About YANG
A Lifetime Devoted to One Thing — Photography
Since first taking up photography in 1986, Mr. Yang has remained behind the lens for nearly four decades. He is a documentary photographer and visual storyteller who captures the spirit of an era through images and distills emotion through film.
A Vow in Youth: A Dream Born Behind the Lens
Mr. Yang developed a deep passion for photography during his high school years. To buy his very first camera, he pooled money from his parents and older sister, carefully saving every bit of allowance—all for the dream of that one moment: pressing the shutter.
In 1986, after entering the workforce, he had his first real encounter with a film camera. For him, it was more than the continuation of a hobby—it was the turning point that set the course for a lifelong devotion. He often says,
“The first time I loaded a roll of film into the camera, it felt like I was placing my own life inside.”
Documenting Reality: An Era Framed Through the Lens
Over the past decade and more, Mr. Yang has worked on the front lines, participating in and documenting numerous significant events in China’s contemporary history through his lens.
Behind the Photograph: Capturing the Birth of the Beijing–Kowloon Railway
In September 1996, the Beijing–Kowloon Railway—a major north-south artery of China—officially opened. Spanning three major regions and connecting dozens of cities, this monumental project not only reshaped regional economic landscapes but also became a vivid “train of time” in the memories of a generation.
At this historic moment, a young photographer with a radiant smile and three cameras slung over his shoulders—Mr. Yang—appeared not in the crowd as a passenger or a greeter, but as a silent chronicler of the occasion.
he once said
“Some people move forward by riding the train. I stand still with my camera, preserving their journey. In our own ways, we are all moving on.”
Stories Behind the Old Photographs · Journey Through the Northwest
From 2000 to 2006, Mr. Yang ventured deep into the heart of northwest China, tracing the winding path of the Yellow River with his footsteps and capturing the silence of desert smoke, ruined fortresses, and villages nestled quietly on the Loess Plateau.
Carrying his camera and tripod, he crossed vast deserts, climbed mountain ridges, and paused at remote borderlands—completing a series of documentary works imbued with both cultural depth and the weight of nature. These images are not only records of a landscape, but meditations on human resilience, time, and place.
Equipment and Belief: Holding onto Tradition in the Least Convenient Places
During this period, Mr. Yang remained committed to shooting on film. He often carried a Shen Hao large-format camera, a Mamiya medium-format, and a fully manual 135 camera. He preferred to set up slowly with a tripod, carefully composing and exposing each frame—sometimes waiting for hours in the snow, without hesitation or complaint.
“Digital moves too fast—I’m afraid I can’t keep up.Film is slower, but it moves in sync with me.”
— Mr. Yang
The Faith in Film: A Forty-Year Devotion
Throughout his nearly four-decade journey as a photographer, Mr. Yang has remained deeply devoted to film photography. He not only collects and uses a wide range of professional analog cameras, but also insists on hand-developing and archiving every roll of film himself.
He once said:
“With digital, you can always retake.
With film, you only get one shot.
That’s why I always press the shutter with a deep sense of reverence.”