Coming up we'll introduce you to a distinguished photographer from Zhejiang Province. Dedicating himself to the art of photography for over two decades, Lu Guang has created a great number of excellent works that have won him rave reviews from critics and the public as well.

Lu Guang is widely considered one of the most talented and accomplished photographers in China. Over the past two decades, his works have frequently been displayed at major photography exhibitions and have earned him a large number of awards.

45-year-old Lu Guang was born in Yongkang county in central Zhejiang Province and became a worker in a local silk factory at age 19. Lu says it was by accident that he developed a strong interest in photography.

"One day my cousin and I toured the Fangyan mountain scenic area. Its beautiful scenery left a deep impression on me. Later I found a set of postcards featuring photos of Fangyan mountain. I liked them very much, and thought how wonderful it would be if I could take photos to preserve all those beautiful moments for eternity. Not long after, when I found out one of my friends was good at photography, I immediately asked him to teach me how to take photos and develop film."

As soon as he felt his photographic skills were good enough, the first thing Lu Guang did was to return to Fangyan Mountain and take landscape pictures. In 1985, his photo Spring was awarded first prize during a provincial photographic competition. Encouraged by this small success, Lu Guang soon devoted himself wholeheartedly to the art of photography, and his works have since won him a number of prizes in national and local photo contests.

After several years as a professional photographer, however, Lu Guang gradually felt discontented with his work. As a person who never feels fully satisfied with what he has achieved, a decade ago Lu Guang went to the Central Arts and Design Academy in Beijing to pursue postgraduate studies in photography.

"In the past, almost all my photos featured natural scenery. They are very pleasant and enjoyable to see, but subconsciously I often felt they were short of a heart-shocking power beneath their superficial beauty. So I thought I must seek some new horizons in my work. During my stay in Beijing, I visited all kinds of photo exhibitions, attended many photographers' salons and exchanged ideas with many prominent figures in this field. This has greatly opened my eyes and broadened my viewpoints."

To make some breakthroughs in his work and develop a new style of his own, Lu Guang decided to blaze another path in his creation. Finally, he chose to devote himself to taking what he calls documentary photos, and focused his lens on all types of social phenomena and people in all social strata, especially those living at the bottom of society. Coal miners, laid-off workers, drug addicts, beggars, prostitutes, all become heroes in his photos.

"A large number of people in China are in disadvantaged positions. They need more care and concern from society. I hope my photos can encourage the public to pay more attention to them and help them solve their difficulties. "

In November 2001, when Lu Guang heard there were some villages in central China's Henan Province with a serious AIDS problem, he decided to go there to explore the situation with his camera.

A decade ago, a large number of farmers in Henan sold their blood to illegal blood collectors. This caused many of them to be infected with the HIV virus. In one of the AIDS-hit villages, 60 percent of the villagers were infected. The local people with the disease lived a very hard life, and those who died of AIDS left over 100 orphans, most of whom dropped out of school due to poverty.

Shocked by what he saw and heard, Lu Guang went to over 20 AIDS-plagued villages last year and made friends with many patients with the deadly disease. His photos about the AIDS villages were later exhibited in many places and stimulated a great sensation among the general public.

Here's Han Zishan, a renowned photography theorist from Qinghua University.

"Lu Guang has been one of the most active and prominent Chinese photographers over the past decade. His works focus on many key issues of social concern and have a stirring effect on both the eyes and hearts of those who see them. To take these photos he has suffered many hardships, and sometimes even risked his life going to very dangerous places. From his pictures we can see his deep care and concern for people in need. That's why he is often referred to as the "people's photographer." His works have proven that he fully deserves this title."

From: CRI