layout, peculiar structure, and magnificent decoration, it is the most representative example of Chinese ritual architecture. Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties (from 1420 to 1900) worshiped the god of heaven and prayed for good harvests there. The large grounds are ideal for large group photoshoots, and you’ll definitely be able to find some beautiful spots without getting a ton of tourists photobombing your graduation photo.

Chaoyang Park

You don’t need to go to the most touristy places in Beijing to capture something meaningful. Chaoyang Park is ideal for photos where you want lots of greenery. It’s a favorite picnic and strolling destination for expats living in Beijing, so having some non-touristy graduation photos is very fitting to commemorate your time in the city.

The Hutongs

There’s nothing more iconic about Beijing life than a visit to the hutongs. Although, to be fair, finding a hutong that’ll accommodate a large group of teens in caps and gowns is going to be a challenge. But if you’re looking for a place to do photos by yourself or even with a small intimate group, having an iconic Beijing hutong be your backdrop can turn out some epic photos that’ll wow people for years to come.

On Campus

Last but not least, you definitely need to take photos somewhere on campus that show the name of your school. Whether you had a great high school experience or not, it’s something that you should capture in photos to remember for the rest of your life. Trust me, you’ll inevitably refer to your high school years later on in your life, and it’ll be an even more meaningful trip down memory lane with some photos from your high school.

To make sure you get the most amazing graduation photos that truly capture the moment, get in touch with Dave Hanssen from Dave’s Studio by scanning the QR code below.

Images: Pexels, jingkids, Uni You

I love photography, and ever since I became a mom, my number one subject has been my little girl. Since she was born we’ve done so many DIY photoshoots at home, at friends’ houses, and at selfie museums. For babies, it’s really simple to set up a quick backdrop at home, but once they get bigger (and way more mobile), it becomes a lot more challenging.

While there are plenty of professional photographers’ studios around the city, for amateur photography hobbyists like myself, a few hours at a selfie museum wrangling my kid for some adorable themed photos sounds like fun. This past Chinese New Year, I took my daughter and ayi to a local selfie museum, and in about 40 minutes I had about 100 perfectly themed photos ready for my choosing.

Photography museums are essentially places where each room/corner is set with different backdrops. Most places will also have costumes that you can borrow and most keep them in pretty good condition. They’re designed with great lighting in mind and most will have standing selfie sticks with remotes that you can borrow.

Pro tip:
Don’t do it alone. Bring another adult who can help because you’ll need it when your kids get super excited and just wants to run around.

Here are a few selfie museums in Beijing for those who want to try their hand at photography.

Beijing Whimsical Relief Pavilion is an interesting concept. It offers both photo background and stress relief rooms like entire walls decorated with rubber chickens, spinning bikes, and black light pillow fighting rooms. This one is a good option if you want to combine your photography session with some unconventional playtime.

Find it:
2/F, Yintai in88, 88 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District
东城区 2层 in88, 88王府井大街
Price: Buy your ticket on Dianping for RMB 49.9 per adult.

Van Gogh Art Museum is where you can get all photos Van Gogh themed. Each room is inspired by one of his famous paintings and offers props that’ll help you look like you’re immersed in the artwork itself. The downside to this place is that it’s run more like a modern art museum rather than a selfie museum, which means no costumes or selfie sticks available to borrow.

Find it:
501, 5/F, Wangfujing Bookstore, 281 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District
东城区 501 5层王府井书店，281 王府井大街
Price: Buy your ticket on Dianping for RMB 49.9 per adult or RMB 99.8 for two people

Seven Years of Costume Selfie Studio is strictly for photos. Built with multiple versatile backgrounds, like art studio, Japanese tea house, ’80s home in China, teenage bedroom, etc., it lets you practice your angles and try out your hand at photography.

Find it:
1901, 19F, Building D, SOHO Modern City, Jianguo Street
1901 19层 建国路SOHO现代城D坐
Price: Buy your ticket on Dianping for RMB 158 for 2 hours of selfie time.

Images: Mina Yan

Share a photo of your most memorable meal this year, along with a blurb telling us how it was special, to win a free lunch buffet at Sense a Cafe at China World Hotel as well as a studio photography session with Dave from Dave’s Studio. Let’s take a look at a few shortlisted entries today!

Pictured above: Asha & Isabella Rasmussen (11 & 15 years old)

“We love homemade food, and spending time in the kitchen altogether as a family is how we get quality time. Here we are baking Christmas cookies for the whole neighborhood, which is like one big family!”

Pilaxy Rasmussen, mother of three and jingkids Parent Board member

“A great picnic with friends, furry and human, out in Beijing’s green outskirts. Hear the babbling brook, smell the fresh air, taste the homemade sangria and just let your troubles melt away..”

Cosima Larissa, expat in Beijing

*Even though it wasn’t within the past year, this was such a special memory that we wanted to share it with you the way that Qi Shu, BCIS PTA president and jingkids Parent Board member, shared it with us:

“This was the ‘Welcome to the Parenting World’ dinner provided by Crittenton in Rochester Hills in Michigan. We were so excited and thankful for this amazing arrangment by the hospital to celebrate the birth of our child (Val Wang) and us as new parents. It’s amazing to remember they literally pushed in a standard-sized dining table decorated with flowers, which displayed top-notch steaks and wines in front of my hospital bed. They even played music and provided a professional babysitting service so my husband and I could enjoy our first dinner as new parents!”

We would love to know about your most memorable meal – share your photo and story with us by sending it to webeditor@beijing-kids.com or add Vivienne Tseng-Rush on WeChat. The winner of November’s “Most Memorable Meal” Photo Contest will receive a gift certificate entitling two people to an All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet (worth over RMB 700) at Scene a Café in China World Hotel, as well as a studio photography class with one of Beijing’s favorite professional photographers, who has shot countless jingkids magazine covers – Dave Hanssen from Dave’s Studio!

As we wrap up the Jingkids October Creative Writing Contest: Horror Stories (by the way, take a moment to vote here for the kids’ hard work!), we’re announcing the start of a brand new competition for November – the “Most Memorable Meal” Photo Contest!

We want you to share photographs of a meal you have enjoyed this past year, or will enjoy this month (can you say Thanksgiving?), around the capital city, whether it’s with family or friends. Even your family dinners at home count! Just make sure to write a short blurb (under 100 words) about the experience – what you’re eating, where it’s at, what occasion it is (if it’s a special one), and why it’s so special to you. Entries without a written description will not be considered. If you’re sending in a group photo, be sure you get everyone’s permission first.

Each participant may send in only one entry. Multiple photographs of the same meal experience are not allowed. Photographs will be judged on their creativity and ability to fit the theme.

You must be 18 or below to submit a photograph, but the people in your photograph may be of any age! Please ensure you have the permission of all people in the photograph to use and publish their image on jingkids’ website and blog. Photographs should not be doctored in any criminal way and only minor aesthetic touch-ups are allowed.

Participants can send in their photographs and accompanying caption to webeditor@beijing-kids.com with their details (first and last name, age or grade, and email address / mobile number) from now until Nov 25.

The winner of November’s “Most Memorable Meal” Photo Contest will receive a gift certificate entitling two people to an All-You-Can-Eat Lunch Buffet (worth over RMB700) at the Sweet Spot Cafe in China World Hotel, as well as a studio photography class with one of Beijing’s favorite professional photographers who has shot countless Jingkids magazine covers – Dave Hanssen from Dave’s Studio!

Here’s to making meaningful memories and sharing those moments with us!

KEEP READING: Did You Know About this Family-Friendly Cajun & Creole Restaurant in Beijing?

Images: Pexels

Photography has become a huge part of our life. With social media people are taking more and more pictures. If you have run out of places to go to, here’s a list!

Red Brick Art Museum

This place is perfect during autumn. With red and orange leaves surrounding the outside it gives a captivating environment. Red bricks surround the outside, while inside is a museum.

Find it:
Cuigezhuangxiang, Hegezhuangcun, Shunbai Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区崔各庄乡何各庄村马泉营
8457 6669

The Hutongs

If you prefer taking pictures at an older and more traditional place, here you will find what you need. From vintage shops, to local delicacies, they have it all.

Find it:
South Luogu Lane Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区前圆恩寺胡同 28号

Galaxy SOHO

This building is a perfect fit for a more modern take on Beijing. Even though there are many older landmarks here, it also has very developed ones. With the interior it will feel as if you are entering a dystopian movie. It is also a great hangout place with many shops and restaurants available nearby.

Find it:
2 Nanzhugan Hutong, Dongcheng District
东城区南竹竿胡同2号银河

798 Art Zone

This is a more artistic part of Beijing. Streets here are filled with artwork painted on walls, from graffiti to drawings. Many statues decorate the surroundings, making it the perfect place for photography. For art lovers museums with every kind of painting can be explored. There are a variety of cute cafes, restaurants, and vintage shops. People can even visit pet cafes, with many different animals to be seen.

Find it:
2 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区酒仙桥4号798
Tel: 5978 9114

Art Shopping Centre

This is a perfect place to go shopping and to take pictures. The architecture will have you mind-blown. It’s a great place to buy home decor and furniture, too.

Find it:
Chaoyangmen Outer Street No.99, Chaoyang District
朝阳区朝阳门外大街99号1-2层

The Orchard

For people who love nature, this is the place to go. A mesmerizing park with a bridge like the one in a Monet painting is what you will see. It is a great place for afternoon walks. If you get hungry, restaurants are available too.

Find it:
Cuigezhuangxiang Hegezhuangcun, Inside Beikou Guo Park, Chaoyang District
朝阳区何各庄
Tel: 6433 6270

Beijing International Flower Port

A perfect way to spend your summer is to go to a flower park! Here you will find every flower color you can think of. It’s great for taking pictures to post.

Find it:
Yangzhen No.9, Xianhuagang South Road (Baima Road North Side) Beijing International Flower Gangnei, Shunyi District
顺义区园区南路

Luo Hong Art Museum

This is a very popular place. Hundreds of people come here during the weekend to see this splendid atmosphere. Inside, there is a museum with photography. If you’re hungry,  a café and restaurant are available.

Find it:
Yanglin Toll Gate, Zhulin Road, Tianzhu, Shunyi District
顺义区开发街6号

Images: Zhirong Liu, Canva

The invention of the point and click camera and high-quality smartphones reignited a hot topic in the art community: is photography really an art form? As a photographer myself, I believe it’s less about what equipment you use and more about why you are taking photos and what you are trying to say.

For some, photographs capture something deeper, to represent an idea not immediately obvious. At first glance a photo can appear to mean one thing and then, after time, it becomes much more. For others, a photo is a form of reportage: a moment in time, frozen forever. These pictures may not be the most beautiful in the conventional sense, but they can say a lot about society and where it is heading at any moment. Then there are those who take snaps to show their friends or to record where they have been.

One thing all these have in common is an element of self-expression. You may not have the greatest camera but how you frame a shot will be your choice. It is you unleashing your own creativity whether you realize it or not. It shows others how you view the world. So, let’s face it, maybe that is art, at least to some extent.

Either way, Beijing is a city full of photographic possibilities for enthusiastic amateurs and experienced photographers alike. You just have to have a look around to discover the perfect photo walk.

Mocha Art Centre

A walk around the Aigongchang Cultural Industrial Park offers many different shooting possibilities. There are new galleries and workshops under construction and local hipsters are moving in.

The Mocha Art Centre has a unique golden entrance inside a funky staircase. There are now so many keen young people wanting to take photos here that you have to reserve a spot at least one day in advance in order to go inside and climb the stairs. The outside corridor is also popular with those looking for a trendy, fashion shoot-style vibe.

Address: 27 Xi Dawang Lu, inside Aigongchang Cultural Industrial Park (the Mocha Art Centre is a stand-alone building) 西大望路27号爱工厂科技产业园摩卡集团B座
Price: Free

Second Ring Road City Greenway

This is a narrow park hugging the waterway around the southeast corner of the Second Ring Road. Here the opportunities for good shots are probably best in the morning with the sun behind your back, and while it’s less known for fun family activities, it’s full of retired people who give you a glimpse of the old Beijing lifestyle.

As the path bends around there is also an elevated spot to photograph the Dongbianmen Watchtower from across the water and you can see trains pulling into and out of Beijing station.

Address: 9 Chongwenmen Dongdajie, Dongcheng District 东城区崇文门东大街9号
Price: Free

Hua’s Restaurant

Human movement is one of the great themes in photography and can often be found where you least expect it. Hua’s Restaurant is famous for Peking duck, but it’s also a great place to people watch. Waiters can be seen carrying dishes across the road in the back hutong to other parts of this multi-section restaurant; kitchen staff are busily preparing food behind large windows. And then, there are the acts!

Every night at around 8.15pm a series of traditional Chinese performers take to the small stage. Some of the acts have a food element like plate spinning or noodle stretching, as well as traditional face changing and “kung fu tea” acts. Even the building itself has a large Beijing courtyard feel and it is hard to come away from here without a few great pictures.

Hua’s Restaurant has multiple locations all around the city but the best one for photography is just a short walk from Beixinqiao Station.

Address: 5 Dongzhimen Neidajie (150m west of Dongzhimen Bridge) 东直门内大街5号(东直门桥往西150米路北)
Tel: 8407 9868

CBD View

Beijing’s iconic CBD is full of spectacular buildings, but it can actually be hard to find a good spot to capture the scale and beauty of Beijing’s business heart. In short, you might have to shoot it from a bit of a distance. Many photographers go looking for such vantage points at around a 2km radius from Guomao — that way you are not too far away but also not too close.

If you do find a good place to snap the city you can be sure that your friends will be asking where you took it from because everyone with a camera is trying to take an image that represents the gleaming new Beijing.

Address: 16 Yong’anli Dongjie, Jianguomen Waidajie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区建外大街永安里东街16号

KEEP READING: Young Students From House of Knowledge Kindergarten Explore Their Artistic Side

Photos: Qin Luyao

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 October issue

Sending Christmas cards isn’t as popular as it used to be back in the old days but that’s not to say that getting greeting cards (even e-cards) isn’t still part of the holiday season traditions.

In a few weeks, family portraits filled with smiley faces are going to start taking over your Facebook and Instagram feeds. Before you feel left out of the fun, we had a chat with Dave Hanssen from Dave’s Studio for his insider tips on the best family portrait locations in Beijing.

“Beijing has seasons and if you’re taking the photo in the winter, you’re going to have a hard time finding a photogenic park.” says Hanssen.

That said, The Great Wall is going to be a beautiful venue for the families who are willing the brave the cold and the wind. It gets windier up there than in the city but it also makes it a less attractive tourist destination during the winter which means you’ll be able to get those gorgeous shots without anyone photo bombing your masterpiece.

798 is a great location if you’re going for an untraditional background. You’re not going to find your typical holiday elements there, but you’ll be able to strike a pose in from of some fascinating works of modern art by contemporary local artists.

Red Brick Art Museum is another one of those beautiful backdrops that doesn’t exactly scream Beijing but is pretty obvious to anyone who’s lived here for a while. One of the perks of taking your family portrait here is that you can always run inside for a bit of reprieve from the cold.

Address: Maquanying West Road, Shunbai Road, Hegezhuang Village, Cuigezhuang Town, Chaoyang District

Houhai might not be as beautiful as it is during the summer but that doesn’t mean those hard-working rickshaw drivers aren’t there all year round. They’re usually jolly and more than happy to lend you their rickshaw (provided that you pay them to take you on a tour of the lake) for a family portrait.

While you’re out there, around the Drum and Bell Towers are little hutongs where locals move at a slower pace. For those who are happy to invite some strangers into their family holiday portrait, this is the place to go.

Hanssen has been working with beijingkids for years and is the mastermind behind some of our iconic covers. Some people have a knack with computers. Others have a knack for cooking. Hanssen has a knack for making kids laugh and capturing the exact moment of pure joy.

“I’m not just saying this because we’re currently offering a Christmas portrait package, but it’s a lot easier to take photos inside a studio than it is outside. You’re able to control your environment and when there’s no passerby staring and taking photos on their phones, you’re able to relax and get into the moment.” Hanssen tells beijingkids.

Dave Studio’s RMB 999 holiday package at their new location includes 5 retouched digitals, and one 5X7 print of each of the images along with hair and makeup to help the whole family look picture perfect.

Dave’s Studio
www.davesstudio.rocks, dave@davesstudio.rocks, 186 1296 3661

Photos: trip.com, anydoko.com, China Daily, dfic.cn, teanabroad.org, globalheritagefund.org, Dave’s Studio