Photojournalist Liu Guangming: A photojournalist who entered the industry at the age of 40

News photography is often a strenuous job, so photojournalists are mostly young people and competition is fierce. Nowadays, some photojournalists can no longer run before the age of 40, but Liu Guangming only changed his career to become a photojournalist in his 40s. It’s a mule or a horse, pull it out for a walk

Liu Guangming was born in a worker’s family in Guilin in September 1955. After graduating from middle school in 1973, he went to work in the countryside and became a worker two years later. With his own hard work, Liu Guangming joined the party and became secretary of the Youth League Committee of the factory after three years as an apprentice. In 1981, the factory sent him to the Guilin Municipal Party School to study full-time for one year. After graduation, he returned to the factory to do propaganda work. In 1985, Liu Guangming participated in a photography training class in Guilin and initially mastered the basic skills of developing and enlarging photos in the darkroom.

Being able to walk through the door of Xinhua News Agency and become a photojournalist, Liu Guangming said that he would never forget one person. ?In 1988, I was doing publicity work at the Guilin Medical Administration Bureau. All the pictures related to legal education and legal propaganda in the bureau were sent to the Guilin reporter station of the Guangxi Legal News. The person who received me was Lu Wei, the station director at the time. . Over time, I became familiar with Lu Wei, and we often chatted and talked about photography together. Lu Wei joined Xinhua News Agency in 1990, and we still kept in touch. I think it may be that I am a serious person and meticulous about reporting tasks, which impressed Lu Wei even more deeply on me. Once, he asked me if I would like to work for Xinhua News Agency. At that time, there was a plane crash on November 24th. Guilin suffered from the lack of photographers and was unable to rush to the scene to take photos of the plane crash as soon as possible. It was not possible to take more exciting and impactful pictures. I said, of course it is my dream to go to Xinhua News Agency. As long as you want it, I will definitely be willing to go! Lu Wei said, then come and go to the (Guilin) ??branch to do photography. ?

In 1993, Liu Guangming was in Beijing and asked Lin Chuan, the then deputy director of the Photography Department of Xinhua News Agency, for advice on how to do a good job in photographic reporting in Guilin. Lin Chuan told him that he could carry out photo reports around Guilin, a famous historical and cultural city and a famous international tourist city, and listed many examples of pictures that could be taken.

In April 1994, Liu Guangming was transferred to the Guilin Branch of Xinhua News Agency to do administrative and marketing work. Although he was eager to be a professional photojournalist, he faced many disadvantages. The most important thing is that he is nearly 40 years old. At that time, the Xinhua News Agency's Personnel Bureau clearly stipulated that new photojournalists must have a college degree or above, have outstanding photographic works, and be no more than 35 years old. All these conditions are met and the approval of the photography department of the head office is required.

I remember that the Guangxi branch reported Liu Guangming’s materials and asked for the opinions of the photography department. I work in branch management, and I tend to disagree. If he can't run away as soon as he comes, it will make his personal career development and the branch's photography work seem very passive. However, when I met him in person, I saw that he was honest, honest and a serious person, so I suggested that the branch try him out for a while before making a decision.

Liu Guangming said: At this time, Lu Wei encouraged me to be a photojournalist for Xinhua News Agency. Only by persisting in publishing for Xinhua News Agency can I realize my ideal. Therefore, while I was responsible for the information department and office work of the branch, I also worked hard to explore Guilin’s news resources and insisted on reporting with text and pictures. ?

In July 1998, US President Clinton and his wife Hillary visited Guilin. Xinhua News Agency’s senior photojournalists Lan Hongguang and Wang Yan, who were responsible for the central news, were responsible for shooting and reporting. Liu Guangming met them and had a relationship. Opportunities for field learning and exercise. Liu Guangming was responsible for photographing Hillary and paid close attention to the entire process, not daring to slack off for a moment. His hard work paid off, and he captured the scene of Hillary and her daughter talking in front of Qixing Rock, which became an exclusive photo.

In March 1999, Xinhua News Agency’s Guangxi Branch notified Liu Guangming to work in the photography team. Lu Wei, the branch director at the time, said in front of the branch party members: "It's a mule or a horse, let's take it out for a walk." If it goes well, stay; if it doesn't, go away. ?Liu Guangming still vividly remembers the scene at that time. At that time, Chen Ruihua was the team leader of the photography team of the Guangxi branch. Xiong Chunlei and Chen Tianhu were also the backbone of the branch's reporting. With his yearning for Xinhua News Agency photojournalists and his persistent pursuit of news photography, he worked hard to make films and publish them. At that time, according to the work quota assigned by the headquarters to remote western provinces and regions, the Guangxi branch photojournalist was tasked with taking 56 photos for publication in a year. Liu Guangming completed more than 130 photos in less than a year.

After one year of work practice, Liu Guangming passed the inspection of the photography department and stayed in the Guangxi branch to become a Xinhua News Agency photojournalist. He was 44 years old that year and was the oldest among the new photojournalists of Xinhua News Agency.

Interviewing scientific expedition expeditions, he also made the news

The Tiankeng Group in Leye County, Guangxi is an extremely rare karst cave group in the world. The locals call them "Big Rock" Surround?. It was formed 65 million years ago and is shaped like huge funnels, hidden among the mountains. After investigation, scientists have determined that this is the largest sinkhole group in the world.

In April 2001, a scientific expedition team composed of Chinese and foreign explorers, karst geology experts, zoologists, and botanists prepared to conduct a large-scale scientific investigation of the Leye Tiankeng Group. Liu Guangming accepted the task and conducted interviews and reports with the scientific expedition team for half a month.

While following the scientific expedition team to conduct follow-up interviews on the Huangdong Tiankeng, Liu Guangming walked through the dense woods with photographic equipment on his back. Under his feet was thick humus soil, and what came to his face were the unique features of the forest. of flying insects. Soon, everyone was sweating profusely, and they saw a huge pit in the Yellow Cave. The majestic cliffs stood upright and surrounded the four walls of the pit. From a distance, it seemed like the mountains opened their mouths to the sky.

The pit is halfway up the mountain. On a downhill slope, Liu Guangming slipped on his feet and instantly somersaulted, falling directly down the mountain. At the moment when everyone was exclaiming, luckily he reached out and grabbed a small tree to prevent him from falling into the sinkhole more than 100 meters deep. This thrilling scene happened to be completely photographed by reporters from CCTV 4. It is said that after seeing the news, someone in the chief editor's office of the branch specifically called Liu Guangming to ask him to pay attention to his safety.

In half a month, the scientific expedition team inspected the Dongfeng Tiankeng, Dacao Tiankeng, Huangdong Tiankeng, Lotus Cave, Daduo Tiankeng and other tiankeng groups in Dashiwei Tiankeng. Liu Guangming accompanied the team to take photos Dozens of film rolls of picture data were collected, including "Leye Tiankeng ushered in the spring of scientific research", "Visiting Leye Tiankeng" and other sets of news photos, unveiling the mystery of the Leye Tiankeng group to the world.

Due to Liu Guangming’s outstanding performance in this photo reporting mission, he was invited to participate in the 2002 Nine-Nation Experts Leye Tiankeng Scientific Expedition project. He established friendships with scientific expedition experts, especially members of the local tiankeng exploration organization "Flying Cat Team", and he still maintains contact today.

An internal reference, 200 villagers moved into new homes

A few years ago, Liu Guangming paid a return visit to Nawantun, Zhaiya Township, Fengshan County, Guangxi, and the villagers excitedly gathered to tell him the good news : We have moved into a new home! It was Liu Guangming's on-site interviews and Xinhua News Agency's internal reference that reflected the real situation, which enabled nearly 200 villagers in Lawantun to evacuate their dilapidated houses and move into new homes.

Nawan and Nase villages are located at the foot of Pose Mountain, and villagers have lived here for more than 40 years. In June 2000, about 150 cubic meters of dangerous rock on the mountainside of Pose Mountain suddenly slipped, and two huge rocks hit a house 20 meters away. Fortunately, no casualties were caused. Nawantun villagers went up the mountain to investigate afterwards and found that there were four dangerous rocks of about 10,000 cubic meters lined up 50 meters away from where the dangerous rocks fell. Every time there is a violent storm, nearly 200 villagers in Nawan and Nase villages have to be evacuated urgently. Four huge dangerous rocks hanging overhead seriously threaten the lives and property safety of the villagers in Liangtun.