Eye of the beholder
Sep 19th, 2007 by Peter
One thing I have noticed back when I was in China, was the difference in the way Chinese and westerners take and look at photos.
When I say Chinese I can only account for the ones I’ve met personally, so even though I may be generalizing, I also know Chinese are different about this. Still my guess is that my theory sticks for most Chinese.
Anyway, what I have noticed is that when I show Chinese pictures I’ve taken, they never use any time for the pictures I find best. At first I thought it was just C not caring about my “artistic side”, but later I’ve observed that all the Chinese I’ve met are this way. What they do find interesting, are pictures with people and food involved. The more arty ones that I personally take pride in are rarely given any time.
The same goes for when C and her sister use their camera. Every time they feel the need to grab a picture, the motive involves people 99% of the time. The closer – the better.
I like people pics too, but that depends on the situation, scenery or view. For instance if I were to take pictures of the Eiffel Tower, I would definitely get one with C in front of the tower at a distance, but my real energy would go into figuring out how to shoot in an odd angle, special light or similar without anyone posing for the shot. Something not touristy and more uncommon if you will. What’s important: The Eiffel Tower or the person?
C on the other hand would be ready to “cut off” the top of the tower on the picture just to make sure to get the person in front bigger and closer. And she would make sure the person was on all pictures. She says pictures without people are boring, while I believed in the opposite. Especially when it comes to these manufactured artificial situations where one person is “modelling” for the camera in front of some famous spot. Sure – its documentation that you were there, but how many friends and family need convincing anyway?
I can understand why she likes people pictures, but my claim is that you can shoot pictures of your friends and family anywhere. Sceneries do not move and you have to get the essence then and there. Sometimes a person is very cool in that shot, but most of the time they are not.
If you take a look at this guy’s photo blog, you’ll notice very few, if any, pictures with posing people in the shot. The people there are doing their daily choir, work or transportation and this makes the shot natural. This is what makes his pictures cool. Natural is the key. I like natural pictures, while C loves “fake” ones.
At first I thought it was only C being this way, but it has turned out that this goes for all the Chinese I’ve met in real life so far. It can be a coincidence, but I really don’t think so. If I turn to Danes, I certainly will find some that think the same, but most would believe the opposite.
In China I shot about 1500 pictures and a few days before we left, C picked a hundred of these for hardcopies to her family. Needless to say that all of them had persons (or food) in the shot. Her family loved these and took a long time to look through them. Almost the same time they used once to scan through 800 more pictures when they were on the laptop. Only the people/food shots got any attention.
Now that we’re home again I made a photo CD slideshow to show my family and friends. First time I showed them to my parents, I had a tiny argument with C on how fast to push ‘next’ on the remote. She insisted on going as fast as possible (skipping) unless there was “interesting” things on the shot (people or food), while I (and my parents too fortunately) insisted on taking time to see all shots and let it be followed by a brief story of the spot, person, or thing on the picture. As mentioned my parents backed me up on this as did my brother and sister-in-law when they saw them later. As would most of my friends I guess.
Why this difference between Chinese and Danes? I’m really not sure, but it still puzzles me as does it give some strange situations when C and I discuss when, where and of what I should point my camera.
This is definitely not a coincidence. All Chinese I know prefer photos with persons in it. Women especially like to make the Victory-sign with their fingers and/or bend when their picture is taken, while most men usually just stand there, often refusing to even smile. While I prefer the “artistic” photography of yours, the Chinese are free and welcome to make their kind of pictures, the only drawback is that in China, you have to be really quick or have to wait very long to catch a scenery without someone posing in it.
Tnx for dropping by Bjoern.
Nice to know that am not completely bonkers about this subject. I forgot to mention the V sign, but now you remembered for me. This is my experience too. V sign from the ladies and expressionless faces from the guys I met.
I have the exact same experience. I just got a new camera so I gave my old camera to my Chinese girlfriend. If I take pictures of people I prefer it to be in some kind of natural situation like in a marked or something. I really hate to have too many people in my viewfinder when I go sightseeing and prefer to find some angle that brings out the best of that particular spot. But my girlfriend seems more interested in taking pictures of me in some strange pose than to show the place we are visiting, and she often blames me for taking too many pictures without people – but I also know Danish people that feels the same way as Chinese people. And I really hate the V-sign.
Sign me in on hating the V-sign.
Tnx for dropping by Kim. Never saw your blog before, but will add it to my blogroll immediately.
Thanks! You will be put on my blogroll too.
I have also noticed the above and I must agree. Mine also has zero interest in artistic photos. But I must say – I take a lot of photo with people on it – more specific with my daughter on it. Something happened when I became a father. It sort of escalated – I have much too many photoes of my daughter – but better too many than too few.
To that I have to agree Claus. You’ll never get the chance again. They grow fast the little buggers :-)