The post-90s guy transformed into a "mobile photo studio" to shoot "family portraits" for thousands of people in the mountains for free

Xinhua News Agency, Kunming, December 29 Title: Post-90s Boys Transform into "Mobile Photo Studios" to Shoot "Family Portraits" for Thousands of People in Mountainous Areas for Free

Xinhua News Agency's "China Net Affairs" reporters Lin Bifeng and Wang Anhaowei

Pick up your smartphone, take a selfie, take a group photo, record a beautiful moment... These seemingly ordinary actions that happen around us are out of reach for some ordinary people in the depths of the mountains.

In the mountains of Shidian County, Baoshan City, Yunnan Province, the southwestern border of China, some people have not taken a photo in their lives, until 2015, Yang Dongqing, a post-90s boy, launched the "Family Portrait Public Welfare Photography" project, which fulfilled their wishes.

In the past three years, Yang Dongqing has put on his camera, brought his own dry food, and walked through villages and villages, accumulatively shooting "family portraits" for 4 townships, more than 200 households, and thousands of people, recording happy moments with the lens and warming people's hearts.

"The family's eternal regret"

With a smart hairstyle, simple dress, and a bright smile, Yang Dongqing, born in 1992, is a full sunshine boy in the eyes of everyone. The geographical village of Taiping Town, Shidian County, where his hometown is located, is a small village deep in the mountains of western Yunnan, where people have been farming for generations.

One thing has always been deeply engraved in Yang Dongqing's mind. When he was a child, his grandfather, who had lived in the mountains all his life, had a dream and hoped to take a family portrait. However, the conditions in the village were limited at that time, there were no cameras, and the villagers had to go around the muddy trail and drive for more than an hour to the county seat to take pictures.

"Later, I had a camera, but my grandfather was gone, and his little wish never came true, which became an eternal regret for the whole family." Yang Dongqing said movingly, "In some poor mountainous areas, taking pictures is still a luxury, and many elderly people have not left a decent photo in their lives. ”

In the Spring Festival of 2015, Yang Dongqing, who was studying in Chongqing, returned to his hometown and was once again touched by this situation, and he had the idea of taking free family portraits for the masses. Accompanied by his father, he came to Mulaoyuan Township Dadi Village to take photos for some villagers, and the "Family Portrait Public Welfare Photo" project sprouted.

At first, some villagers were worried about Yang Dongqing's "public welfare auction". "People think they have to pay to take pictures." Yang Dongqing recalled that after being "rejected", he did not give up, but found a way to communicate with the respected elderly in the village, and then the old man led him to the homes of some villagers to take pictures.

"Some elderly people who have never taken a photo have a slightly stiff expression when facing the camera, and it took several adjustments to shoot smoothly." Yang Dongqing said that in order to make the masses more relaxed when taking pictures, he would always tell everyone about their home customs and talk about interesting things in the village, and the atmosphere slowly relaxed.

The mountain village road is narrow, and in some places the vehicle is impassable, Yang Dongqing will walk to the village on foot, often for an hour or two. "The weather in the mountains changes, and when it rains, the muddy hike on the mountain road is more difficult, and sometimes we take the tractors of the villagers into the village to take pictures." He said.

"Every shot was very touching"

"Laugh one! One, two, three! With the crisp shutter sound, on February 4 last year, on the eve of the Spring Festival, Yang Dongqing took the first family portrait for zhang Wenqin, a villager in Mulaoyuan Township, and his family of 6. Zhang Wenqin, 61, smiled happily, "In the past, we had a festival or a happy event at home, but we didn't take pictures." She sighed.

In those days, when it was raining lightly in the sky, Yang Dongqing came to Dazhong Village in Wuluo Township and walked three families in a row, but all of them failed to take a "family portrait" because someone in the family went to visit relatives. "People are uneven, it's raining, forget it today, you'll come back in two days." Elder Brother Li, a villager leading the way, said helplessly.

Yang Dongqing did not play the "retreat drum", continued to walk forward for half a kilometer, saw a family halfway up the mountain not far away, an old grandmother dressed in Brown costume was cleaning the yard, the grandfather sat quietly on the side, Yang Dongqing hurriedly greeted: "Grandparents are good, the New Year, we come to help you take a photo, do not charge money!" ”

"Come up and sit down, the road is slippery, be careful!" Yang Fuchun, a 70-year-old veteran, responded enthusiastically. He happily found a stool to set the door and called out to his 12-year-old grandson who was watching TV. The two old men sat upright, the grandson Yang Saibiao stood behind him, and the three grandchildren took the first group photo.

"Every time I shoot, I was very touched, and everyone dressed up and changed into new clothes like a festival." Yang Dongqing said that now the "public welfare shooting" team includes 2 photographers and 1 recorder, the car is their own, the fuel cost is out of their own, everyone brings dry food, even if the villagers are enthusiastic to stay, they will not stay at the masses' homes to eat.

After taking the photo, Yang Dongqing took it to the photo gallery in the city to process, print, and mold the frame, and then entrusted his relatives and friends to send the photos to each village, and finally the village committee chairman or the leader of the villagers' group sent it to the hands of the masses. "Some of the costs of oil and flushing caused by the shooting came out by myself, and some of them came from donations from caring people, and I recorded each sum of money one by one and announced it in a timely manner." He said.

Cameras, flashes, tripods... From one person to a group of people, in the past three years, Yang Dongqing has led the team to go through four townships in Shidian County, such as Mulaoyuan Township and Pengluo Township, taking photos for more than 200 households and thousands of people and sending "family portraits", and villagers will always happily hang photos in eye-catching positions at home.

"Poor mountainous areas need more care"

"My dream is to take a family portrait of every family in my hometown."

"I hope to call on more people to pay attention to people in poor mountainous areas."

"It's not easy to do a small thing in my life, I will insist on doing it..."

These are a few words repeatedly mentioned by 25-year-old Yang Dongqing in interviews, and he always downplays his efforts in the past three years. In his view, an ordinary family portrait is of great significance to poor families in mountainous areas. "A photograph is a slice of history, and the house behind them, the clothes they wear, the expressions on their faces, are all important details."

"Whenever I see villagers hanging family portraits in a prominent position at home, I am moved." Yang Dongqing said that every time he went to take pictures, he deeply felt the sincerity, simplicity and enthusiasm of the masses, and also lamented the weakness of his own strength. "I can only take one picture of them, and many poor families need more help."

This year's Spring Festival, in order to let the villagers get family portraits faster, Yang Dongqing specially bought a portable printer, and since then he has taken pictures of the masses and carried them wherever they go. "After taking a photo, you can print it, and the villagers no longer have to wait for a month to get the photo." He said.

Today, Yang Dongqing has a new identity. In June this year, he and several friends jointly established a film and television studio in Baoshan City. He said: "This is a new starting point, let me chase my dreams more firmly, and warm more people in poor mountainous areas with the lens." ”

"I'm just an ordinary photographer, trying to do little things with my camera." Yang Dongqing said that he has personally felt the changes brought about by the construction of new rural areas and targeted poverty alleviation in his hometown, but in the poor mountainous areas of Yunnan and even across the country, there are still many people who need more care.

This year is the third year of the implementation of the "Family Portrait Public Welfare Photography" project, and Yang Dongqing is looking forward to holding a "Family Portrait" photography exhibition in the tenth year, and visiting those who have taken pictures to see their changes. "If I take one more photo now, maybe they'll have one less regret in the future." Yang Dongqing said.