The most awesome photographer in Lijiang, have you seen his work?

In a small alley at the south gate of the ancient city of Lijiang, there is a small courtyard that is slightly older than the surrounding buildings. A pair of elderly people live in it, and the white-bearded old man among them is Lijiang. Well-known photographer - Niu Dun.

△Lijiang City Photographer Niu Dun

From the moment he came into contact with a camera, fate closely linked Niu Tun to photography. In more than 30 years, he has taken nearly 50,000 photos. Even all the places in the house where things can be placed are occupied by photos. Boxes, piles, stacks, piles... he looks at them. Come on, every photo is a precious treasure.

I must buy a camera in the future

Niu Dun said: "My obsession with photography started from Lidiping." Hard chestnut floor work, few people want to stay here. But in Niu Dun's view, you can have a panoramic view of the great rivers and mountains by climbing high and looking far. What impressed me the most was one of Lidiping’s most beautiful scenery - the snow falling in June. Dark clouds covered the entire land in an instant, and along with the howling cold wind, the white snow also fell rustlingly. For a moment, I couldn't tell whether it was day or night. But when everything becomes quiet and the clouds and mist begin to disperse, it will be a shocking and indescribable beauty, and your heart will be greatly touched.

△Niu Dun tells the story behind the work

During the only four days of rest per month, he spends his time climbing over mountains and ridges in search of beautiful scenery. At that time, he always carried a box of watercolor pens with him. When he saw the magnificent scenery, he would draw it on the ground and keep it in his heart. After walking for a long time, he felt that it was a pity that such beautiful scenery could not be permanently recorded, so he secretly made up his mind: he must buy a camera in the future!

It wasn’t until 1994 that he finally spent more than 9,000 yuan to buy his first camera in his life, traveled all over the country with it, and started his own photography journey. Since then, he has purchased 4 or 5 cameras one after another, just to take the highest quality photos. To this day, he still insists on traditional film photography, firstly because of habit, and secondly because he feels that film photography has advantages that digital photography cannot compare with. So when I opened the refrigerator at Niu Dun's house, I saw not meat nor cold beer, but rolls of film with very detailed notes, which is enough to show the depth of the work.

△Niu Dun’s photography works

Love is the best teacher

From having never received professional photography training to becoming a well-known photographer, Niu Dun The key to success is love and concentration, which reminds people of Pu Songling's famous saying: "If one is crazy about one's nature, one's ambition will be condensed; therefore, a bookworm must be crafty in writing, and a maniac in art must have good skills."

Because of my love, I have been to Laojun Mountain more than 50 times. I only had a camera and a raincoat on me, and without a car, I walked around every corner of Laojun Mountain on my feet, recording the miraculous craftsmanship of nature and the strange scenery of Laojun Mountain with lenses. The angles were also extremely unique. Every photo taken is unique and extremely valuable to this day. Because of this, whenever he talks about this shooting experience in Laojun Mountain, Niu Dun seems very excited and proud: No one knows every inch of the land here better than me!

△Niu Dun’s Photography Works

Because of his love, he spent 10 years waiting for the most magnificent moment of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and then he created this "Morning Awakening from Dreams" that has been praised by the world. 》. The light at 6 a.m. was too bright and the photo was partially exposed, so we set off at 5 a.m., otherwise we would go earlier... Niu Dun has a habit of comparing photos to get the best results, so he took photos at the same scenic spot. It's a common thing to do dozens of times. Light, composition, texture, the more details, the more attention should be paid to them. He believes that every time he presses the shutter, there will be a new breakthrough. This is the charm of photography.

△Niu Dun took ten years to shoot "Awakening in the Morning"

Because of his love, even in his 70s, he can still understand the story behind each work. Come on. "This is the panoramic view of Black Dragon Pond that I took on the top of Xiangshan Mountain. I went there alone in the dark to take it more than 10 times!" "This was taken when we went to South Korea for a photography exhibition. The maple leaves there were so beautiful. "It looks good. Is it the same as the posters on the Internet?" "Look, there is a panoramic view of the ancient city, and there are vegetable gardens around it. Is this your memory of the old Lijiang City? I know that sooner or later it will change, so I put it here. I took it, and sure enough, tourists are also very interested in this photo, and they have to pay a high price to buy the negatives, which I can’t bear to part with”...

△Niu Dun’s photography works

Heart Arrive, feet, hands

This is Niu Dunhua’s photography experience accumulated over more than 30 years, and it is also the sentence he most wants to give to his descendants. He said that photography has never been a simple matter, and technology, patience, physical strength, and financial resources are all indispensable. How far you can go on this road and how much success you can achieve depends on how much effort you put into photography. The effort and reward have always been directly proportional.

△Niu Dun’s Photography Works

When he was 58 years old, even though he was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, and cataracts, he thought, "Such a beautiful place, it is worth dying there." "Going to Tibet to shoot with the mentality of "This is the best proof of this sentence. Niu Dun used practical actions to tell the world: Photography is his lifelong hobby; photography is his narrative method. He is silently intoxicated in his favorite world of light and shadow, working tirelessly day after day...

△Niu Dun displays his works

Postscript:

In 50,000 Among the many photographs, most of them are photos of Lijiang and Lijiang scenery in the last century. "I originally only liked scenery, but later I felt that just taking pictures of scenery was not enough. I wanted to take pictures of Lijiang's scenery, customs, folk customs, and Lijiang's good culture, and disseminate them so that the world could understand Lijiang." This is Niu Dun's original intention.

In 1997, Lijiang Ancient Town was declared a World Cultural Heritage. Niu Dun was invited to visit and take a large number of colorful photos. These photos were used as important reporting materials for the World Cultural Heritage application and also served as a basis for Niu Dun’s photography. A glorious addition to your career. His works have also been published in various newspapers, magazines and albums at home and abroad, including "People's China", "People's Daily Overseas Edition", "Yunnan Photographers' Selection", Hong Kong's "China Travel" and "Japan Travel". Excellent works have also been adopted by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and included in the "Lijiang Stamp Album". His works have been exhibited and competed in and outside the province for many times. He has won the "Caiyun Award" and "Excellence Award" for literature and art in Yunnan Province. The 50th anniversary of the founding of the Yunnan Province "First Prize" for photographic art works, "Second Prize in Shangri-La Photography Competition", etc.

Today, he is still full of energy walking through the streets and alleys, carrying a camera, silently recording every bit of Lijiang's development, leaving more wonderful moments...

Past Highlights

There are streets, alleys and courtyards. You must not miss it in Lijiang Old Town - Tiandi Courtyard

You may not believe how much Lijiang people love football

When classic lines met Lugu Lake, which scene touched you?

Chief planner: Liu Zhiwen

Final review: Zhou Xuelei

First review: Li Ping

Editor: Zhang Xiaoxue

Legal advisor: Lawyer Chen Yaojun丨Yunnan Tailian Law Firm

Contact number: 13769033845 18908882021