Jia Zazhia blogzine on poetic PHOTOGRAPHY in & near China, plus other Beauties

张晓，1981 年生于山东，毕业于烟台大学建筑系，2005-2009年间在重庆晨报担任摄影记者，2009年6月辞职后成为自由摄影师。他曾一直钟情于Holga，后 来因为那种暗角和浓烈的色彩所带来的严重的形式感开始制约他，于是放弃拍了两年多的Holga，买了玛米亚7Ⅱ，但是正如他所说，“相机的确只是个工具， 当你厌倦了某一种形式之后，那相机自然就被淘汰，而新的适应你的也会随之出现”。2009年11月和2010年4月，张晓先后获得了侯登科纪实摄影奖和三 影堂摄影大奖，是对他的摄影最大的肯定和鼓励。最近他接受了假杂志的专访，本文的作品选自“他们”系列。

Zhang Xiao was born in 1981 in Shandong province, China. He graduated from Architecture Department at Yantai university. He worked for Chongqing morning post as a photographer. Since June 2009 he has been working as a freelance photographer. He won Houdengke Documentary Photography Award in Nov. 2009 and won Three Shadows Photography Award in Apr. 2010. Jia Za Zhi did an interviewed with him recently. These works are from his They series.

一、名词解释

假 — 骗子
摄影 — 态度
诗歌 — 灵魂
电影 — 历史
手机 — 爱情

二、问答

> 你是什么开始对摄影产生兴趣的？是如何开始的？
接触相机是在高考结束后在家等录取通知的那段时间，我在家里一个柜子里翻出一个崭新的凤凰205B相机，我到现在都不知道那个相机是从哪里来的。那时候仅仅是接触，拍些村里的人，村里的风景，然后洗成5寸的照片，认真地把他们装到照相馆赠送的简易小相册里。每当把一个小相册装满的时候，心里好满足。上大学期间也是这么过来的，没有什么长进。只是照相馆赠送的简易小相册越来越多。大学毕业来到重庆的一家报社工作以后，才开始真正的摄影。那时候经常上fotoyard摄影网站，认识了很多朋友，看了很多照片，我这才明白，原来拍照片不是只有把照相馆赠送的简易小相册装满才会满足。现在想起那几年，虽然很单纯，但也很纯粹。那段经历对我还是很重要的。

> 说到“大师”，你第一个想到的人是谁？请用一句话评价他/她。
黛安·阿博丝。她拥有传奇的一生。

> 还有哪些人对你产生了影响？请说说你心目中的他/她们。
我无法确切的说出是哪个人直接影响了我，只能说很多。那些大师们像是巨人，借助他们的肩膀，可以看到远方；而对我产生更多影响的是生活中一些拍照片的朋友，我们都是摸索着一起前进。大师们时常让人感觉是遥不可及的，而朋友们就在身边。

> “信封”系列非常有意思，将典型的“张晓式的摄影”与这个独特的介质结合在了一起，能谈谈这个系列的初衷吗？
在中国几乎每个记者都会得到“信封”，但在无意中我把我收到的400余个“信封”完整的保留了下来。可能跟小时候喜欢收集各种牌子香烟盒和方便面袋的癖好有关系吧。一开始是觉得这个东西做出来会很好玩，接着想的是从技术上能否实现预期的效果。慢慢的觉得不应该只是好玩，这是个严肃的事情。这是对当下媒体和媒体从业者的反思，同时也是对我四年媒体工作的一个告别。“信封”这个介质是很独特，但是也有很大的局限性：有过媒体从业经历的人一眼就能明白其中的含义，这是红包，里面装的是钱。而对于大多数人来说是很难理解的。在连州摄影节展览的时候有人问我：这些信封是你去废品回收站找来的吗？还有一位外国朋友看了很久之后说：我觉得你的作品很有历史感，这是你的家书吗？

> 你为摄影而工作，也为了摄影辞去了工作，能否最近的生活和拍摄状态？在你心中摄影与生活的关系是怎样的？
对我来说这两个“摄影”是有区别的。前者是一个工种，后者是一个理想。前段时间连续几个展览占去了我很多的时间。现在在上海和浙江一带继续拍照片。摄影和生活的关系在我身上不断的变化，以前总觉得摄影就是生活的全部，随心所欲，无拘无束。现在发现生活中摄影之外的那部分好像更加难以经营。

> 在摄影之外，你还关注什么？
可能是因为以前工作的关系吧，我对新闻非常关注。

> 你的“海岸线”的拍摄计划进展如何？除此之外还有什么其它计划？
进展不快，海岸线太长。目前只拍了广东广西和山东。现在正在拍上海和浙江，还需要很长一段时间。其他计划还没想，先做完这个再说吧。

（访谈：言由 / 假杂志版权所有，转载请超链接本文网址）

1, Words Explanation

Fake – fraud
Photography – attitude
Poetry – soul
Cinema – history
Cellphone – love

2, Q&A

> When did you get interested in photography? how it happened?
I was waiting for the admission letter after the college entrance exam when I first engaged in photography. I found a new Phoenix 205B camera in a cabinet at home which I had never known where it was from till now. In those days I shot people and landscapes in my village, developed them into 3X5 photos and put them in simple albums given by photo studios. I felt satisfied when an album was filled with photos. In college I had little progress in skill but more and more albums. After my graduation when I worked in a newspaper agency in Chongqing, I began to take pictures seriously. At that time I always browsed a photo website named fotoyard. After meeting many friends and seeing a lot of photos there, I realized that I would feel satisfied other than filling the album with photos. In my memory those days were simple, pure, and important to me.

> Speaking of “master”, who do you instantly think of? Please give your opinion on him/her in one sentence.
Diane Arbus. She has a legendary life.

> Who has influenced you? Please talk about them in your words.
I can’t say the exact names, but there are a lot. The masters are giants on whose shoulders I can see further; while I grope my way forward with my friends who influenced me more. The masters are far away while friends are beside me.

> “Envelope” series is very interesting. The typical Zhangxiao-style photos are connected with the special medium. How did this series come out in your mind at first?
In China almost every journalist may get envelopes like these. Unintentionally I kept more than 400 envelopes. When I was a kid I liked collecting cigarette boxes and bags of instant noodles. At first I wanted to do the series as a fun and then I considered about many skill problems. Gradually I took it seriouly. The series would be a reflection on the current media and journalists, and also a farewell with my four-year journalist work. As a special medium envelope has its limitation. A journalist will know the meaning of the envelope: a red packet with money in it. However most people don’t know the secret. At Lianzhou International Phtography Festival, some people asked me: “did you find these envelopes in recycling depots?” A foreigner said to me after seeing for a long time: “your works are historical. Are they your letters from family?”

> You worked for photography and resigned for photography. Can you talk about your recent life and shooting state? What do you think of the relationship between photography and life?
For me the two “photography” are different. The first one is a profession and the second one is an ideal. I recently participate in many exhibitions which took most of my time. Now I’m shooting around Shanghai and Zhejiang. Before I regarded photography as my whole life, free and at my own will, while now, I find that the life beyond photography is harder to live.

> Besides photography, what’s your concern?
I concern much about news, perhaps being affected by my previous job.

> How is your “coastline” project going on? Is there any other plan?
The progress is slow, because the coastline is very long. Currently I only finished Guangdong, Guangxi and Shandong. I’m shooting Shanghai and Zhejiang now, which will take a long time. I won’t have other plans before I finish the project.

(Interviewed by Yuan Di / all images © Zhang Xiao; Please link JIAZAZHI, if you want to use any part of this aritcle )