這一招雖然並非百試百靈，不過成功率也相當之高，在2009年尾至2010年期間，他用半年時間成功拍攝130位乘客（只有九人拒絕），之後再篩選三十張做展覽，當年BBC及《衛報》都曾報導。“As a taxi driver, you get to see a real cross section of society.”——他如此形容自己的「TAXI」拍攝計劃。
作為外來者，他先被當地村莊的建築吸引，拍攝房屋、家居擺設及謙卑的當地人，集結成《Dorps: Small Towns of South Africa》一書。之後，他將重心慢慢從房屋轉移到人身上，拍攝不同南非居民的肖像，關注他們的精神狀態，發表的多本著作之中，尤以2001年面世的《Outland》最廣為人知。世人眼中，白人在南非享有特權，然而Ballen鏡頭下拍攝的，是生活在郊區小鎮貧民窟的白人，他們長期與世隔絕，因各種遺傳原因，樣貌逐漸變得怪異，也慢慢出現許多令人費解的行為。
她以4R尺寸展示這些相片，為每張照片手寫上時間及日期，那種感覺恍如翻看家庭相簿的日常照片。表面上那種藍天白雲的平靜，隨着照片下方的時間地點瞬間刺破，例如6月12日的金鐘、11月12日的中文大學。當真相被一片美好包裝，縱然當權者如何歌舞昇平，但眾人經歷過的集體回憶，卻如何也抹不走，the truth is out there。
《The Truth is Out There》2020年6月12日至7月18日曾於太子C &G藝術單位展出。
Mario Testino原本修讀的是經濟學，1976年，22歲的他毅然移居倫敦學習攝影。倫敦的時尚風氣與秘魯簡直天淵之別，這也讓喜歡時尚的Mario心靈得到解放，展開對時尚攝影的追求。「大明星御用攝影師」這個稱號背後，是長年努力所累積的，當時他在英倫無人無物，在跟隨兩位攝影師當過一年學徒之後，就滿腔熱血向雜誌社自薦，卻一次次遭受不留情面的回絕。為了養活自己，當時生活拮据的他一邊在餐廳打工，更不得不住在廢棄的精神病院。
Among many beautiful images of Princess Diana, Peruvian photographer Mario Testino has captured the most charming and attractive one.
Mario started his career in the British fashion industry in the 1980s and gained a reputation in the 1990s. In 1997, he photographed Lady Diana for Vanity Fair Magazine.
It was his first time shooting for the British Royal Family, and also the last fashion photographs of the princess; she was full of confidence with elegance.
Not long after the magazine published, she died in a car accident, and the whole of England mourned. These smiling photos of Diana became the last impression of her incredible life.
Almond Chu explores social issues with the “parade” series.
Hong Kong had long been known as the “Parade City” even before last year’s extradition bill demonstration. It has been 23 years after the Hong Kong handover, and people are familiar with protests. On July 1st, 2003, half a million people took to the streets against Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23. Photographer Almond Chu also participated in that year, inspiring him to create the “Parade” series in the following year.
“In 2004, I completed the Artist Residency in Germany. After returning to Hong Kong, I wanted to abandon the shooting technique of portraits and still life in the studio, and began to move forward.” On the one hand, he created the “ARTIFICIAL LANDSCAPE” in landfills and reservoir flooded with garbage, to reflect on the damage caused by humans.
As for the “Parade” series, he selected the iconic buildings of the colonial period, such as the old Star Ferry Pier and the Central Police Station, and related the location with the characters. Most people may not have much memory of the third work near the Wan Chai Pier, “During the 2005 World Trade Conference, Korean farmers once demonstrated and jumped in the sea in this area.”
The “Parade” series was not only created in Hong Kong but also inspired by buildings in Beijing and Guangzhou. “Because of a conversation with the painter Wucius Wong, I was considering the issue of “identity,” so I step into the mainland for inspirations.”
Under the red walls of the Forbidden City in Beijing, numerous security officers wearing sunglasses and green uniforms, which is very iconic among the Parade series. Starting from the fourth work, he tried to interpret the characters in the photos by himself, so that the work has a strong message.
In 2015, he created “Parade 15 (79)” in response to the 2014 Umbrella Movement, in front of the Central Government Complex, 79 people holding yellow umbrellas. The last piece, “Parade 16 (The Apple)”, focuses on the Apple flagship store in Central, reflecting on the fact that when computers and smartphones dominate our lives, does technology ensure people with a better connection?
In 1980, shortly after China’s “reform and opening up” policy, the 23-year-old photographer KanTai Wong embarked on a journey to Xinjiang. “Turpan and Kuqa in Xinjiang are the Flaming Mountain and Ladies’ Kingdom in the famous novel The Journey to The West.”
The imagination of Literature attracted him to this trip. When separated from two friends in Urumqi, he got the remaining “Foreign Exchange Certificate” of his friends. He took the bus alone to Kashgar in southern Xinjiang. “Turpan, Kuqa, Kashgar are similar to the Islamic world, especially Kashgar is an important ancient city in Central and West Asia. It is permeated with the Islamic atmosphere, Uyghur women wrap their heads with fabric, and people read the Quran.”
Looking back, he said that although he felt that people were a little wary, they were generally amiable. He photographed the little girl’s shy smile, the little boys swimming naked in the river, the locals grazing, and the bazaar. He did not capture it with a newfangled mindset, but by recording their traditions, such as hats and beards, and belief, to present dignity. “I think the life quality in Xinjiang is not impoverished like it used to be, but the tradition has broken down, and it feels like this dignity is gone.”
Gregory Colbert的職業生涯始於1983年，當時這位年僅23歲的年輕人，開始在巴黎拿起錄影機拍攝反映社會問題的紀錄片，關於強姦案的、關於瀕臨死亡的藝術家、也有關於愛滋病的題材，尤其《On the Brink: An AIDS Chronicle》這部愛滋病題材的紀錄片迴響很大，之後他把創作的重心轉向藝術攝影。1992年，在瑞士和日本舉辦的個展《Timewaves》，吸引不少收藏家和基金會的注意，在他們的資助下，他開始周遊世界拍攝大象、豹等動物，展開為期十年的拍攝計劃「Ashes and Snow」。
Ashes and Snow
從1992年開始，他完成逾四十次遠征，足跡遍及南極洲、北極、澳洲、東南亞及非洲等多處地方，拍攝大象、鷹隼、羚羊、鯨魚、美洲豹、長臂猿和鱷魚等動物，也把鏡頭對準緬甸和尚、南非桑族人、蒙古人和世界各地的原住民。所有照片都沒特別標題，只有一個共同名字：「Ashes and Snow」（塵與雪）。
1999年，他構想一座可輕易搭建的美術館，作為在全球巡迴展覽時的短期場地。經過多年構想，第一座美術館終於在紐約問世，配合「Ashes and Snow」的作品展出，後來又踏足加州、東京、墨西哥城、巴西等地方，根據不同的當地環境，採用各具特色的設計。時至今日，展覽已吸引逾一千萬人次觀眾，這樣人潮踴躍的個展，在所有在世的藝術家裡，絕對是絕無僅有的。
Marc Progin, the landscape of Mongolia changes my living style
Hong Kong-based swiss photographer Marc Progin discovered the original and beautiful scenery in Mongolia. He abandoned the commercial world because of this primitive land and delicately experienced the little-known area by cycling.
Mongolia, under the lens of Marc Progin, is very magnificent. He feels the seasonal changes in the Gobi Desert, mountains, and grasslands. On the way, he met herdsmen, migratory birds, and eagle hunters. Behind each brilliant photo, there is a memorable experience.
He rides a hundred kilometers a day on gravel and sand roads, which requires not only physical strength but also perseverance; the weather is always not as expected. In the spring, there are often sandstorms in the desert, the sands scratch the camera filters and even glasses.
It is more challenging to take photos in winter. It has started to freeze in October. The coldest temperature could be -40 degrees Celsius and have to ride camels to reach the remote area. “The camera battery will run out of electricity shortly after shooting. Sometimes the camera shutter may not open again. No photos come easily.”
To understand the history and origin of Mongolian from an archaeological way, Marc Progin has formed a camel team with the Mongolian locals Since 2012, to look for dinosaur relics and stone-carved statues. “For me, photographing statues and fossils 10,000 years ago is far beyond photography. What I want to present is the origin of civilization.” He used the starscape to demonstrate the history of stone carvings and statues, which seems to maintain its primordial status.
Mongolia has an area of 1.5 million km² and a population of only 3 million. Sometimes he meets no one during a few days of cycling; Only he with the quiet nature.
“Photography is not just shooting landscapes, but how you feel about them.” He said that the time there seemed to be still. As the journey progressed, he slowly clears his thoughts, leaving the city life behind. “The travel in Mongolia has changed my living style. The more I go, the more I feel tired of urban life.”
布列松說，電影教他如何去觀察，不僅可接觸更多的觀眾，而且敘事和傳達信息也更有力量。1935年，他在美國跟隨攝影師及導演Paul Strand拍攝紀錄片時，學識基本的電影技能。翌年回到法國時，他希望成為德國默片大師Georg Wilhelm Pabst或西班牙導演Luis Bunuel的助手，可惜未能成功，最後他成為法國導演Jean Renoir助手，合作拍攝《Life Belongs to Us,1936》、《A Day in the Country,1936》和《The Rules of the Game,1939》，並在三部電影分別擔任簡單角色。
1937年，他拍攝首部講述西班牙內戰的紀錄片《Return to Life》，之後再拍攝兩部支持西班牙共和國的紀錄片——《With the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in Spain,1937》和《Spain Will Live,1938》。之後在1945年，他又拍攝一部講述戰爭囚犯歸家的故事《The Return》。
繪畫
布列松的叔父是畫家，兒時曾跟隨叔父短暫學過油畫，當時他受後印象派畫家塞尚影響，同時間也接觸超現實主義，創做過拼貼作品。20歲時他就讀私人藝術學院，跟隨法國雕刻家、立體主義畫家Andre Lhote學習畫畫。他對文藝復興時期的畫作深感興趣，不過在1930年從非洲回到法國後，反而將更多的熱情投放在攝影上，逐漸放下畫畫這興趣，直至1972年，他才重拾畫畫樂趣，並於三年後在紐約Carlton Gallery舉辦首個素描畫展。他說，Photography is an Immediate Action, Drawing is Meditation.。
·照片@Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson / Magnum Photos
