For some time, we have all wondered about the opportunities that might exist in the expanding market of China; in 2010, photographer Shannon Fagan took that leap of faith, beyond just idle speculation, and relocated from New York City into the heart of Beijing’s historic DongCheng District.

It seems to have been a gamble that paid off. Fagan’s stock photography production unit now employs a ten person international staff, located in a 160 sq meter DongCheng District studio office. Together, they create high-end authentic Chinese lifestyle imagery for global advertisers, seeking applicable content for both the Chinese and worldwide market.

Fagan’s daily routine entails overseeing the creation of 1,000 new stock files per month; interspersed with bicycling to work through some of Beijing’s labyrinths of narrow hutong alleys; as well as keeping count of the number of times that he is asked “Where are you from, again?”

His move has also proved lucrative for his assignment work: with assignments in China that includes work for Microsoft, TimeOut Beijing, and General Electric.

His biggest regret? That he didn’t move to China earlier.

The biggest surprise? Well, believe it or not, there are no fortune cookies in China!

For a behind the scenes look at his operations, take a look at this recent piece in Chinadaily.com:  http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/video/2013-01/08/content_16094047.htm