Paul Chong：从自然中发现艺术

Paul+Chong

“Light and subject are inseparable. But when they are well integrated， they become a fine masterpiece.”—Paul Chong

光影与主体是不可分割的，只有当这些元素一切完美和谐时，他们才能焕发出大师之光。——Paul Chong

Paul Chong是位来自马来西亚的摄影师，从2001年开始至今从事摄影已有十五年了。他喜欢并且善于通过摄影来传递生活以及生命的美感，他与摄影的结缘开始于他大学时为自己购买的一台禄来相机，那是他人生中的第一台相机。从小学习绘画的他，一直钟爱艺术。马来西亚美丽的田间风光，以及多年来世界各地的游历经历，为Paul的摄影创作提供了坚实的基础和巨大的空间。这位年轻的摄影师，不仅在国内外获得过诸多摄影大奖，也曾在美国洛杉矶，中国上海、成都，以及他的家乡举办过多次个人摄影作品展。

Early Inspiration and Journey

For me， photography is a representation medium in which a photographer perceives the world. It is also a medium that often carries more meaning than what we can see in a picture. It is an idea which I like to call it，“capturing feelings”. I have been shooting for almost 15 years now since 2000. It all started with the very first compact camera that I first bought for myself. At the first place， I believe that most of my inspiration in taking photograph came from my interest in painting at the very early stage of my life when I was 12 years old. I used to painting a lot of watercolor landscape scenery back then.But now with photography， the amount of time in creation has tremendously saved a lot of my time in creating art. Not only that， photography has offered me more freedom than I ever had in capturing and expressing my adventure when I travel. With just a camera and tripod， I can go anywhere at any time and be ready to create photograph.

早期创作灵感与奇异旅程

对于我来说，摄影是一种摄影师用来感知世界的表现媒介。它也会带来比我们所看到的照片所传达的更多的意义。如果有一个创意在脑海里浮现，那么我把这个过程叫“捕获灵感”。从2000年起，我从事摄影已经15年了。这一切开始于我为自己购买的第一台袖珍相机。首先，我觉得我的大部分的摄影灵感来源于我从小对于绘画的兴趣，当时我12岁。我经常画一些水彩的风景画。但是现在，摄影创作占用了我大量的时间。不仅如此，每当我旅行时，摄影也为我提供了更多的自由去表达我的经历。带着一台相机和一个三脚架，不论何时何地，我都准备进行摄影创作。

I came to love photography more as my regular “companion” when I was in my university attending one of my photography classes. Back then， the digital world wasnt as advanced as it is today. We all as student have to learn the fundamental technique in understanding the using of film. Like many others， I have learned my craft to use my camera by starting with various subjects. Covering landscape， people， architecture and day-to-dayproject. Event until today， I am still learning and there are always new things to learn. Looking back， all those years of experiences have taught me many great lessons in my growth and advancement as a photographer. After all， we are all student of photography.

我开始爱上摄影并把它当做我的一个朋友，是在我大学参加一个摄影课程时。那时，数码摄影不像今天这样有优势。我们需要学习使用胶片的基本技术。像其他人那样，传统拍摄技法教会了我开始利用拍摄的多样性来拍摄主体。包括风景、人物、建筑和日常生活。甚至到今天，我一直在学习新的事物。回首曾经，那些年的经历对于我摄影道路上的成长和成就，教会我很多。毕竟，我们都是一群学习摄影的学生。

Another inspiration that makes me fell in love with photography is my appreciation of the great outdoors. Imagine the freedom and joy of exploring the unknown and discovering new places. This opportunity was given to me about 10 years ago when I first venture into the countryside along with my backpack and camera. Travelling on foot and seeing interesting places. I believe this is another one of my turning point in my photographic endeavor. Up until today， the outdoor has been a great source of life and big influence in my creativity as a landscape photographer. One of my aspirations with the nature is to be able to capture the width and breathe of the vast landscape out there. Feeling the sense of awe， surprise and marvel at the wonders of nature.And also is one of my dreams to be able to share with the worlds audience through photos.

另一个鼓舞我迷上摄影的原因是我本人对于户外的喜爱。一想到去探索和发现那些未知的新地方我就觉得非常愉快和自由。十年前我背着一个背包和一台相机开始了我第一次的冒险。那次旅行全部靠步行，但是沿途却看到了很多很有趣的地方。我觉得那次是我摄影道路上的又一个转折点。直到今天，户外旅行一直是我生活中很重要的一部分，并且影响着我的摄影创作。对于大自然我一直渴望着去捕捉野外的美景，感受大地的呼吸。去感受一种敬畏，领略一种大自然的奇异之观。然而，我的一个梦想就是希望通过照片与世界各地的观众分享我的经历和感受。

A Story Teller

Every single piece of photo taken is like workingwith individual painting from a blank canvas. When creating art， the process can never be rush. Since every single composition requires time， dedication and understanding of the subject. On any given trip， I like to stay on location either by camping or stayingin a nearby accommodation. This would ensure me plenty of times to explore while allowing myself to be immersed with the surrounding environment. Also letting all my senses to get a feel of the place. Taking the necessary time to search for the right subject， composition and lighting. I believe that each photographis to be carefully studied and marked with interesting meaning.

讲故事的人

每一张照片的角度就像是从一幅空白画布上诞生的作品。当进行艺术创作时，时间总是如白驹过隙般飞快。每一件作品创作都需要时间，以及忘我的投入，还有对于表达主题的深刻理解。每一次创作过程，我都喜欢一个人露营或者呆在附近的一所住处。这样安静的世界能够给我更多的时间和空间去进行探索，并且使我完全沉浸在周围的环境中。也能够使我更好地捕捉这个地方的感觉。为了寻找一个最合适的主体、素材和灯光，找准时机非常关键。我相信每一位摄影师都应该认真地学习和记录那些具有意义的时刻。

Even though a picture can tell you a thousand words， but I would like to add that； a series of picture puts together could tell you immeasurable exciting story. Many times， I preferred to create photos by theme with sets of story line. In addition， also crafting interesting poem and writing song to go along with the story. By giving a touch of poetic to connect both viewer and the photograph. I like a quote by Ansel Adams， which goes something like this；“There are always two people in every picture： the photographer and the viewer.”

即使一张照片可以表达千言万语，但我喜欢去添加一些东西；一系列的照片放在一起会为你讲述许许多多精彩的故事。很多时候，我宁愿为照片去设定一个故事的主题。另外，也会为这段故事做一首有趣的小诗，或者谱一首歌曲。通过这些诗歌将观众和摄影作品之间的距离拉近。我喜欢引用安塞·伊士顿·亚当斯的一段话：“一张照片中总有两个人：摄影师和观众。”

The only distance is between the viewers eyes and the photograph. How you tell the story through your pictures is vital. This is a scenario where photography becomes part of the story. Thus， the word “photography” no longer is what we think it is. From this point， we have to see ourselves as an author rather than just a photographer.

观众的眼睛和照片之间存在一段距离。你如何通过你的照片去讲述故事才能生动，这种叙述剧情成为照片的一部分，那么“摄影”一词将不再是我们所认为的那个样子。因此，我们应该将我们看作是一位作者，而不仅仅是一个摄影师。

Reaching To The Unknown Places

One of the many challenges as landscape photographer is finding the unknown places. These are the new location where most photographer and traveler have not been to. In order to get there， they often require additional effort and some homework to do on our part. There are in fact， many of these places that is still waiting for us to explore. From my very own personal experience and knowledge， the resources are out there. It demanded that you only have to dig a little deeper in order to find them.

发现未知的世界

作为一位风光摄影师，众多挑战中的其中一个就是发现未知的地方。那些新的地方也许很多摄影师和游客还未曾去过。为了到达这些新地方，他们经常需要付出更多的努力以及做足准备。事实上，很多这种地方一直在等待着我们去发现。依据我的个人经验和了解，那里拥有很多想象不到的摄影资源，需要你一步步地去深挖，发现它们。

On one of my trip， I was travelling through a small village with the intention to hike up a mountain where most tourists were talking about. But instead of taking the hike while during my stay， I came to inquire of a local farmer， who later took me through the back mountain for a better experience. Instead of heading to the tourist packed destination， I was on a track along the old Ancient Tea Horse Road where not many people have traveled. There were no forms of vehicle or transportation to reach there but only by riding on horseback. The whole trip was just two of us. We passed through the great valley covered in knee high of snow with amazing panoramic view beyond. It turns out to be one amazing experience.

一次旅行中，我穿过一座小村庄只为爬上一座很多旅行者提及的大山。中途我向当地的一位农民询问，他后来带着我从后山走，从而感受不一样的风景。于是我并没有像其他人那样去一处旅游目的地，而是一路沿着古老的茶马古道前行，那里几乎没有人们走过。除了骑马之外，没有交通工具可以到达那里。整段旅程只有我们两个人。我们穿过大山谷，那里覆盖着可以没过膝盖的积雪，可以饱览美丽的景色。那次体验成为了一段神奇之旅。

As a landscape photographer， possessing the knowledge of technique in camera and gear is never adequate enough. Since most of my time taking picture is spend outdoor， many other forms of skills are also essential to master. Travelling outdoor requires additional sets of skill to know how the nature works. And also learning to adapt with the nature in a more friendly and effective way.

作为一位风光摄影师，摄影技术、工具层面的知识积累永远是不够的。我将自己大部分的时间用来在户外拍照，掌握很多其他方面的技能也是必不可少的。户外旅行要求我掌握更多的技能进行野外作业，这也促使我更好更有效地适应自然。

On Location Shoot

Another challenge for shooting outdoor is the need for a little blessing sometime. Because I never know how exactly a trip would turn out to be. Talking about the long journey and weather which is something that is often out of my control. All I could hope for is to prepare for the unexpected. I was in North UK during one summer while visiting the coastal landscape at Holyhead. The day was getting dark in the evening as I was heading to see the sunset of a nearby lighthouse. Little did I know that it has been cloudy and raining for the past few days. Theres a big possibility that the sun will not be visible. None the less， I went and the hike took me about 2 hours by foot. It was a long walk and physically tired after few days of travelling. Upon arrival， and to my amazed. The setting sun was magnificently radiant at the backdrop of the light house. With vast ocean leading towards the horizon. This is one of my most memorial trips that I had ever encountered. I guest sometimes we just dont really know how things might change until we are there. But as an outdoor photographer， it demanded great faith.

外景拍摄

户外摄影的另一项挑战是有时候需要一点小小的幸运。因为我无法得知旅行中所有外在因素都是否能够成就我所要创作的作品。谈到长途旅行，天气原因总是使得摄影超出我的控制。我只寄托于自己能够准备充足。一年夏天我在英国北部的荷利赫德欣赏美丽的海岸风光。趁着傍晚夜幕渐渐降临，我打算去附近的灯塔看落日。我知道过去的几天这里都是乌云密布，阴雨连绵，也许今天之后再看见这样的落日也是不可能的。但我依然出去徒步了2个小时。那是一段很漫长的徒步，加上这些天的旅途，我的身体已经感到非常疲累。刚到，令我震惊的是，落日在灯塔的背面形成一个壮丽的光点，然后渐渐消失在巨大的海平面。这是我所遇到的最记忆深刻的旅行。我想很多时候我们都无法预知事情到底会如何变化直到这一切发生。但是作为一名户外摄影师，摄影便是一种像是信仰的东西，令你无法抗拒。

During one time while I was in Inner Mongolia， it was late in the autumn and I was intending to capture the changing colors of the leaf. This is another incident where the weather also changed dramatically. From a bright， warm and sunny day， the next day is just pouring of heavy snow. Wet and cold， but I took the opportunity to go out in the snow. To my surprise， the scene that turned out to be amazingly interesting especially with the snow effect. Something I have never envisioned before. It was a breath taking yet exceptional experience that I would never forget.

有一年晚秋在中国内蒙古，我打算去捕捉落叶的变化。另外发生了一段小插曲，那里的天气发生了戏剧性的变化。前一天还是阳光明媚，温暖和煦，第二天就突然下起了鹅毛大雪。虽然阴冷潮湿，我还是不肯放过这次机会出门了。令我感到惊讶的是，下过大雪的这里景象完全改变，十分有趣美丽。在这之前我从未想象过眼前的那片景象，令我终身难忘。

After all， the art of photography have changed the way I look at the world. It has opened a new way for me to express and to record some of the most exciting journey as a photographer. It is also a medium to which I could share with the world the beauty and wonders that we cant see in a city. Yet， it is a tool that invite us to go out and to discover the treasure out there. As artist paint with brush， I would like to add， photographer paint with light.

最后，摄影艺术改变了我看待世界的方式。它为我打开了一条新的道路，使我表达和记录那些最令人兴奋的旅程。它也是一种媒介，让我与世界分享那些在城市中不能看到的美景和奇观。而且，它也是一种工具，促使我们走出去发现那些外面的宝藏。作为一位拿着画笔的艺术家，我想补充一点，摄影师是一位用光影去绘画的画家。