#New Zealand##海外生活 #
This is the 2,031st true human story we have told
I am a Chinese photographer in New Zealand, and I have won 300 international and domestic awards in the five years from 2018 to 2022. It is known in the industry as the champion harvester of professional photography competitions sweeping Europe, Asia and America.
As an outstanding Chinese photographer, he was elected as a member of the 13th Overseas Chinese Youth Committee of China and was received by leaders at the Great Hall of the People.
Today, I have been on the road of wedding photography art for 14 years, and now I live in Christchurch, New Zealand, and live the way I want to live my dream.
(What I look like when I work in the South Island, New Zealand)
I am Zhuoya, 42 years old this year, born in Guiyang City. Both parents are civil servants and are usually very busy at work.
After school, it was my grandparents who took care of me. Grandpa was an old Red Army, kind and wise. He taught me from a young age that you must do things consistently, have a plan, or do it well.
Since my parents were not around, my grandfather followed me and did everything according to my nature. If I'm interested, I'm engrossed in it, and if I'm not interested, I'm absentmindedly perfunctory.
Since I was a child, I have loved to draw, on the ground, on the wall and then on the door, anywhere casually, a painting is a small half-day. Once I took my mother's lipstick and drew on the door, and I was beaten up.
My mother saw that I really liked painting, so she helped me as a professional teacher, from sketching, watercolor, to oil painting, I learned it all over again, this painting is 9 years.
From elementary school to junior high school, I was very serious about subjects, because this was not less beaten. Fortunately, my parents were not too demanding on my test scores and always encouraged me to do what I was interested in.
(My mother held 2-year-old me in 1982)
Perhaps it was their "permissiveness" that led me to have a strong self-willingness and assertiveness since I was a child.
In junior high school, I was very rebellious, and when I graduated, I hid my parents' claims and directly applied to the secondary normal college to study art. When my parents found out, they were furious, they wanted me to go to high school and go to college, and I didn't listen to me when I got a stalk in my neck.
In the end, my parents couldn't resist me and respected my personal decision. Now that I think about it, I'm lucky to have very enlightened parents. I never thought that this decision would allow me to find my dreams.
However, unfortunately, in the end, because the cultural test score was not enough, he could not enter the normal college. Later, he was admitted to another local art secondary school.
When studying art design in secondary school, the teacher not only talks about art product development, but also teaches us how to commercialize art products. That's when I learned that you can make money by painting in one way.
(I took a photo with my parents and sister in 1999)
When I first went to secondary school, my father bought me a very high-configuration computer, which I used to do 3D animation, I was good at research, and soon my 3D level was already high, and I also began to contact computer games.
I was obsessed with a game, Age of Discovery, which was a very free game. I can hire crews, I can see the world, I can discover new continents, all of which make me yearn for it.
This major discovery in the game immediately opened my eyes, and I immediately decided to travel the world and record the customs and people around the world with drawing. Later, my life revolved around this dream.
In the second year of technical secondary school, the domestic fairy game was on fire. The teacher's friend wants to do game development, and I joined a few classmates to set up Blue Bird Studio, and we are responsible for working on game character manuscripts, saying that there is money.
In 2 years, we developed the first role-playing ARPG game "Lonely Journey" in China. I was very happy at the time, and later this game became a domestic classic in the minds of many players.
(China's first role-playing ARPG game "Lonely Journey")
To this day, there are still many players who are still exchanging their thoughts about this game on Tieba and even though all these years have passed, I am proud to mention it.
Later, the rights to the game were sold cheaply to a Taiwanese technology company, and the game was packaged and became a hit after its release. It didn't take long for pirated copies to start selling.
At that time, the awareness of copyright was not strong, we felt that the game was pirated, which showed that our game was doing well, and we were silly, toast.
After selling the game, I got some money, and after graduating in 1998, I co-founded an advertising agency with my teacher, which used 3D modeling and made architectural renderings.
For me, making architectural renderings was much simpler than designing game scenes, and it was a piece of cake, so I quickly earned 200,000. This is my first business after graduation and I earned my first pot of gold.
Although opening an advertising agency makes money quickly, doing architectural renderings is simple and repetitive, there is no novelty, and there is no challenge, and I think life is a bit boring.
(Singing with classmates to celebrate during graduation trip)
Later, I discussed with my parents that I wanted to study graphic design abroad. My parents were very supportive of me in pursuing my dreams.
In 1999, I came to Christchurch, New Zealand, where I attended a language school for a year to learn IELTS. My English was already rotten, and in order to dream, I had to prepare for the exam calmly, and after 9 months of hard work, I passed IELTS.
In the same year, I was admitted to the graphic design major of the New Zealand College of Art and Design, and with many years of art design skills, I made many excellent design works, and I completed the original two-year course in one year. After graduating, I stayed on to teach for a year.
After graduating in 2001, I discovered that there were no Chinese publications in the entire South Island of New Zealand, and my friends and I decided to try our hand and founded Christchurch's first Chinese newspaper "Xinhua Today". Newspapers not only have Chinese news, but also implant advertisements.
In 2 years, our newspaper expanded from monthly to biweekly to weekly, and from the South Island to the whole of New Zealand, making a national Chinese publication. It was later renamed the New Zealand Mirror, and we made some money and made a lot of advertising revenue.
(New Zealand partner printed the first Chinese newspaper "Xinhua Today")
I was 22 years old that year, I felt that it was easy to make money, and when I had money in my pocket, I began to toss blindly, and I got involved in unfamiliar territory, and as a result, the capital chain was broken, and I was only one step away from bankruptcy. At that time, fortunately, a reader injected funds in time, and he was able to survive.
In fact, I am very grateful for this experience of near bankruptcy, which woke me up young. I learned a lot, and in my later entrepreneurship, I became more stable and respectful of money with a sense of awe.
Then I kept tossing and turning, trying everything, opening a printing company, a real estate website, and a toilet restaurant called "Picasso". People sit on stools designed in the shape of toilets to eat, which has a special flavor.
At the age of 28, I am proud of my life, I no longer worry about my livelihood, but I always feel that there are shortcomings in my heart, do I live like this for the rest of my life? I'm going to travel the world with my brush.
(In 2014, he was a member of the Overseas Chinese Youth Committee at the Great Hall of the People)
I love to draw, but I also know that it's hard to support your family unless you become famous and start a family. Without fame, a painting is not sold for enough money to buy paint. I don't want to live a life of firewood, rice, oil and salt.
How can I turn my hobby into a career and earn money to make my life better? One day I looked at the photos on my phone and had a flash of inspiration, wouldn't it be beautiful if I used my camera to "draw" while traveling the world?
In 2009, I sold my printing house for many years and decided to work full-time as a photographer.
I think the shortcut from amateur to professional is to directly join the chain enterprises in the industry and use the mature system to quickly enter the track. After research, I chose V2 Visual Photography, founded by Mr. Zhang Daguang.
Not only did I shoot myself, but I also hired a lot of photographers to work for me. At first, I learned from imitating samples and copying them, and slowly I was looking for my own style.
(I was on the helicopter with the group and guests)
During the filming process, I quickly realized that I was always posing with the dailies when shooting, and there was no emotion. Such photos are all over the street, without their own creativity, let alone unique style.
What to do? It's not the photography I want, and it's not the dream I want to pursue. I want to learn from the best photographers in the industry.
So I sold all the franchise stores again and began to learn from the teachers everywhere. I spent several years visiting and following different teachers in China, Korea and Japan, learning different photography techniques and styles.
In 2009, I followed teacher Zhang Daguang and learned to use light and shadow to make the picture impactful; In Beijing in 2011, I studied with Yu Shuo, a master of commercial photography, how to deal with the details of each photo, down to the pores and skin.
In Japan in 2013, I followed Mr. Takakura's casual snaps, capturing the fleeting images around me; In 2015 in Korea, I followed Mr. Lee to learn how to make photos emotional, let photos tell stories, and give photos soul.
(Lectured at NZIPP New Zealand Photography Conference)
Every experience of following the masters made me more in awe of the art of photography and broadened my horizons.
It made me understand the essence of photography, to record the fleeting moments of life through photos, and at the same time express a kind of emotion or story to the customer.
It took me 6 years, half the world, and finally returned to China to open a photo studio. The longer I practiced photography, the more I realized that when hobbies and survival skills are the same, I slowly lose love for them.
Because a lot of times, what the customer asks for is not what I want to express, but I can't say no, because I have to live on it. It's a super unpleasant feeling.
My photography dream was difficult to realize in China, so I sold my photo studio in China and returned to New Zealand to open my own photography studio. This time, I have a new orientation for my photography style.
At the same time, I realized that if you want to focus on photography, you need to have a passive income to cover the cost of living. In this way, you will not shoot for money, so that you have more say in the style and subject matter of photography.
(What I look like when I work in the South Island, New Zealand)
So while shooting, I started investing in real estate, using the rent of the house and the cash flow from other investments to solve the basic expenses of daily life.
Since the passive income covered living expenses, I felt a lot more relaxed, and I began to love photography even more. I started to think deeply about the positioning of my photographic style and the processing skills of my photos.
In fact, if you do a thing seriously, wealth will naturally come. Your interest is your wealth.
The studio mainly shoots wedding photography, but sometimes also fashion and advertising. I love wedding photography, chatting with couples and having fun myself. I have a lot of room to play in recording memorable moments of my newcomer in the midst of laughter and laughter.
Our team's shooting tasks were four seasons, dealing not only with fog, snow, hail, but also storms. Luckily, my teammates are super reliable, and they always work together and work together.
Of course, during the shooting, you will encounter customers who are so cold that they are out of the state; Or the wind is too strong and the bride's dress and hair are blown into a mess. Our team can always take care of these issues to ensure that every shot is perfect.
(First place and gold in the European WPE Bridal Single category, Silver Award in the US WPPI Bridal Single category)
Before each couple shoots, I will take the initiative to chat with them, according to their personality and way of getting along, and express their unique love with a shooting method that suits them.
In between shoots, I record a "time egg" for the couple, so that they can relive the original feeling 30 years later, and these photos and videos can become the sweetest memories of their lives.
Once passing by Lake Pukaki, I saw a boulder in the lake on a whim, and it would be cool if the newcomer stood on it and reflected his figure in the calm lake. The bride was very brave, and the water was deep to her chest and swam over without hesitation.
Later, this photo won the first place and gold award in the European WPE bridal single category that year, and the silver award in the American WPPI bride single category. This is incredible!
Another time, after heavy rains, there was a "heart-shaped" ice cave on the Tasman Glacier. In order not to miss this rare spectacle, we took our guests to drive overnight to Mount Cook National Park and take a helicopter to their destination early the next morning.
Trek over the glacier for more than an hour with a professional guide to the breathtaking glacier "heart" ice cave and take amazing photos.
This photo won the first place in the WPPI bride category, the NZIPP Gold Award in the wedding category, the first place in the ONEEYELAND wedding category, and the first place in the AsiaWPA bridal single category.
(The heart-shaped ice cave photo won the NZIPP Gold Award in the Wedding category, the first place in the ONEEYELAND wedding category, and the first place in the AsiaWPA Bridal Single category)
My friend asked me: What if the customer's idea is different from yours? I smiled and said: I will refuse in this situation, I can't satisfy everyone. If you recognize me, look for me. Don't recognize me, don't force it.
I do photography to do what I love, not just to make money. Now I won't aggrieved myself to make money.
New Zealand's ultraviolet rays are strong, and in order to get good pictures, I have traveled a lot and been exposed to the sun for many years. Let me, the once white and handsome guy, have long become a healthy and energetic middle-aged uncle.
When I am photography, I will start from the emotions of newcomers, integrate the color and composition of oil painting, to reflect my aesthetic direction, and form a very recognizable and unique style.
(Cover shot for Croatian Vouge magazine)
Soon, my unique shooting style caused netizens to squint, forwarded it online, and in just one month, I had tens of thousands of fans. Fans say my photos are special and memorable.
Many fans asked me: Zoya, the photos you took are so beautiful, are they all post-processing? In fact, I think that a good photo must be good in the early stage, and the post-processing only does light and shadow and color processing to make the photo more "Zoya".
It is really a blessing to be able to do something you like, achieve a career, and become a lifelong dream.
Slowly, I became famous in the New Zealand photography circle, and many newcomers in China came to me to take pictures. Some advertising blockbusters at home and abroad also threw olive branches to me, and I went wider and wider on this road of photography art.
As the number of customers looking for me increased, I became busier, but I enjoyed it. Every morning when I wake up and think about taking pictures, I feel very happy, and I have endless energy every day.
(My wife and I took a photo)
More than 7 years since the studio was established, we have taken tens of thousands of photos for hundreds of couples, and the schedule has already been scheduled for 6 months. I used countless shutters to create memories that the newcomers will never forget.
In the five years from 2018 to 2022 alone, I have won more than 300 international and domestic awards in various professional photography competitions in Europe, Asia and America. Since 2018, I have also been selected by One Eyeland as one of the top 10 wedding photographers in the world!
What I have now, I am honored and inspired by my team!
Ingenuity never disappoints every ordinary person, doing what I like, pursuing my dreams, and while I live the happy life I want.
Fate is really amazing, my wife and I met again in 2014 in China Photo Studio, we used to be junior high school classmates. We got married in 2015 with a son and a daughter, and our family of four settled in Christchurch, New Zealand.
New Zealand is a country that has "gone too far" in opening up, so why say that? There are restaurants to enter naked, and New Zealand has "naked" tournaments and World Nude Gardening Day.
(We are a family of four)
There are many beautiful women in New Zealand, very open, as long as you are handsome enough, there are no money and no house There are still girls chasing. Homosexuality is also advocated for freedom.
Life in New Zealand is simple, there are rules for everything you do, and everyone just follows the rules. It's not that flexible, but I think it's good. At least it won't be plagued by all kinds of strange things like in China.
Housing prices in Christchurch, New Zealand, are much cheaper than in first-tier cities in China. My family's 350㎡ villa, 1300㎡ garden, about 8.5 million RMB, if I am in Shanghai or Beijing, I may only be able to buy an apartment.
(A family trip after my son went to elementary school)
I enjoy my life in the moment, except for photography, traveling as a family on weekends and enjoying stress-free days. The only thing I didn't expect was that New Zealand's prices were the highest in the Five Eyes Alliance.
In 2006, my parents came to New Zealand and fell in love with the simple and quiet life here. Mom and Dad grow organic vegetables in the garden, not only are they self-sufficient, but the excess vegetables are given to the neighbors. However, I often think of domestic spicy hot and grilled meat.
I have lived in New Zealand for over 20 years and now I can do everything, fix appliances, paint and cut down trees. The main thing is that the blue-collar labor here is very high, and there are also appointments. Changing a faucet costs 1,000 RMB, and the thief is not expensive.
Recently, I became fascinated by woodworking, and I also specialized in woodworking, making furniture by myself, which was really decompressing. Last year I built a tree house for my children as a Christmas present, and they loved it.
(Son and his pet Ma Xiao)
After life is on track, I continue to travel the world, only now I am no longer alone, with children and lovers. Take advantage of your children's school holidays and take them to explore the world together.
I have a scratch map of the world, and then whenever I get to a place, I scrape off the map of that place and reveal the name of the map below.
As I go to more and more places and scrape off more and more, I feel that my life experience and insight are slowly growing, and I am realizing my dream step by step. Expand children's eyes through travel to the planet we live on.
As an outstanding Chinese photographer, I was also elected as a member of the 13th session of the Chinese Overseas Chinese Youth Committee, and was received at the Great Hall of the People of the motherland together with members of local youth committees. I'm proud.
(Zoya's personal business card)
In short, thank you to every newcomer who chooses us, let us leave good memories together, and thank you for every surprise and happiness in life, let us cherish the people in front of us and the things in front of us more.
Life is full of uncertainty, but as long as we stick to our dreams, every step can become a turning point in life. I will continue to maintain this persistence and continue to move into the future.
[Oral description: Zoya]
[Editor: Dingdong Dingdong]
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