Beijing life in photos
Photo: Courtesy of Candilio and Serrano
By Vera Penêda
A homey slideshow session for friends who enjoy Beijing street photography is what two foreign photographers have for next Thursday evening at Salud bar in Nanluoguxiang. Juan Antonio Serrano, 34, a photojournalist from Ecuador, and Felice Candilio, 31, a scholarship student from Venezuela, will share a collection of photos that portray daily life and the picturesque moments in the streets of Beijing. With two series in black and white and color, the set of 60 pictures that'll be shown several times on the night is a visual rendering of different perspectives and techniques of framing the city.
"China remains an intriguing country and everyday life is enough as good photo material," said Serrano, who'll leave Beijing next month. Six-month visitor Serrano said he found ironic motives to shoot the first day he landed in Beijing. "Despite pollution that makes ideal light conditions difficult, popular life is very colorful and ironic. I enjoyed strolling the local markets and the hutong, and stopping at street corners to capture habits and moments," said Serrano.
"It's documenting everyday life in Beijing in the past year. Many of my photos give an impression of consumerism and details that often go unnoticed," explained Candilio, who moved to town in 2006 with a scholarship to complete his master's degree in telecommunications but also works as a photographer and visual artist. "Some photos are more technical, others more relaxed but they all show aspects Beijingers can relate to," he added.
With more than 10 years' experience working for the press, Serrano prefers exploring light contrasts and uses a Nikon 200 and 700 to take his color photos. The black and white series by Candilio was taken with his 450 and 500 Canon DSLR and mostly includes "shooting from the hip" photos, which consists in holding the camera at wait-level, and shooting upwards without looking through the viewfinder for more candid images of people.
Both photographers met at a Brazilian party in Beijing and ended up discussing photography. "I've been here for a short period but I get the impression Chinese photographers are very good technically and seem more drawn to fashion, travel and ethnic photography. I don't feel there's a lot of inquiring behind the photo," Serrano observed.
"Journalism wise, China is the country to be in as it is consolidating as a major world power," said Serrano. Serrano would like to extend his stay or return to China next year.
"Beijing is a picturesque city and is interesting to foreign eyes. I also think that for a laowai observer it's quite easy to go around just taking your photos," Candilio said. The Venezuelan developed his interest in photography when he bought his first digital camera in Beijing. "Then I discovered Lomography and became addicted to experimenting and studying photography," he said. Candilio hopes to start working on a personal project soon to make a portrait album of the people who crossed his way and contributed for his photo experience in Beijing.
Salud in Nanluoguxiang
7 pm
Thursday, 18 Nov.
Free