Hi folks,
Just wrapping up a long photo journey in China! What a place to explore! I carried model and property releases in my camera bag and brought my canon mark 4 itch me plus tripod.  Some tips that might help you if you venture here-

1. Have a translator if you don't speak Chinese - this will keep you from being taken in purchases and not getting lost
2. Have a plan of attack - map out where you want to go and stay on that plan
3.  Bring all your clothing - very expansive here almost 2 to 3 times more expansive that the USA
4  have lots of memory cards. 
5 have a very good camera bag to hike. My bag looks like a regular hiking bag thus no body noticed my equipment
6 do not take tour group trips. They only take you to their places plus force you to go gift shops
7 hire a guide on remote places. They know the spots plus good prices for food as well.

Cheers.  T

What

you don't need any guide unless you're really not cut for traveling in asia.

memory cards can be bought pretty much anywhere in china and they're cheaper than anywhere else.

clothing : the only issue might be if you're really tall, in that case it's very hard to find big socks and shoes but for anything else chinese clothes are ok and cheap, just buy any fake north-face jacket/pant/backpack/gloves and you're done.

plan of attack : you don't really need it, china is too big unless you've 1 year of time to travel anywhere, there are guesthouses and hotel everywhere, all you need is a lonely planet guide for the maps (the only useful thing in these guidebooks).

translator : useless unless you're doing a reportage or journalism, however it's a big plus if you learn the chinese numbers to bargain in markets or you WILL be ripped off big time and asked up to 500% more than the normal price.

getting lost : if this is a big issue for you i recommend to stay at home and forget about travel photography, the very first skill required for a good travel photographer is to never get lost...

Tab62, I have been to Shanghai 3 times for my day job. I am not a world traveler and I think your comments are fairly accurate.  I keep thinking I need to pay my Chinese co-worker to take unpaid vacation and I would pay them the daily wage to be my guide.  I would have a trusted guide with all the needed local skills and, with the exchange rate, still not be out very much American dollars.  Further, he would get to go places and see things (I pay) that are likely not possible on his budget.  Could be a win-win on both fronts.

Tab62, I have been to Shanghai 3 times for my day job. I am not a world traveler and I think your comments are fairly accurate.  I keep thinking I need to pay my Chinese co-worker to take unpaid vacation and I would pay them the daily wage to be my guide.  I would have a trusted guide with all the needed local skills and, with the exchange rate, still not be out very much American dollars.  Further, he would get to go places and see things (I pay) that are likely not possible on his budget.  Could be a win-win on both fronts.

No, the only way to get local prices down to the last yuan is to have a chinese wife making deals and barganing hard and of course they must not see you around or they will always try asking tourist prices no matter if she's chinese because the logic is that if she's dating a laowai (foreigners) she's rich.

If you don't know the score, you can go a 1000 times to Shanghai and still getting scammed and ripped off, sorry.