Me:
Hello, and thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Neil Wade and I’m a freelance photographer currently living in Taipei, Taiwan. This is not my professional portfolio. If you’d like to see my professional photography website, please have a look at my Taiwan and Asia travel photography website.
Good times and friendly company on a long bus ride in Tibet.
This Blog:
I started this blog not knowing what direction it might take. I wanted an easily updateble creative outlet and I wanted to help other photographers get inspired, or maybe learn a thing or two. I’m happy with what I’ve done so far, and I hope that you like it too.
The blog seems to have taken at least two three distinct directions:
The first is a mix of my photography with some tips, advice and inspiration. I hope it can help new photographers figure out this complicated medium. If you’ve found it useful, I’d love to hear about it.
The second direction it has taken is an insight to the good life in Taiwan. I try to exhibit the beautiful side of Taiwan… The mountains, the roads and the culture.
A third and new direction that I’ve taken is revisiting some of the places that I’ve visited in my travels. I’ve started what will be a long series of blog posts on Tibet.
Thanks again,
-Neil
Click here to see Neil's website.
Check Neil Wade Photography for more.
Email: nw.photo(at)yahoo.com
Neil Wade's Photography Blog 
I am glad to have come upon your site, very interesting and informative.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
I love your site. Keep it up !
You know Mordeth13 ? He is a canadian that lives in Taipei has a biker youtube channel… super funny guy.
No, I don’t know him. I’ll have a look for his videos though!
Neil – so the article about you in The Mercury. Love the photos, and though I generally am horrible at taking photos, perhaps some of this advice will help even a schmuck like me. Great work. Glad to hear you seem to be living your dream.
Thanks Ryan. I hope things are going well for you, too. If you ever have any questions about photography, let me know!
Your site is great. I am on my way to Taipei next week and am so excited. This will be the first opportunity I will have to photograph Taipei. I was there many years ago and it rained the entire time I was there. I really love getting out and finding the heart of a city through photography. You have certainly captured that with your photography.
I am shooting Canon equipment. I will be limited to about 3 lenses so what lenses would be the best to bring? I have a 24/1.4L, 70-200/2.8L, 24-105/4L and 85/1.2L. I also have the old 200/1.8 but I think that one is a little heavy to drag around.
Thanks for the photos and the advice.
Thanks for the nice words. When traveling, I always try to pack as light as I can. It’s hard for me to give you recommendations without knowing your shooting style, but the 24-105 is a must. I would probably shoot with that lens 90% of the time. If you like to get portraits, that 85 has fantastic bokeh when shot wide open. I would definitely leave the 200 behind and seriously think about leaving the 70-200 behind to save weight. But, if you really like using it and don’t mind lugging it around, it’s a fantastic lens too!
Very inspiring photos. Great art!
thank you. I will be adding your blog to my blogroll. I will be sure to refer back to this/your blog for more insight and tips. thanks.
with all your beautiful photos and inspirations and advices one day some quite places will be crowdy with photographers eheh :-)
Hi Neil. Great website. I lived in Taipei a decade ago so am loving your pics. Good to see the Toon Army out there. Forgive me for being nosy but just wondered if your photography business is mainly through stock photo sales of travel images or local commissions, or a bit of both. Do you supplement things with any English teaching? Must be a tough market as there’re a lot of local pro snappers in Taiwan. Anyway, keep it going and what a great lifestyle. Wish I could turn back the clock and do some of those motorbike trips again. Cheers.
Thank you Paul. Most of my business is from commissions. I’ve never done very well with stock, but lately I’ve been trying a little harder, so hopefully it will pay off in the future. I do teach a little English, but right now only enough to keep an ARC. Turn back the clock?!?! Come back to Taiwan some time and I’ll go on a bike trip with you! Cheers, -neil
hi. i am great to come across this website! i am very amused and inspired by your photos. I love especially the Light Graffiti! Thanks for sharing!
cheers! :D
Thank you, and thanks for visiting!
Ha ha nice one, will do! I miss the Taipei rush hour and the hills out by Muzha.
Glad I stumbled onto your website. Really appreciate your post on taking portraits in natural light, such straightforward advice. Just got my DSLR so am really looking forward to putting those tips into use. Your photos are inspiring.
Thanks Von, and good luck! Let me know if you have any more questions.
Great website and photos. Has actually inspired me to book a trip to Taiwan in November this year! Visiting the various mountains around Taipei have now been added to the list of must-do’s after seeing the photos you were able to take from them!
Good to hear, Rob.
Let me know if you need any help finding them!
Great photos and they inspire me to try my best to make good ones myself. I’m also in Taiwan and love to blog about whatever I see here and most of my followers say I post good photos. I’d be happy, if you check them out.
Best of luck to you.
MKL
Thanks for hosting this blog – I just moved to Taipei a few months ago, and have already referred to it several times for weekend trip ideas. I relied on your Elephant Mountain post to find the trail head, and I’ve since become a big fan of that hike.
And as a big photog fan (a total amateur myself), I’ve also really enjoyed your tips and tricks.
Best wishes!
Annabel
Thanks Annabel. I’ve been meaning to update the Hiking the Four Beasts post, but I’ve been too busy. I live at the bottom of them now and have learned a lot about Panther and Lion Mountains. Hopefully, I get to it sometime soon! Thanks again!
Hi Neil – I love reading your blog! I was wondering if you still have the Four Beasts Mountain Map somewhere? I am planning a trip to Taiwan later this year and was reading your hiking posts, but the link to the map doesn’t work any more.
Thanks!
-Tim
Hi Tim,
I’ve been planning to do one or two more posts on the Four Beasts, one dedicated entirely to practicalities including a few maps. I think you just gave me the motivation to get it together!
If I don’t have that up in time, all the trail heads have pretty good maps. Just take a picture of one at the beginning of your hike and you’ll have a map of your own!
Hello Neil, just found your website accidentally and I was totally attracted by your amazing photos and descriptions about Formosa, which is also my home country (well although I haven’t been living there for over 7 years…). Anyways, just wanna leave you a message and thank you for recording the beauty of this small island!
Thanks for looking, Patsy.
I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog. I’ve always wanted to take my photography to the next level and really, your photos are amazing.
Thank you very much.
Dear Neil,
I think you’ve got a very special talent! It would be nice if you could make some more pictures with TREES!
Keep it green and put MyTree on your screen!
http://www.MyTree.TV
For people who care!
Hey Neil – great stuff! Searched for you after stumbling on your multimedia presentation on Forgotten Tibet in vimeo. Love what you’re doing! When I do visit Taipei sometime, can I call on you? Keep up the amazin job u’re doin! ;)
Cheers
Angeline
Sure Angeline, I’d be happy to answer any questions!
First off, great work! I enjoyed browsing through it.
I stumbled onto your site a few months back while teaching english in Thailand and was pretty impressed. Since then I’ve moved back to the states to visit some family, but am considering moving to Taiwan as I have a few friends in Kaohsiung. The thing is, I don’t have much interest to work as an english teacher any longer. I do though have a desire in photography as a career.
What I would like to know is, based off of your experience, have you found photography in a foreign country relativity stable? Does most of your work come from local or international clients? Have you had to supplement your work with work in other fields? What other opportunities have you found that don’t include teaching? (you can throw out anything here, I’m all ears.)
I can already see from your photos and others that Taiwan is a great place to experience, no doubt about that. I apologize if this was a bit run-on or too nosy, but appreciate any insight you could throw out there.
Keep up the good work!
-Ryan
Hi Ryan, sorry it’s taken me so long to reply, but I’ve been super busy lately.
Basically, if you want to come to Taiwan to live, being an English teacher is the only option. There are other jobs out there in the business field, but they are generally gotten by being hired by the company overseas and then getting transferred to Taiwan. There are also jobs as copywriters, but they are lower paying than teaching, and generally pretty mind numbing (from what I’m told).
If you’re thinking of a photography career here, you’re absolutely insane. Honestly, if you’re thinking of a photography career anywhere on earth you’re insane. It’s a dying field and a sure way to having to work incredibly hard for the rest of your life to barely pay the bills.
I’m sorry for that harsh assessment, but it’s the truth. Even if you speak Mandarin fluently, you will have trouble finding anything other than a teaching job here. That said, it’s a great place to live. I love my life here and there’s no reason why you wouldn’t too. If you end up coming or have any more questions, drop me a line. We have a few clubs and loose groups of photographers that get together occasionally, and we’re always happy to meet new people.
Cheers,
-Neil
Hey, thanks for the reply! I appreciate the harsh honest answers over vague ones. If I make my way over there, I’ll be in touch!
Take care
-Ryan
Actually, I’m sorry about that “insane” comment. I’ve just been working 16 hour days for the last few weeks and don’t seem to have a lot of couth with my writing lately. Thank you for taking the comment as it was meant to be taken!
Hi Neil,
nice blog, I enjoyed it very much.
I will be visiting Taipei from US next week,
If you are around I would love to have a
Taiwan beer with you.
thanks.
Suta
This is a really great blog. Very inspirational ! I am glad that I found it. I would love to visit those places when I come to taiwan again. Oh, I also love it where you added this tips and advice section, very useful! cheers.
Thumbs up Neil
Hi,
I’ve been going through different Taiwan blogs and I came across yours. I will soon be an expat living in Taiwan and run a blog myself at http://www.lifeoutsideamerica.com if you wanna check it out. I would also love to share links if you are interested.
Welcome to Taiwan. Let me know if you need help with anything!
Hi Neil!
I am sooo happy to have come across your site just today!
I’m going on 23-26 January 2012 and am now excited!
Was just wondering if you would have posts on Chinese New Year festivities/ sights and go-tos (like perhaps parades)? Would be great to experience some traditional CNY activities.
Our itinerary is as follows, nothing is final yet though.. =D
1st Day
Taipei Discovery Museum (inside of Taipei City Hall)
Dr. Sun Yat-set Memorial Hall
National Palace Museum
Taipei 101
Shilin Night Market
2nd Day
Yangming Mountain (Shaoyukun, Hiking)
Beitou Hot Spring (Outdoor Hot Spring Enjoying)
Yeliu Geography Park
3rd Day
High Speed Rail: Taipei to Taichung (Sun Moon Lake)
Taroko Gorge
4th Day
HSR: Sun Moon Lake (Taichung) to Ximending, (Shopping)
Taipei to Taoyuan (Airport)
What do you think? feasible or too ambitious?
In any case, keep up the awesome work! :)
Have a great day! Oh, and I will download the app when I get home tonight.
Ron
-Philippines
Ron
Hi Ron,
Day one and two look like no problem. Except that the National Palace Museum is absolutely HUMONGOUS, and a few days could be spent wandering around it, if you really like museums. Day two is easy if you have your own transportation, a bit more difficult if you’re trying to do it on public transport.
Day three is impossible. The drive from Taichung to Taroko takes an entire day, each way. The drive from Taichung HSR to Sun Moon Lake can be as short as 1.5 hours, but in traffic (You’ll be here during Chinese New Year) it can take 4 hours. Sun Moon Lake can be enjoyed in a day or two though.
Day four is possible, but if you have nice weather, you may just want to stay at Sun Moon Lake a little longer. Maybe do your shopping at Shilin Night Market on the first day.
I hope that helps! And I hope you have lots of fun!
Cheers,
-Neil
Hi Neil,
Love your blog. Was wondering where in Taipei you would recommend for shooting photos? I’m looking for Old Taipei-ish scenes that are romantically nostalgic…thanks a lot in advance!
-Chai
Hi Chai,
First place I would think of are any of the temples. Longshan and Guandu are two of my favorites. Another idea is to head to the “Old Streets” that are all around Taipei (and Taiwan). In Taipei, try Bopiliao in Wanhua or head outside Taipei to Sanxia, Shengkeng or Jiufen.
Hi Neil, I was wondering where you would recommend in Taipei to take nostalgic “old Taipei” photos over CNY?
Thank you very much,
Chai
Hi Neil,
So glad I stumbled upon your blog. Fantastic photos and stories!
Im going to Taipei in July to watch a concert ( radiohead) and was hoping you could enlighten me on the following:
1) Any decent flashpacker places that is nearby an MRT?
2) I will have 3 full days in Taiwan, where can I explore to get a quick taste of Taipei ( culture, modern art/design, music, food and , though i know its a longggg stretch, nature)?
Thanks!
Andri
Hi Andri,
There are quite a few good hostels in Taipei now. Here’s a list, I’ve heard good things about JV’s and the Meeting Place.
Have a look through our Online Guide for things to do in Taipei. Yes, you can easily see some nature near Taipei at places like The Four Beast Mountains, Guandu Nature Park, Yangmingshan, and many other places.
Great photos of Taiwan!!
Fantastic blog Neil. I am also a freelance photographer out of Seoul, South Korea (originally from Toronto). Although I have traveled virtually everywhere else within East and South-east Asia I have yet to visit this wonderful country, but I have heard wonderful things. Inspiring work, keep at it.
Hey Neil,
I would like to learn Photography as an amateur. Do you know any club which I can join and grow my learning skills?
If you know, please do let me know.
Br
Hi Sitanshu,
In Taiwan, there are a few loose groups that have group pages on facebook. Just do a few searches around there.
Thanks Mate… I will try to search but if you too come across any such groups, please share…
Some great images. Brings back fond memories of my 8.5 years living in Taiwan – mostly in Taichung. Best to all of your travels.
Tim