Photojournalism

A sign advertising the Testicle Festival and the Rock Creek Lodge stands outside Clinton, MT, alongside I-90. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

A man uses a wooden penis attached to a hose to spray a contestant in the wet t-shirt contest at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

The crowd gathers to watch young women perform in the wet t-shirt contest at the Testicle Festival in Clinton, MT. Most participants in the wet t-shirt contest removed all of their clothing while performing for the crowd. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

A sign next to a pool outside a trailer declares the pool is for skinny dipping only at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

A woman flashes people in exchange for beads at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

A man displays beads around his neck at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The beads are typically given to women in hopes that woman will expose her breasts. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

People walk past an overflowing garbage can at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

The campground is filled to capacity with tents, RVs, and trailers at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

People whip and spank a man wearing little at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

Young men use their hats to get the attention of a friend while a crowd forms to watch the wet t-shirt contest at the Testicle Festival in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

Men eat Rocky Mountain Oysters at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

A man takes a shot of alcohol from a cocktail waitress at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

A woman falls to the ground at the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

Crowds gather to watch the Undie 500 competition at the Testicle Festival in Clinton, MT, in which racers drink beer, ride tricycles, and remove articles of clothing when they perform poorly. Many contestants were fully naked by the end of the competition. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

People walk past the Rock Creek Lodge during the night at the Testicle Festival in Clinton, MT. The Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, has hosted the annual Testicle Festival since the early 1980s. The four day festival and party revolves around the consumption of so-called Rocky Mountain Oysters, which are deep-fried bull testicles.

The Testicle Festival is a Montana institution. Held at the Rock Creek Lodge in Clinton, MT, just outside of Missoula, the festival has been going for nearly 30 years. Thousands come to the wild event from all over to indulge in a local delicacy: Rocky Mountain Oysters. Battered and deep-fried, the bull testicles are a favorite among attendees, but the real fun to be had is the 4-day party. Ridiculous games such as the Undie 500, in which contestants drink beer, race tricycles, strip away clothing for poor perforance; a wet t-shirt contest that always turns into an amateur strip show; and dancing late into the night to live bands. On one evening this year, the crowd packed the dance floor to a raucous cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd. At the Testicle Festival, however, the song echoing through the valley was “Sweet Home Montana.”

More pictures are available for licensing at my archive site.

Stranded travelers wait for news about delayed and canceled flights at Beijing Capitol Airport's Terminal 3 in Beijing, China, on 17 June 2010. Almost all departures and many arrivals were severely delayed or canceled due to thunderstorms and hail in the area.

Stranded travelers wait for news about delayed and canceled flights at Beijing Capitol Airport's Terminal 3 in Beijing, China, on 17 June 2010. Almost all departures and many arrivals were severely delayed or canceled due to thunderstorms and hail in the area.

Stranded travelers wait for news about delayed and canceled flights at Beijing Capitol Airport's Terminal 3 in Beijing, China, on 17 June 2010. Almost all departures and many arrivals were severely delayed or canceled due to thunderstorms and hail in the area.

A flight information board displays caanceled and delayed flights at Beijing Capitol Airport Terminal 3 in Beijing, China. Almost all departures and many arrivals were severely delayed or canceled due to thunderstorms and hail in the area.

Stranded travelers wait for news about delayed and canceled flights at Beijing Capitol Airport's Terminal 3 in Beijing, China, on 17 June 2010. Almost all departures and many arrivals were severely delayed or canceled due to thunderstorms and hail in the area.

Stranded travelers wait for news about delayed and canceled flights at Beijing Capitol Airport's Terminal 3 in Beijing, China, on 17 June 2010. Almost all departures and many arrivals were severely delayed or canceled due to thunderstorms and hail in the area.

Caught on the return trip from the US to China this week, I was among the thousands of travelers stranded at Beijing Capital International Airport. Severe thunderstorms crippled the airport, delaying or cancelling hundreds of flights for a day and a half. I took a few pictures while sorting out my own travel woes. Air China, thankfully, put me up in a decent-enough hotel while I waited for the mess to unwind. More pictures are available for licensing.

Crowds gather outside the Urumqi Railway Station in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.

A woman shakes out a sheet while doing the laundry in an apartment in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.

Broken glass obscures the view out a window of a hotel in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.

Spent a few days in Urumqi, capital Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, covering how the city has coped with ethnic tensions half a year or so after the violence in the summer of 2009. There are still plenty of signs of strife and unrest, but the city’s hustle-and-bustle economy seems to be on the mend. Now with the rumoured stimulus package planned for the region, the city hopes for a bright future. These pictures serve as a glimpse of a longer story to be published here soon.

I’ve been exploring the edge of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, where high-rise apartments and luxury shopping malls give way to farm fields, chemical factories, universities, and new luxury housing developments.

Mannequins in windows display clothing and bags by MCM at the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China on Tues. Jan. 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Mannequins displaying items in the MCM Signature Cognac Visetos collection stand in a corner in the new MCM Shanghai on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

People look at MCM items on display at the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

An MCM Shanghai store employee cleans display cases and shelves before the opening of the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Mrs. Sung-Joo Kim shows film actress Joan Chen around at the opening of the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. Joan Chen was one of the first Chinese actors in Hollywood and has acted in films such as Tai Pan, The Last ?mperor, and Lust/Caution. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Mannequins and goods in the MCM Signature Cognac Visetos line on display are reflected in a curtain made of approximately 30,000 MCM serial number breastplates in the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. The MCM serial number breastplate is attached to all MCM bags and features a unique number. The MCM Signature Cognac Visetos line features the MCM logo prominently displayed. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Models prepare for to display MCM clothing at the opening of the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Red and black items exclusive to MCM China are on display during the opening at the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Mannequins and goods in the MCM Signature Cognac Visetos line on display are reflected in a curtain made of approximately 30,000 MCM serial number breastplates in the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. The MCM serial number breastplate is attached to all MCM bags and features a unique number. The MCM Signature Cognac Visetos line features the MCM logo prominently displayed. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Mrs. Sung-Joo Kim adjusts a necklace before a portrait at the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. The necklace is remniscent of Chinese style, and was purchased more than 20 years ago in Paris, according to Mrs. Sung-Joo Kim. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Guests mingle among the displays during the store opening at the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Mannequins displaying items in the MCM Signature Cognac Visetos collection stand in a corner in the new MCM Shanghai on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Dinner arrangements featuring the MCM serial number breastplate wait for guests in a dining room above the new MCM Shanghai flagship store on the Bund in Shanghai, China, on Tues., Jan 26, 2010. A glamorous fashion line in the 1980s, South Korean billionaire Sung-Joo Kim has purchased the MCM luxury brand in hopes of reinvigorating the brand. Now Sung-Joo Kim is trying to replicate the brand's Asian success in Western markets, part of a greater shift of Asian luxury brands being exported to American and European high streets. The MCM Shanghai flagship store, located on the world-famous Bund in Shanghai, was opened on Tues., Jan. 26, 2010. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal

Here are a few more from the Wall Street Journal profile of Mrs. Sun-yoo Kim and her attempts to reinvigorate the MCM luxury fashion brand. I covered the opening day/evening of the brand’s flagship store in Shanghai. Here’s the tearsheet.