Travel Guides and Stories

I wonder how many cities I'll live in for more than four years in my lifetime, but Perth will be the third one, and it's the first city I've experienced since owning a DSLR camera. Four years of living anywhere is enough to transform initial wonder and novelty into familiarity. The DSLR changed my perception of this city - finally allowing me to document a place through my own lens and perspective. In those moments, in those spaces, the interplay of light and shadow was forever captured through the shutter. My photos are unique (naturally, no two photos are exactly alike), and while they may not all be exceptional, each represents a "decisive moment" that can never be repeated. I feel I've become part of the environment rather than just an observer or recorder. Because these images express what I want to capture - observed with my eyes, felt with my heart, and recorded through the lens and its CMOS sensor. Without the initial overwhelming sensation, I can now quietly observe and experience more deeply. So these aren't tourist photos, but rather familiar scenes accumulated over four years of living, studying, and working here (some are first impressions :-)).

I'm absolutely a beginner, an amateur enthusiast, but having fallen in love with photography, I hope to reach a level where I can truly capture nature's magnificence. Based on this philosophy, I spent a long time exclusively shooting landscapes, especially natural scenery. I believed only natural landscapes offered pure beauty, and fortunately, my city (and its surroundings) possessed unique and pristine natural beauty - exactly what I was seeking.

However, my perspective later evolved, and I began to appreciate human subjects too, finding that humanity's traces in nature were also worth documenting. Beauty and purity remain my photographic pursuits, so even though I'm deeply aware of humanity's widespread environmental impact, in my photography I choose to capture only the harmonious interactions between humans and nature. I'll leave the documentation of environmental destruction and nature's retaliation to others...

Fortunately (another stroke of luck), this city is one of the better-preserved places on Earth, with minimal pollution and relatively harmonious coexistence between humans, nature, and wildlife. Many areas remain in their pristine state. You'll often see seagulls gathering around picnickers for food, or all traffic stopping to let a mother duck lead her ducklings across the road.

OK, enough talk - let's get to the photos. You'll see how human traces blend with nature and become part of it. Not every photo contains "people," but almost all show traces of human activity (buildings, land cultivation, etc.) - perhaps this represents a fusion of natural landscape and humanitarian photography (interpretations may vary). I've rarely shot dedicated "portraits" (which I define as images where people occupy more than 50% of the frame) - at least it's not my focus for now (though I enjoy viewing good ones). I haven't shot much macro photography either (while interested, I'm limited by equipment), so I'll only share one example each of portrait and macro photography.

All photos below were taken with a Canon EOS 300D + kit lens. I'm grateful to this first DSLR costing over 10,000 yuan and its first matching EF-S lens for introducing me to the world of DSLR photography. This year I plan to buy an XXB, as I've never used focal lengths above 70mm and would love to try. Next year I plan to invest in a 5D+17-40/4L to experience full-frame and ultra-wide angle - it's more interesting to gradually build up equipment, :-)

There are many experts on Wuji, which is why I'm posting here. I hope everyone can provide feedback so we can improve together. Another somewhat selfish reason is that posting to a network server serves as a backup in case my computer crashes...

Moreover, and most importantly, I believe a good work should stand the test of time - not just impressive at first glance, but able to withstand repeated viewing without aesthetic fatigue. I hope fellow photographers will also actively contribute to create a "City Impressions" theme, especially for cities where they've lived for more than four years.