It's one of life's easier decisions, whether to take a photograph or not. I know I always will. I have been documenting my life through photography for over four years. Capturing the ordinary and not so ordinary moments of my life. I am no professional photographer. The unsophisticated Russian Lomo LC-A camera I use captures moments with a different quality, a companion wherever I go. The KGB were issued with them and it has recently gathered a rather fashionable worldwide following. The Lomographic Society promotes the camera and photography with a no rules philosophy - otherwise known as Lomography and the followers call themselves Lomographers. Lomographers are encouraged to experiment with the photographic medium and aim to push the boundaries of traditional photography. In this increasingly digital society, the 35mm film still offers many possibilities for creative and experimental photography.Every few years the Lomographic Society organises a gathering of Lomographers in a different location around the world. This year they decided at the last minute to hold it in Beijing and I decided to go with a few English Lomo friends. I'll be honest it wasn't the location that excited me, it was the prospect of spending time with people from around the world who shared an interest in this camera. Days before the trip there was a few niggling thoughts at the back of my mind. What was I going to expect? How would I react to being in China, the birthplace of my parents and ancestors? How would the people react to this British born Chinese with a Mancunian accent? Up until then I had not been anywhere east of Germany. Outside I look Chinese but I don't speak Mandarin, only Cantonese and ashamedly I can barely read or write Chinese beyond the simplest of characters. My parents were right I should have spent more time studying at Sunday school when I was younger.
This turned out to be a minor problem, I was there to take photographs and
you don't need any words to take photographs, you just press the shutter
release and capture the moment. Beijing is a city of visual delight. From
the moment the plane landed till we took off I captured almost every moment
through the lens of my camera. Like kids in a sweet shop the gathering of
Lomographers saw so many photographic opportunities it was like a dream.
We were taken to the most popular tourist sites such as the Great Wall, a boat trip to the Summer Palace, the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. There were however some unconventional things on our itinary. For example a ping pong tournament with a local kids ping pong academy, we got given kites to fly at Tiananmen square, visiting the Tongxian artists community at an ex-miltary factory, had a taxi challenge around the city, there was also a trip to a state owned spirit factory. The clicking of cameras shutters became a constant background noise wherever we went. We documented the launch of the new BMW at Ritan Park. The Western world taking notice of this growing market trying to attract a privileged audience and it's new found spending power. The car launch was in conjunction with the opening of a magnificent photo wall exhibition containing thousands of photographs by Lomographers from around the world, including some of my own. At least people who can't afford the car can take part in our lo-tech unusual photographic methods. The Congress lasted seven days and accumulated in the awarding of the title of the best Lomographer 2004 and the announcement of the first Lomographic Embassy in China.
So what did I capture? Every Lomographer has their personal favourite
subjects to photograph. This could be anything from road signs and dogs to
people's feet and childrens faces. I took those things too but what
interested me was the changing face of Beijing, I wanted to capture as much
of the old and new sides of this gigantic city. The old town and back
streets of the Hutongs as well as the construction work, the shopping malls,
modern buildings springing up everywhere, everyday moments on the streets,
the effect of western influences, traditional and modern lives. What struck
me the most in my short time there is the growing disparity between the
privileged and the poor. The rich able to afford cars like the new BMW. The
poor seemingly getting poorer and driven deeper into the back streets.
Beijing is putting on a pretty face for the forthcoming Olympics. As a
consequence there is a feeling that parts of Chinese history, identity and
culture is being torn down to make way for modern replacements.
Spending a few extra days after the Congress I wandered the modern clean streets of downtown Beijing, visited the markets and shopping malls. To feel really at home my friends and I took a taxi and hunted down the first fish and chip shop in China. Tucked away in the back streets of the Sanlitun bar distinct this newly opened establishment served up the most fantastic fresh fish and chips with a bottle Tsingtao beer. I must say it was better than most fish and chips served up over here and cheaper. As a final memento I got a photograph taken with the owners. Although my parents have recently moved on from their take-away business I know they would appreciate it!
At times I felt I awkward invading peoples personal privacy by taking pictures of them going about their daily lives that are lived so openly on the streets. Sometimes I was greeted with angry shouts other times a smile. More often than not a strange quizical look as I took a photograph of a sign or a taxi. Nevertheless as a photographer you grow hardened and at every opportune and inopportune moment I had my camera out taking a shot. Know that things will be different the next you visit also makes you instinctively take more photographs. In our group we may have taken photographs of the same places but saw things in a different way. A split second difference changing a situation.
It wasn't all just about taking photographs. I got to know Lomographers from
around the world including a lively set of Asian Lomographers from Hong
Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. We swapped tips and got to know each
others backgrounds and lives. This was the first time I had met other
Chinese Lomographers. A nice feeling because in Britain I feel like a rare
breed. My family think it's a strange hobby I have and maybe other BBC
parents think the same.
With over a thousand photographs taken over the course of ten days, I put together a set of photographs that captured Beijing from a different angle.'Beijing, Lomo and Me' is about those three things in that order. It's not your usual set of tourist shots and they are not perfect photographs but photographs that meant to work with each other. It's big collection put together as a series of photo walls. Like stills from a movie all laid out, a blur of patterns and colours, you can almost see the movement. It demands a closer look and each time you will notice something different.
Before I visited Beijing I had no real urge to go to China. Now I somehow feel connected and miss it. It would be impossible to capture everything as it is changing at such a pace but that gives me an excuse to return. Maybe a visit to the even more modern Shanghai. However not before I take some Mandarin lessons first. In the meantime I will continue to documenting my life in Britain with my LC-A. Looking back at the photo walls I will remember fondly the Beijing and the extraordinary time I had there. For other people this alternative snapshot of Beijing may encourage you to visit and explore the city with a new way of seeing things.
Edward Jung
About myself
I have no formal training in photography, my regular day job is as a web
designer for a charity. I have been taking photographs and experimenting
with a variety of small point and shoot and old Soviet Russian cameras for
the past four years. I document my everyday life and surroundings through
photography. I am part of the LomoManchester collective encouraging an
alternative way of seeing things through Lomo photography in the North West.
A selection of my photographs have been exhibited and published. I am
working on an ongoing project about my parents home.
If anyone would like to know more about my work, would like an introduction to Lomo cameras and Lomography then feel free to contact me edward[at]onoffonoff.org. It would be nice get in touch with other Chinese Lomographers and photographers in Britain.
Links:
Beijing, Lomo and Me online Lomowall gallery - http://onoffonoff.org/lomobeijing/
My Lomohome - http://www.lomohomes.com/bmxedd
The Lomographic Society - http://www.lomography.com/