【Foreword】
Guo Fucai, chairman of Xiangyang Tourism Photographers Association and famous photography artist, created a series of landscape photographs called "Xiangyang Good Wind Day", which won the gold medal in the Beijing International Photography Competition and was issued on the world stamps. New Times Square in United States was broadcast with the theme of Xiangyang Good Wind Day, introducing Xiangyang to the world and demonstrating the power of Chinese photography.
Reporter:
Today, we specially invited a photographic artist - the photographic works on the world stamps, United States New York Times Square with the theme of Xiangyang Good Wind Day, to promote Xiangyang to the world, Xiangyang Tourism Photographers Association Party Secretary and Chairman Guo Fucai.
Reporter: Hello Mr. Guo! First of all, thank you for accepting this interview with us and discussing the topic of landscape photography with us!
Guo Fucai: Hello everyone! It's a pleasure to talk to you!
Reporter: What industry did you do before that? How did Mr. Guo get involved in the photography industry in the first place?
Guo Fucai: I am a people's policeman in the Hubei Provincial Prison System, mainly engaged in the education and reform of criminals. After graduating from the Department of Political Science of Central China Normal University in 1991, he was assigned to Xiangyang Prison under the Provincial Prison Administration. Mainly engaged in secretarial and missionary work, requiring frequent exposure to photography. At that time, taking pictures was all for the sake of recording, with a pair of lenses and a press of the shutter, and I didn't know the composition at all, let alone the artistry of the photo. After a long time, I found that photography is not as simple as pressing the shutter.
The prison system has its own newspaper, and when I saw that the correspondents from other units took better photos than myself, I thought to myself that I must learn from my teacher, so I bought a lot of photography teaching materials and started my education.
Later, when I learned that the School of Journalism and Media of Wuhan University had opened a photography class, and the big names in the photography industry and university professors gave lectures in person, I immediately signed up and re-entered the campus at the age of 45.
There were young people all around, and I felt out of place sitting in a huge classroom. But I didn't pay attention to any of that, but worked tirelessly to study and shoot. The photography class is taught on Saturdays and Sundays, and the transportation fee to and from Xiangyang and Wuhan alone costs 2,000 yuan per month for accommodation in Wuhan. Fortunately, my wife is very supportive of me learning photography in my spare time. Under the guidance of experts and professors, I have a systematic understanding and deeper understanding of the art of photography.
Reporter: The series of landscape photographs created by you "Xiangyang Good Wind Day" won the gold medal in the Beijing International Photography Competition, and was listed on the world stamps and issued worldwide United States. It is understood that it has been reported by many news media such as "People's Daily", "Tencent", "Phoenix", "Jimu News", Xiangyang Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, Xiangyang Radio and Television, and "Xiangyang on the Cloud". How do you feel about achieving such an achievement?
"Xi Chi Stream" by Guo Fucai
"Night in the Ancient City" by Guo Fucai
"Spring in the Garden" by Guo Fucai
Guo Fucai: I only made some insignificant contributions to the promotion of Xiangyang.
There are many teachers and peers with a high level of photography in Xiangyang City, and it can be said that the hidden dragon is crouching tiger. There are many teachers whose excellent works are generally reluctant to show up. Personally, I believe that photographs of the cityscape are not only to record the changes of the city, but more importantly, to show the changes and achievements of the city. In addition, the systemic problem of photography. Many photography teachers, with long guns and short guns, have shot a lot of style materials (works), but basically they are not systematic. As a result, when you decide on a theme, you won't be able to come up with a set of works that you want to express your theme. Therefore, the participation of the "Xiangyang Good Wind Day" series of landscape photography works in the Beijing International Photography Exhibition is a reflection of the systematization of the works.
I did not expect that more than 40 official media across the country would publicize and report on the "Xiangyang Good Wind Day" series of landscape photographs. This is an affirmation and recognition of Xiangyang. It is also an encouragement and spur to me. For me, it was a lot of pressure. There is still a big gap in terms of the artistic aspects of the filmed works.
Reporter: Your work has won many awards. In September 2016, his work "Xiangyang Night" participated in the China Pingyao International Photography Exhibition, and in October of the same year, he participated in the "Beijing International Photography Week" photography exhibition sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, the Chinese Photographers Association and the Beijing Municipal Government. His works "The Fragrance of the Earth" and "The Light and Shadow of the Empty Mountain" were collected by the Museum of Chinese People's University.
What was your motivation for creating the project? How did you manage to achieve such impressive results in your spare time?
"Autumn Colors in Spring and Autumn Village" by Guo Fucai
"Zhongxuan Spring Scene" by Guo Fucai
Guo Fucai: First of all, the goal is clear. Whatever you do, you will work hard to do it well. I put a lot of effort into learning photography techniques. Secondly, we must be good at going out, dare to learn from peers, and seek progress in exchange and learning. One of the things I often say is to be good at denying yourself. To learn from teachers, and to learn from books. Progress can only be achieved if you keep learning. The third is to have good thoughts. To be a man must be broad-minded. In particular, we should use an appreciative eye to discover the beauty around us, and excavate and spread the beauty around us.
Reporter: Is there a story that you still remember when you are outdoors?
Guo Fucai: I once went to Hukou Township, Yichuan County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province to collect style. At four or five o'clock in the morning, other tourists were still sleeping in the hotel, and I arrived at the scene early to grab the best terrain.
The Yellow River roared, the cold wind howled, I was shivering with cold, and a thick layer of ice crust was formed on my hat and down jacket. The camera was frozen and frozen, and I had to carry it in my arms. When the first rays of sunlight in the morning hit Hukou Waterfall, the hardships of perseverance in the cold winter turned into the source of photographic creation.
The river water beats along the shore, splashes out the waves, and there is a thick layer of ice skating on the guardrail, just like "the ice peak hangs upside down", and it is a spectacular scene of "the jade tree sends the snow in the wind, and the ivory carving mountain is crystal clear". I quickly pressed the shutter to record the spectacle.
"Autumn Colors of Guangde Temple" by Guo Fucai
"Spring in the Garden" by Guo Fucai
Reporter: What kind of team (association) do you have? Can you tell us about your team (association)?
Guo Fucai: In order to do a good job in tourism photography, we established the Xiangyang Tourism Photographers Association. On the whole, the quality of the association's personnel is relatively high. The vast majority are retired veteran comrades. This association is a non-profit, non-profit association. The members of the activities are all AA system, and we often go deep into many scenic spots to collect and create, hold film exhibitions, and constantly promote scenic spots through pictures in various media. The scenic spots are also very supportive of the work of our association, and many scenic spots also implement free tickets for our association members, which greatly facilitates the creation of photographers.
Reporter: Today, I also want to let you share with our audience some of your thoughts and new insights in the photography industry.
Guo Fucai: My impression is that photography should keep up with the pace of the times and dare to innovate; the second is to strengthen unity and coordination; The third is to strengthen learning, constantly improve and improve themselves. In the process of creation, through the change of scenes, shooting angles and shooting directions, the perspective relationship changes to make the photos more durable, so that the picture photography language can convey more and more beautiful information, and at the same time, it can also make more audiences have aesthetic resonance.
Reporter: We often hear a sentence: "SLR is poor for three generations, and photography ruins a lifetime", is it so exaggerated? What advice do you have for photography enthusiasts getting started?
Regarding photography, my experience is to see more, think more, shoot more, equipment is not important, the key is thought. What photography really needs is not the lens, but the head behind the lens, and real photography still depends on one's own skills and creative ability. Don't focus on the device configuration, but on the brain. To be good at learning, to be good at thinking, and to constantly deny oneself, the level of photography will be improved. It is necessary to leave a lot of photos with a story, and only then will you remember the people and things that may be forgotten. Time is easy to pass by, and images can stay for a long time.
"Autumn Colors of Zhenwu Mountain" by Guo Fucai
"Dongjin Bridge Night" photo by Guo Fucai
"Proud Autumn Color" by Guo Fucai
Reporter: You are the pride of Xiangyang! "Xiangyang Good Wind Day" was listed on the world stamp, and New York Times Square in United States was broadcast with the theme of Xiangyang Good Wind Day, which played a significant role in promoting Xiangyang tourism culture and enhancing the image of Xiangyang. What's next for you?
Guo Fucai: This is just a promotion of the key points of Xiangyang urban area. In the next step, I will focus on the "Xiangyang Good Wind Day". The first is to plan to be supported by the "China Photography News", the Cultural and Tourism Bureau will set up the stage, the Municipal Tourism Photography Association will sing, and hold a national photography exhibition, and the second is to organize members to take pictures of all the scenic spots above 3A in Xiangyang, so that the scenic spots above 3A in Xiangyang can be listed on the world stamps. Strive to publish a set of scenic spot promotion stamp album every 2 years. The third is to support members to create exhibitions. Each year, 20 works of the members of the program are published in the China Photography News.
In the first half of this year, "China Photography News", "Provincial Tourism Photography Association", "Hubei Daily" and other media introduced the party building work experience of the Municipal Tourism Photographers Association to the whole country. The next step is to strengthen the guidance of the association's party building, unite the majority of party members and members, adhere to the correct and theoretical orientation, take a variety of forms and media to closely focus on the central work of the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, increase efforts to promote Xiangyang, promote Xiangyang, and fourth, in the near future, we plan to discuss with the Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism to award 50 travel photography check-in points in the city, so that all friends who come to Xiangyang to take pictures know that location, that angle can take the most beautiful photos. Through the joint efforts of everyone, we strive to make Xiangyang go to the whole country and the world stage.
Tencent.com, News, Xiangyang, August 3, all-media reporter Luo Bing