Ceramic figurines of long dead Chinese heroes and heroines vie for attention in an Old Shanghai antique shop. I focused on an old decorative container, which to me symbolized the flamboyant and often shady history of this colorful city. I would like to think of it as something that was once in an opium or gambling den. Behind it marches Chinese history itself. I think I see many Maos, Chou En-lai, maybe even Madame Chiang. They are softly focused and semi obscured – but we certainly feel their presence. Together these items, photographed in soft and warm natural light, create the very nostalgic atmosphere that drives a Shanghai antique shop. This is a mood shot, pure and simple.