Book gives China’s rural photographers their due

 

Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

"Through the images they made, they established the core of China’s rural photographic culture," says Jin Yongquan.

Ying Zhaoyun, 73, a photographer from Suixi, Anhui province, remembers the old days when he took photos for peasants. "They didn’t appreciate a picture with layers of light, believing that only a ghost’s face has shades. They wanted their faces like immortals in Chinese paintings, white and smooth, with no shades. So, I normally use flat lighting on their faces."

In those days, having your picture taken was a big deal for rural people, especially for family reunions. The whole family would discuss the event and put on their best clothes.

"It’s like a great ritual," a netizen named "Hand-to-Hand" wrote online after reading Wang’s book. "I remember back in 1978, I was a first grader. One afternoon, my mom rushed to school to take me home for a family photograph. A photographer had arrived in our village. His camera was big, and had a wood stand and a black cloth in front of it. The photographer was hiding in the cloth, with one hand holding a rubber air ball, directing us ‘hold still and look at here’. Then I heard ‘kata’, and he pushed the shutter. The whole process was so great that it felt like a grand ceremony or something. I miss those times."