In Kunxuhuishu Community in Dongjing Town, many residents know that a photography enthusiast lives here. During the epidemic, he used his lens to capture many touching photos, which were widely circulated among residents. Everyone praised him for reaching a "semi-professional" le

In Kunxuhuishu Community in Dongjing Town, many residents know that a photography enthusiast lives here. During the epidemic, he used his lens to capture many touching photos, which were widely circulated among residents. Everyone praised him for reaching a "semi-professional" level. He is Xu Bin. What everyone doesn't know is that this "semi-professional" photography enthusiast is actually a member of China Photographers Association and Shanghai Professional Photographers Professional Committee, and has won numerous awards.

In the face of praise, Xu Bin is always modest and low-key, and rarely considers himself a photographer. "Because I have never received systematic or professional training, I always feel that I am just a photography enthusiast." Xu Bin said with a smile. And this love lasted for more than 40 years.

Changing your life starts with a click of a button

Xu Bin, who is over sixty years old, has been exposed to photography since he was young. It was the 1980s, when the domestic camera industry was booming, and cameras were fashionable items at the time. At that time, Xu Bin was still a young man in his early twenties. When he saw that his friend had a camera, he was curious and eager. "I couldn't afford a camera at that time, so I asked a friend to borrow it for fun." Xu Bin vaguely remembered that it was a Dongfeng brand camera that used 135 film. "The moment I pressed the shutter for the first time, I felt like I was getting an electric shock!" Recalling that moment, Xu Bin's eyes lit up. The

shutter opened Xu Bin's photography world and allowed him to find the love of his life. "At that time, a camera cost several hundred yuan. I was a civil servant and my monthly salary was only 36 yuan." Xu Bin lived frugally and bought his first camera, a Seagull camera. With his camera in hand, Xu Bin took pictures wherever he went, investing all his savings in photography. "As soon as I have some money, I use it to buy film, cameras, and lenses." As time went by, his wife also complained, and Xu Bin couldn't help but reflect: Should he be more restrained? But the answer is obvious, the love for photography is a fire burning in his heart.

Time has passed, but his love for photography has never diminished. This fire has been burning in Xu Bin’s heart for more than 40 years and is still burning brightly. "My most commonly used camera now is Nikon D4S, and the most commonly used lenses are 14-24, 27-70, 70-200..." When faced with photography equipment, Xu Bin knows every treasure. The young man who asked a friend to borrow a camera now has a room full of equipment. "But the friend who lent me the camera has stopped taking photos a long time ago," Xu Bin said with a smile.

Love and study create progress

In 2011, he won the Outstanding Work Award at the Huangshan International Photography Exhibition; in 2013, he won the Excellence Award at the 10th Image China National Photography Art Exhibition ; in 2015, he won the Excellence Award at the 5th Huangshan International Photography Exhibition. In the selection of the Rape Flower National Photography Exhibition, the work was rated as a first-class collection... It is hard to imagine that this is an award won by a civil servant in his spare time as a hobby. What is Xu Bin’s secret to winning the award? Nothing but love for you.

In 1982, when Xu Bin first came into contact with photography, he looked around for ways to learn photography. Even cameras were not common back then, let alone a place to learn photography. Xu Bin asked around and finally discovered that the Xuhui District Photography Association held a lecture every month. However, after going there a few times, he found that he could not learn much knowledge from the lectures, and the frequency of attending lectures once a month could not satisfy his thirst for knowledge. "It can be said that I have never received professional guidance and relied entirely on self-study." Xu Bin said that he chose to use the stupidest method to practice continuously. After getting started with

, Xu Bin took out his camera to take pictures whenever he had time. First I took pictures near my home, and then expanded to districts and cities. Gradually, Xu Bin came up with the idea of ​​traveling far away. In order to take good-looking photos, he gradually traveled to various distant places: to Zhejiang to take pictures of the sea, to Anhui to take pictures of the mountains, to Xinjiang and Tibet to take pictures of the great rivers and mountains of the motherland. Sometimes he traveled alone, and sometimes he signed up for a photography group. As he traveled far away from home, he recorded more and more beautiful scenery with his camera. Pressing the shutter again and again, his photography skills improved unknowingly. "There has never been a period of rapid progress, only bit by bit accumulation and understanding." Xu Bin said that after retirement, he devoted himself to photography and was hired by Spring Airlines as the photography director of the tourism department. , turning a lifelong love into a career.

Recording the beauty of the distance through thick and thin

Photography style sounds artistic and chic, but in fact it is very tiring. Tripods, brackets, cameras, lights and other equipment all need to carry heavy loads along the way. Sometimes in order to capture a wonderful moment, the waiting time is extremely long, and you may even encounter danger.

"The most impressive time for me was in Shipu, Xiangshan. I followed the fishermen out to sea for fishing." In 2014, Xu Bin learned that the fishermen in Shipu would go out to sea to fish during the annual fishing festival , and he expressed his hope to follow the fishermen. Together. The fishermen did not object, but told Xu Bin that each fishing trip would take 10 to 15 days, and they would not be able to get off the boat in the middle, and they would have to endure the harsh environment of humidity, bumps, and fishy smell. The fishermen thought that this was enough to persuade Xu Bin to retreat, but Xu Bin still had no hesitation.

The harsh environment is bearable, but the extreme weather cannot be overcome after all. On the fifth day of that trip, the sea became increasingly rough and rough. "The fishermen told me that a typhoon was coming." Xu Bin recalled that in order to take the most magnificent scene, he stayed on the deck. As the fishing boat continued to rock, it became more and more difficult for people to stand still. "A sudden wind and wave I almost fell into the sea, but fortunately the railing on the boat blocked me. Although it was dangerous, this unusual photography trip was something I will never forget and allowed me to take spectacular photos.”

For Xu Bin, Gannan is his photography paradise. "Gannan is not just a place name, it is Shambhala on the plateau, and it is also a complex that haunts people's dreams." Xu Bin once wrote. He visited Gannan seven or eight times and photographed the clear eyes of the people there to express their firm faith. In recent years, Guangfulin Cultural Site has become a "frequent visitor" in Xu Bin's lens. "I pay attention to the weather forecast every day. If the weather is suitable, I will go to Guangfulin ." Xu Bin said that whenever he gazes at the Guangfulin Cultural Exhibition Hall on the water, he can feel the modern architecture carrying Rich historical accumulation.

Focus on people around you and use photography to convey your feelings

During the epidemic this year, Xu Bin, as a party member, signed up early to become a community volunteer. At first, like ordinary volunteers, he was responsible for distributing supplies. However, a few photos he accidentally took for volunteers made everyone's eyes brighter. No one knew that there was such a master photographer next to them. Xu Bin also changed from a volunteer to a community photographer during the epidemic, leaving precious memories of the fight against the epidemic for everyone.

"Teacher Xu, I burst into tears when I saw the photos and videos you took today." A resident of Shangkun Xuhuishu Community said to Xu Bin. Under Xu Bin's lens, community cadres are on guard day and night, volunteers are selfless and dedicated, and residents actively cooperate and unite. "I like to take pictures of dynamic people. I have taken pictures of fishermen in the wind and waves and workers in the oil press house. They are very visually impactful. This is the first time I have focused on the people around me. The epidemic has allowed me to see everyone. Ordinary people fighting the epidemic are so ordinary and great." Xu Bin said that being able to convey emotions through photography is the meaning of his photography.

Xu Bin said frankly that if it were not for photography, he might have lived a stable life, but that time he pressed the shutter 40 years ago made him know that he would travel everywhere with his camera to record how flowers bloom and how water flows. , How are the clouds floating? Every time he presses the shutter, Xu Bin's love for life rises in his heart, just like the burning clouds that night.

■ Reporter Zhou Jiayao Text Photos provided by interviewees

■ Text editor Xia Ting Xu Ping

■ Column editor Li Xiang ■ Column editor Lu Jia