Can you walk me through your journey from traditional Chinese medicine to photography?
My mother is a doctor, and I grew up in a hospital setting, seeing patients with all sorts of illnesses daily. Later, I studied medicine, a field centered around people. Many years later, when I first picked up a camera, my focus naturally shifted back to people. Of course, my journey from treating photography as a simple hobby to truly understanding its power as a form of self-expression was filled with serendipitous revelations. It was during a chance visit to the White Night Lantern Festival 20 years ago that I suddenly realized how incredible our world is, like stepping into a magical wonderland.
What do you think your camera sees that your eyes miss?
The camera is just a tool to capture the moment I see. Without these photos, I can't tell others what I saw, so what I photograph is what I saw. Observation is the most important thing.
Are there parallels between your photographs and medicine? Do you ever think about your photographs as a form of diagnosis?
There is no obvious parallel between my photography and medicine, but I do think it bears resemblance to Traditional Chinese Medicine's dialectical approach to treatment. This unique way of observation and thinking allows me to easily identify problems, much like a doctor examining a patient. Of course, I'm merely aware of the problem, or perhaps even raising it, but I can't prescribe the right medicine like a doctor would. While we can heal illnesses and save lives, we can't change reality.
