The sun sets on the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall of China as it has for countless centuries past.

During the day we made the hike from Jinshanling out to Gubeikou and back. Although the views were spectacular and we were lucky to get clear skies, the light was harsh kind you get during the middle of the day. After returning back to camp, I picked up my tripod and head out again, aiming to return to a spot I'd identified for sunset.

This was one of the views that greeted me as I reached the wall. The rest of the evening was essentially a race between the setting sun and me trying to get to my chosen spot on tired legs.

Jinshanling-Gubeikou Great Wall, Luanping County, China, 2015

Sony Alpa 7R with Samyang 14mm f/2.8

Tags:   china great wall Great Wall jinshanling square camera:sony_a7r f:ultrawide desaturated blackandwhite structure world gubeikou wonder sunset sunstar

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The sun sets over an array of Karst peaks above sleepy fishing town of Xingping in southern China.

Lao Zhai is as steep and as heavily wooded as the peaks you see in this photo, but a path to the top of it has been made for travellers so the climb was easy if not tiring when done in under 25 minutes. The climb was rewarded with this view across the Li River at the hundreds upon hundreds of similar peaks towering over the picturesque river valley below.

This is large panorama that would print 2.5m wide at photo resolution.

Lao Zhai, Xingping, Guilin, China

Sony a7R with Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 OSS

Tags:   china karst xingping yangshuo peaks sunset haze mountains li river camera:sony_a7r f:long panorama lao zhai shan guilin

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In a fallen nest one chick struggles to survive as its sibling lies blue in death.

After a morning shooting a remarkable sunrise, we visited a nearby abandoned stone village. While wandering through the village that was swiftly being taken over by the jungle, we spotted a nest on the ground inside one of the structures. It appeared that a bird had made a nest in one of the beams of the now roofless house. Somehow it had fallen out and the mother bird was nowhere in sight.

While one chick was still moving slowly the other was completely still and blue. Despite the nature photographer's rule of not disturbing or influencing what you photograph, I didn't object when the nest was gingerly lifted back up to the rafters above in the hope that the little bird would survive.

It was quite a moving experience while on our holiday, reminding us that despite us having a great time enjoying all the beauty in nature, life in general is a struggle.

Guangxi, China, 2015

Sony a7R with Zeiss FE 55mm f/1.8

Tags:   birds life harsh death china nest fledglings square story camera:sony_a7r

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In southern China, the Li River wends its way around fishing villages on its way southwards.

Like many good photographic adventures, this one began in the small hours of the morning at around 4am. After an hour's drive and a lungbursting hike straight up a karst mountain, this view was our reward. At the top we watched the sun rise and I took this photo shortly after the sun started drawing lines through the morning mist.

This photo is a panorama of a 3 handheld images.

Guangxi, China, 2015

Sony a7R with Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art

Tags:   camera:sony_a7r panorama sunrise china guanxi xingping mountain river Li Li River fishing village hike sunbeam f:ultrawide cinemascope

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Seeing the Great Wall of China disappear into the dusk on one side and stretch beyond the sunset on the other was a bittersweet experience.

While the sheer strength of will to build something of this stupefying scale beggars the imagination, the thought of the number of people that died in its construction adds a sad tinge to the feeling. Either way, it's proof that when humanity focuses itself it can achieve amazing feats.

We were spending a few days hiking along the wall and spent most of our time atop it during the daylight hours which was ideal for seeing just how expansive the structure is. Pausing at nearly any point on the wall you could follow it away from you, above the tops of numerous mountains ahead of you, and when you looked carefully at the farthest ridges rendered contrastless by atmosphere, you could still pick out the towers continuing on and on. Truly amazing.

However, I really wanted to be back on the wall as the sun set to get more interesting light. During the day I picked out a few spots that I could jog back to after our party was back at our accommodation. This was one of them.

Climbing back up to the wall and then jogging along it to get here in time to capture the very last colour of the sun was tough on already tired legs but worth it to have this moment with nobody else around. Apart from the ghosts of those who built this amazing structure of course :)

Jinshanling, Luanping County, China, 2015

Sony a7R with Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 OSS

Tags:   cinemascope china great wall wonder jinshanling gubeikou camera:sony_a7r f:long panorama dusk sunset

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