Beijing in July

Hey, I have been invited to a conference in Beijing. Heard it is hot and

rainy....possibly the worst time of the year. Any advice? I would like to

photograph Great Wall, the Forbidden City and a few other iconic places.

 

Hows the lighing during this time of year? Any direct sun light can be

expected? Dramatic Clouds?

 

Thanks so much

Smog with a visibility on the ground of around 200-300m or less. Sun above the muck, but it does not penetrate to the ground, so people leave almost no shadows. Compass is needed to figure out where to go reliably.

 

Might be better at the great wall, lightwise.

Beijing is very polluted Amy,especially in Summer.Its evan worth wearing an anti-germ mask.Rent a bike, its the best way to go around.Choose an old one as the new ones tend to be stolen.Try to get a mini bus to a more obscure part of the Great Wall.The normal tourist parts are impressive but crowded and commercial.China is an extremely impersonal place so dont expect people to be helpful.but generally they have nothing against having there photo taken.There is always something weird and wonderful to be seen if you walk around the outskirts of the forbidden city.john

I was in Beijing in July and like the others have said it is hazy and I only saw blue sky once in the 4 weeks that we were in China. here is a link to some photos so you can get an idea of what it is like.

http://riwong.smugmug.com/gallery/532257#22240649

 

The nice thing is that you can shoot anytime of the day. infared came out ok and I was able to cut through the haze. It is very hot and when it rains it is like being in a warm shower.

 

I found that shooting detail and night shots came out the best. Bring a tripod. and shoot the night market in Beijing. Avoid the tours going to the great wall you will spend more time in the stores than at the wall. We had the bus to ourself so we decided to not to come back in two hours and took our time. We were told that there is a hotel at the great wall if you want to get morning or evening shots.

:( Looks like not the best time to photograph anything (or to have good health). Thanks for your info, guys..(fingers still crossed.)

I was just in Beijing the week before last and can confirm what others have said. Moreover, a lot of things are being renovated or repaired or rebuilt in preparation for the Olympics. I was very impressed with the Forbidden City but several of the major buildings are under wraps as they are undergoing renovation. On the other hand, the renovation of the Temple of Heaven has been completed and the colors as they have been restored are beautiful.

 

Interestingly, I thought the smog enhanced the Great Wall. It made it look almost like it was shrouded in mist.