The general concept I wish to focus on during this trip is “The People of China”. Moreover, I wish to make a combination between people in their everyday lives and the cultural background and environment of the Hutongs. My plan is to set the locals as a part of the foreground of the photograph while having a calming and cordial background to convey emotions of peacefulness. The product would hopefully speak for itself to give the audience an insight of Beijing’s rich historical background and significance in Chinese culture while naturally showing people through lenses which would portray and emphasize life under such a setting.
The Hutongs and Its People
The Hutongs themselves are narrow alleyways and streets found in the heart of Beijing. They are formed by the traditional Chinese “Siheyuan (四合院)” constructed mostly at the period of the Yuan Dynasty when the structure became a common way adapted to build neighborhoods across the packed capital. In images, the Hutong’s atmosphere appears to be a blend of a traditional Chinese lifestyle with some more modern touches across some buildings. With the addition of locals living in the region, the hutongs can give off a sense of nostalgia and a closely knit community living below walls of skyscrapers of the larger metropolis. It feels like life isolated from the outside world and passing of time, getting photographs a glimpse of Beijing’s true appearance from the past.
Photographers in the Hutongs and China:
Xu Yong:
He was among one of the first Chinese photographers to capture images of Chinese daily life in the Hutongs without any political influence and ideological restrictions. Therefore, his photos focused more on the older and more rusted regions of the Hutong districts. He used his camera as a political metaphor to show the true lives of Chinese at the time period. Even though having differentiating goals and purposes, I wish to study his techniques when photographing the scenes, which include the combination of light and blur to convey emotions. Xu Yong is able to selectively focus the subject while softening the background, while at the same time blurring motion in the foreground to emphasize movement and create a stronger emotional impact on the audience. Xu Yong often uses black and white lenses to photograph, which also creates a stronger feeling of nostalgia and change in the modern society. Through studying his techniques, I wish to make my images more straightforward to the audience and give off a thickened atmosphre of the setting.
Fan Ho:
One of the most influencial Chinese street photographers in the modern era. Fan Ho has a smooth touch to all his photographs. He uses lights and shadows to his advantage to add a special texture to his work. The contrast he added on the teeming and robust streets of the East portrayed its essence and soul. People in their daily lives were captured to show a true glimpse of Chinese cities to the outside world. Fan Ho also manipulated negative space between objects to emphasize isolation and balance at the same time. I wish to learn from his techniques to add a deeper mood and tone into my photographs.
