My landscape fine art photo, “Yellow Mountain No. 1” was featured on the cover of November 2014’s Bulletin of Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area (PPGBA): http://ppgba.org/wp-content/uploads/201411Bull.pdf
The Bulletin’s second page published this “Cover Story” for this photo: “This month’s cover named ‘Yellow Mountain in China’ was created by Joanne Tan. She earned a Blue Ribbon in the September Illustative category this year. Joanne tells us, ‘The Yellow Mountain, a/k/a Huang Shan, is one of China’s most scenic mountains, in Anhui. I went there in early summer 2012 with my two teenage sons and my nephew. Huang Shan is famous for the knifing granite peaks and strange shapes of rocks, mist, pines twisting out of rocks, an ocean of clouds and unique sunrise and sunset. There is a famous Chinese saying: ‘No need to see other mountains if you have been to Huang Shan.’ After climbing 5 hours of what seemed like perpetual stairs carved out of the granite cliffs, some were 90° sharp over dropping valleys, I took this shot before the Sun burned off the mist. Among 1,500 shots I took there, this is my favorite, for the majesty, mystery, drama,
and symphonic quality. The light condition was just right as the sunlight was penetrating the mist to reveal the mountains in the mist. Just a couple of hours before this moment, all
was concealed by the mist and there was nothing to see but mist. Some viewers of this photo said they could feel the coolness of the mist, others felt that “The cliffs seemed to be roaring
together.” It is a humbling experience to encounter powerful views like this in nature. There is nothing like it anywhere else. For those with good knees, it is worth going but avoid tourist
peak seasons and days, and climb with hiking poles! This photo was hardly retouched. See nature and other photos by Joanne Tan at www.PoemAndArt.com.’
In my living room I have a large print of this piece, custom framed with 4 mats, 6-inch border. It always looks breathtaking. Another version of this scene, “Yellow Mountain No. 2” is patronized by an orthodontist for her waiting room, and by private collectors for beautifying their homes.