Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.

Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not important.




Avoid making a commotion, just as you wouldn’t stir up the water before fishing. Don’t use a flash out of respect for the natural lighting, even when there isn’t any. If these rules aren’t followed, the photographer becomes unbearably obstrusive. ( "American Photo", September/October 1997, page: 76 )

Of all the means of expression, photography is the only one that fixes a precise moment in time. We play with subjects that disappear; and when they’re gone, it’s impossible to bring them back to life. We can’t alter our subject afterward.... Writers can reflect before they put words on paper.... As photographers, we don’t have the luxury of this reflective time....We can’t redo our shoot once we’re back at the hotel. Our job consists of observing reality with help of our camera (which serves as a kind of sketchbook), of fixing reality in a moment, but not manipulating it, neither during the shoot nor in the darkroom later on. These types of manipulation are always noticed by anyone with a good eye. - Henri Cartier-Bresson - "American Photo", September/October 1997, page: 76

-- Henri Cartier-Bresson

Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.
-- Oscar Wilde

'To the complaint, 'There are no people in these photographs,' I respond, 'There are always two people: the photographer and the viewer.'
-- Ansel Adams

Light meters read; photographers interpret. -- Catherine Jo Morgan



A photographer is a witness. He has a moral duty. Every picture must be true and honest. I believe a photographer’s strength is his ability to accurately record reality. There are photographers who think they are lucky if they find unusual or special subject. But it is never the subject that is so marvelous. It is how alive and real the photographer can make it.
-- Edouard Boubat - from Photo by Boubat, a film for Swedish television directed by Rune Hassner [cited in: Creative Camera June 1972, p. 184]

A heaven for camera lovers 星光摄影器材

Xingguang Photographic Equipment City(星光摄影器材) was one of my main objective in visiting Shanghai. This main shopping mall only sells camera equipments. I spent most of my time on the top floors where the second hand cameras were located. I came here looking for Chinese cameras such as Seagull, Great Wall, etc. I bought a Seagull 208 rangefinder for RMB 80 and a Seagull TLR for RMB 350. In addition, I also found films from the Shanghaiese brand, Lucky (乐凯) .

The mail is across the street from Ramada Plaza Hotel.

The Kiss

I actually did not see the "kiss". I spotted two High School kids fooling around. This things happened all the time and it was not too interesting. I was sitting on top of a Double-Decker and bored. So I took it just to test out my new camera. When the photo was developed, I realized they were kissing. I am trying to convince myself that this is a contribute to Robert Doisneau's "Kiss".

Siem Reap in 5 years

Right now, the city is still somewhat unexposed. But five years from now, the city will become one of the hot spots in region. Unliked other SE Asian spots, it lacks a beach, but they get great historical sites to make up for it. I am surprised with the development there. The tourists are bringing in a lot of money. I do not see it very different from other major tourist spots in Southeast Asia. It is not the backwater I envisioned. Of course, some people would prefer it unexposed. I used to feel that way about travelling too until once upon a time.... a local person enlightened me. Basically, he said that it is easier for the tourists to say that they would rather see his home to remain unexposed, but for him, tourism meant jobs.... money, food, a much better life for him & his family. Yes, I still like to visit Third World Countries and I like it unexposed, but I no longer care whether J.W. Marriott or McDonald's got there before I do.