How to Take Photos of The Bund and the Amazing Nanjing Road
HSBC building and Customs House on The Bund near Nanjing Road.
Shanghai is a large, densely populated and lively city which I’ve had the good fortune to visit on two occasions. As far as great destinations for travel photography, I love to take photos along The Bund and Nanjing Road.
The Bund, known for its grand and historic buildings, is a 1.5 km long waterfront promenade on the banks of the Huangpu River. It’s a perfect spot from which to take photos of the futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower in Pudong. Neon-lit Nanjing Road is great for shopping and night photos in Shanghai.
Known for its 1920s colonial era architecture, particularly neoclassical, gothic and art deco buildings, The Bund is locally referred to as Waitan, which translates as wharf along the muddy shore.
Historic Shanghai: How to Take Photos on The Bund
The above photo features the iconic HSBC building, with its magnificent dome and, right next door, the spectacular Customs House along The Bund in central Shanghai.
I made the photo, on a cold winter’s day, with the aid of warm, late afternoon sunlight.
You can see that light gently illuminating the side of the HSBC building and, in particular, the clock tower atop Customs House.
I remember being happy to include the multi-sided video screen, near the bottom right corner of the image, featuring a Westerner delivering a speech.
I thought the red colored background, against which he was standing, provided perfect visual harmony with the Chinese National flags proudly flapping on the rooftops of several of the buildings along The Bund.
While waiting for the breeze to unfurl the flags, I decided to include the line of people, moving through the space, to emphasize the scale of the location.
The final touch was to time the moment I released my camera’s shutter just as the traffic lights turned red.
It’s a subtle and, I hope you’ll agree, important visual element which helps bring the composition together by ensuring that red was the dominant color in the photo.
It’s great fun taking in the sights as you amble along The Bund.
The opportunities to take photos are everywhere, with historic buildings on one side and views across the Huangpu River towards the incredible Pudong skyline on the other.
Customs House and the HSBC Building on The Bund
Built in 1927, the neo-classical Customs House, with it’s distinctive clock tower, is an eight story high architectural icon along The Bund.
During Japanese occupation the Communist People’s Peace Preservation Corps used Customs House as a base from which to fight for the liberation of Shanghai.
Next door to Customs House is the fabulous neo-classical HSBC building.
Built in 1923, and featuring a beautiful dome, this six story structure is one of the sites from which the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank (SDP Bank) currently operates.
Oriental Pearl Tower framed by the Shanghai People's Heroes Memorial Tower.
Shanghai People’s Heroes Memorial Tower, The Bund
While wandering around with my camera I discovered this interesting structure in Huangpu Park, at the northern end of The Bund.
You’ll find the interesting Shanghai People’s Heroes Memorial Tower just a short stroll from the Customs House and the HSCB Building, and just across the road from the historic Fairmont Peace Hotel.
Located at the north end of The Bund, at the confluence of the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River, the structure commemorates Communist revolutionary martyrs who took the city from the Kuomintang Nationalist forces on May 25, 1949.
Symbolizing the unity of the people of China, in their pursuit of freedom and progress, this visually striking concrete monument commemorates Chinese heroes from the following conflicts:
The Opium Wars
May Fourth Movement
Chinese Civil War
Standing 24 metres (79 feet) high, it’s a striking sight and I had a lot of fun photographing the structure and its three converging pillars, shaped to resemble rifles leaning up against each other.
As you can see, I’ve made use of two of the pillars in the Monument to the People’s Heroes, to create a frame within a frame, for the above photo of the famous Oriental Pearl Tower.
Pudong skyline at sunset from The Bund in Shanghai, China.
Best Time to Take Photos of Pudong from The Bund
The Bund is a great location to explore and to photograph.
Perhaps the best time for a photography session at The Bund is either side of sunset, as you look across the Huangpu River to the futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower.
Located on the eastern side of the Huangpu River, Pudong’s development from farmland into a financial hub began in 1990.
Translating as the East Bank of the Huangpu River, and with a population in excess of 5.6 million residents, Pudong is now regarded as Shanghai’s central business district and a leading financial hub in China.
Situated in the Pudong New Area, a district spanning 1,210 square kilometers along the East China Sea, there’s lots to see and do in Pudong, including the following:
Lujiazui Financial District, home to iconic landmarks like the Shanghai Tower at 632 metres (2,073 feet)
Oriental Pearl Tower at 468 metres (1,533 feet)
Jin Mao Tower at 420.5 metres (1,380 feet)
Shanghai World Financial Center at 494 metres (1,621 feet)
Shanghai Disney Resort
Century Park, offering a large, green public space to both residents and visitors
IFC Mall and Super Brand Mall
Shanghai Ocean Aquarium
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum
Pudong International Airport (PVG)
Maglev Train, providing fast train connection from the airport to the city centre
Shanghai Metro, connecting Pudong to Puxi on the west side of the Huangpu River
Fabulously detailed mural, Fairmont Peace Hotel, Nanjing Road, Shanghai.
Fairmont Peace Hotel on Nanjing Road, Shanghai
You’ll find the iconic Fairmont Peace Hotel located at the intersection of The Bund and Nanjing Road, at 20 East Nanjing Road, Shanghai.
Built in 1929, as the luxurious Cathay Hotel, and reopened after renovation as the Fairmont Peace Hotel in 2010, the Peace Hotel is an elegant and wonderfully atmospheric locale for anyone looking for a taste of old world Shanghai.
What’s more, if you’re looking for a nice, quiet drink along the historic Bund, then I’d recommend the lovely Jazz Bar, located on the ground floor of the Fairmont Peace Hotel.
On my last visit to Shanghai I treated myself to a fabulous meal in one of the Peace Hotel’s restaurants.
Luck was with me that night and I was very happy to score a table, with an amazing view, overlooking the Huangpu River and across to the Oriental Pearl TV tower.
Old Jazz Band in the Jazz Bar, Fairmont Peace Hotel, Nanjing Road.
Evening Of Nostalgia, Peace Hotel Jazz Bar, Shanghai
Actually, my main reason for visiting the Peace Hotel was to check out the famous Jazz Bar, which I first visited back in 1995.
The band has played in the Jazz Bar, in one form or another, for many decades.
It must have been an incredible place back in the 1930’s when Shanghai was known as the Paris of the East and, interestingly, the New York of the West.
I reckon the long-serving musicians at the Jazz Bar must have seen it all, and I really loved my time listening to classic jazz tunes in such a wonderfully nostalgic environment.
All the more so because of the contrast one experiences between the Jazz Bar and the glitz and glamour awaiting you outside along neon-lit Nanjing Road.
I’d head back to the Jazz Bar tomorrow if, like Monkey, I add a cloud to fly on.
Sadly, I don’t, but I’m sure I’II get back there again. And I really can’t wait.
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How To Take Photos at Night Along Nanjing Road
Nanjing Road is a shopping mecca for many, and a great location for a night photography adventure.
It’s a very busy street, even at night, and at 5.5 km (3.4 miles) in length you’ll need to set quite a bit of time aside to see it all.
The good news is that, as well as all the glitz and glamour you’ll see along Nanjing Road, it’s also a pedestrian friendly street.
That makes it so much easier to react to all the opportunities for great architectural, people and night photography you’ll see while exploring Nanjing Road.
Nanjing Road architecture and skyscrapers at night in Shanghai, China.
Nanjing Road Night Photography Challenges
Night photography is not without its challenges. You can expect the sheer amount of pedestrians along Nanjing Road will provide as many challenges as opportunities for night photos.
Needless to say, you need to be able to find and operate those dials and buttons on your camera in the dark.
And, when it comes to architectural photography, you’ll need to be able to keep your camera still, so as to eliminate camera shake.
The good news is that, with brightly illuminated shops on either side of the street, there’s quite a bit of available light to make pretty decent night photos without the use of a tripod.
What’s more, cameras are so much better these days at managing low light conditions.
The advancements in high iso largely eliminate the noise and ugly artifacts that I had to manage, through the use of a tripod and good camera technique, on my last visit to Shanghai.
Nonetheless, despite advancements in technology, there is no replacement for good camera technique, and a keen eye for light and composition.
“The best way to make night photos is to photograph scenes that are well lit.”
Unfortunately, with literally thousands of people wondering up and down Nanjing Road, you may find carrying and situating a tripod to be quite a difficult experience.
The way I managed this situation was to start my evening with people-based, street photography.
This approach allowed me to photograph busy street scenes, by documenting streams of local tourists moving past some of Nanjing Roads more memorable neon-lit buildings.
Later in the evening I moved further up Nanjing Road, away from The Bund, and found a few more isolated spots where I could set up my tripod and create some interesting and more formally composed architectural photos.
It was January, the middle of winter in China, and a very cold evening in Shanghai.
Yet, despite the cold, I was so excited by the environment and so dedicated to taking photos, that I hardly noticed it.
Mind you, I walked a long way that night and, carrying a camera backpack and tripod can be exhausting, particularly when you’re walking along city streets.
At times like that I really hanker for nice, soft grass under my feet.
Traffic lights and buildings at night along Nanjing Road in Shanghai, China.
Nanjing Road at Night: ISO And Noise Trade Off
I photographed this scene of traffic lights and buildings, along Nanjing Road in Shanghai, very late in the evening.
Despite the hour, there were still loads of people milling past the corning on which I was standing.
Without any room to set up my tripod I steeled myself, planted my feet about half a metre apart, and took a couple of deep breathes to still my body.
That made releasing my camera’s shutter, at a shutter speed of ⅛ second, possible without a loss of sharpness.
Please remember, this image was made back in 2011, when built-in camera and lens stabilization was in it’s infancy.
The next camera I buy could probably achieve the same result, hand-held, at a shutter speed as slow as ½ second. Amazing!
There’s no doubt that today’s modern cameras offer fabulous image stabilization and noise reduction features. Nonetheless, good camera technique is still helpful.
Would you like to make sharp, architectural photos with a relatively large depth of field on your own night photography adventure along Nanjing Road?
Well, get used to holding your camera rock steady at relatively slow shutter speeds. And, where appropriate, increase your camera’s sensitivity to light by photographing at a higher than normal iso.
Just keep an eye on the iso, particularly if you camera is set to auto iso, as there’s a trade off between very high iso and noise.
However, at the end of the day, you’re going to be better off with a sharp photo that displays some noise, compared to a blurred photo that doesn’t.
Oriental Pearl Tower, at night, from Nanjing Road in Shanghai, China.
Nanjing Road Night Photos and Color Blooming
Can you see the strange appearance of the street light in the top left of the above photo?
Notice how over saturated that colored light appears, and how it seems to burst outwards from the actual light source.
In photography, this phenomenon is referred to as color blooming. Perhaps, at this stage, it’s worth taking a moment to explain the concept in more detail.
The imaging sensor on your camera consists of an array of photovoltaic cells that convert light into an electrical charge.
The charge reaching individual pixels is mapped, as a number, depending upon the amount of brightness they receive.
Blooming happens when an overly large amount of light is focused at a particular point on your camera’s imaging sensor.
This phenomena can create so much charge that it actually bleeds from pixel to pixel and spreads out as a blob of light and/or color.
There might be images you make where, for purely aesthetic reasons, this effect works by adding to the creativity of your image.
As a case in point, I made a quite atmospheric and romantic photo of light streaming out from an overhead light above a pier by the beach.
The image looked weird in color but, after rendering into black and white, the effect was more gentle and contributed to the nostalgic feel I was looking for.
However, more often than not, color blooming is a problem as it draws attention away from the major subject or focal point in your image.
As a general rule, photographers need to do everything they can to eliminate or, at least, avoid such visual distractions.
In this case, I made the photo featuring color blooming from a street light along Nanjing Road, Shanghai as a teaching aid.
While unsightly, I think it’s useful to showcase the dreaded color blooming phenomena.
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How To Fix Color Blooming In Camera
There are some technical approaches you can take, both in camera and on the desktop, which may reduce the occurrence of color blooming in your own photos.
The best thing you can do is to exclude particularly bright light sources from your composition.
Alternatively, change the angle from which you’re making your photo so that the light source in question isn’t shinning so directly into your camera’s lens.
Just by turning your camera, ever so slightly away from the light, might be all you’ll need to create a more acceptable result.
Depending upon the situation, and the desired outcome, color blooming and lens flare can either make or spoil an image.
If you find you simply can’t make the image without flare then perhaps the best thing to do is to try and compose your photo so that the flare adds to the emotional impact of your image.
If you still don’t like the resulting photo, try rendering the image into black and white for a more subtle result.
The Bund and Nanjing Road: Where History Collies With Modern China
While the photos in this post are from a more recent trip, I first visited Shanghai way back in 1995 when I combined a business trip to China with my own photography adventures.
Needless to say, I photographed this most recent Shanghai adventure with a digital camera kit.
However, my first trip to Shanghai was back in the days of film-based photography. For that particular trip my camera kit contained the following gear:
Hasselblad 503CW camera
Hasselblad 150 mm f/4 Sonnar CF lens
Hasselblad Carl Zeiss Planar 80 mm f/2.8 CF lens
Hasselblad Distagon 50 mm f/4 FLE CF lens
I loved the quality of the larger, medium format film and the image quality of Hasselblad lenses was simply incredible.
I also enjoyed the unbiased nature of the square format, common to all medium format, Hasselblad film-based cameras.
Having said that, it certainly takes time to get used to composing images into a square frame. And, to avoid wasted space, you really need to fill the frame carefully.
I was working for Kodak back then and presented lecturers in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
But China’s quite a long way from Australia, so I extended my trip with a few weeks holiday which allowed me to include a series of other tourist highlights into my itinerary.
My travels allowed me to visit and photograph some incredible places including the following:
Lijiang, Dali and Kunming in Yunnan province
Guilin, spectacular Yangshuo and the beautiful Longsheng Rice Terraces in Guangxi province
China has so much to offer the aspiring and enthusiastic travel photographer.
Breathtaking landscapes; sublime temples; architectural wonders, both historic and contemporary; and an amazing array of people from varied and diverse cultural backgrounds.
I’m not sure when I’II return, but I hope it will be soon. I’ve met and photographed wonderful people in China. Indeed, one of my closest friends lives there.
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