I’ve only met these lovely people once, but when I do it’s fate and I’ll be sure to capture them on camera! The Buddha said that it took 500 years of looking back in a previous life to exchange for a brush of shoulders in this life. Isn’t that a lovely thought?
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A photograph holds a power that a video cannot replicate. Time itself is relentless, slipping through our grasp, unpausable and unstoppable. While a video can pause, it is not time—it is merely an echo, a constructed shadow trying to mimic the flow of life. It can never truly capture the essence of a moment, only a reflection of its form.
In a world where time is precious, it feels impractical to expect anyone to devote themselves endlessly to watching videos. A photograph, by contrast, offers the gift of immediacy—a single glance can reveal a story, evoke emotion, and preserve the fleeting. This is why my heart leans toward photographs; they are timeless in their efficiency and profound in their simplicity.
If dark clouds cover the sun, all I have to do is hold up my camera and let the exposure adjust to the light! Photography is all about finding the active in the passive.
Leica M9 with Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3Leica M9 with Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3
Some people say that Coca-Cola can cause obesity, but the slim guy in front of you doesn’t have to worry about that. When he drinks Coca-Cola, it’s like nothing else matters. The sweet and sour taste makes everything in front of him more beautiful. I don’t drink Coca-Cola. My camera captures the joy of drinking it.
A cigarette can’t be too long because it has to remind you that time is short. In China, we all have black hair, and when it turns white, we are old. It’s a different concept than cigarettes, which are originally white, and when they turn black, they burn to the head.
I took your picture, but I wasn’t trying to get to know you. I just want you to keep your spirits up when you’re feeling down and remember that there was once a street photographer who was taken with your charm. There was charm once, and there will be again in the future.
It’s a makeshift barbershop on the side of the road. There’s no fixed store, just a chair and a pair of scissors. But it’s open for business! Sometimes it’s on the left side of the road, sometimes on the right. A hundred years ago, Chinese men wore their hair long. It would be disrespectful to our ancestors if we cut it short. Nowadays, almost every man cuts his hair short. People think that showing respect to our ancestors is not about how we look, but about how we act. We should be more pragmatic.
Leica M9 with Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3Leica M9 with Elmarit 28mm f2.8 v3