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| April 2000 Photojournalists Vision and mission By Tim Lui Article from the same
section: Photojournalists always work on the front line, recording things with their film day after day. To them, however, photography is not merely a tool to make a living, but part of their lives. I can see old things in new ways. And at the same time, I can dig out new things. —Robyn Beck. She has a degree in French literature, and she said she never dreamt of becoming a photojournalist. But she did become one. In fact, she is now the only photographer in Agence France-Presse for Asia-Pacific news. Robyn Beck said she was first attracted by photography at age 15. She debuted as a photographer for her college newspaper and was an archivist in a news agency in New York. Working for a wire service gave Roybn many chances to travel around Asia and learn about Oriental culture. In Macau she took pictures of the handover. She also went to Beijing right after the start of the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989. “Before the massacre, China was regarded as an exciting place for young people to explore,” said she. Yet the situation changed. It is more difficult to work in China now, she said. “The police always have excuses to block journalists from reporting and gathering information. “And I have been forced to hand over films.” Robyn said controls by the Chinese government reduces the number of journalists doing long-term projects in China. Another problem she has to face is the language barrier. She said it is hard to infiltrate the Chinese community without speaking Chinese. Therefore, she tried to learn Mandarin when she was working in Beijing. As a foreign photojournalist, Robyn likes to use her pictures to show something unique and weird. For example, she took pictures of the Bun Festival in Cheung Chau. She believes that such events reflect the traditions of Hong Kong to foreigners. Robyn said being a photojournalist involves a complex combination of pleasure and pressure. However, she still enjoys her job. “We don’t do the reporting, but we are the first ones to be there at the scene. We are the visual interpreters. To a certain extent, we are the eyes of our readers,” she said. Robyn said after becoming a photojournalist, she learned to observe small things in daily life. “Doing this job, we have to be alert to what is happening around you,” she said. Another thing she learned is the theory that “life is a cycle”. She said a good example is her experience in taking pictures of people celebrating Chinese New Year in two successive years. She said that in the first year, everything was new and exciting. In the second year, she discovered that a year had passed, but people were happy about the same things. She said that is how she discovers that things were just going on in a cycle. I’m not good at expressing myself in words or speech, but I think everyone has their own way of communication. For me, it is through photography. — Tse Chi-tak. Having studied environmental protection and worked as a technical assistant for Satellite TV, Tse Chi-tak chose to be a photojournalist in the end. He has worked for Express, Sing Tao Daily and United Press. And he is now working for Ming Pao weekly. He was so motivated by the devotion of journalists in the Tiananmen Massacre in 1989 that he decided to enter the career. Tse has his own view on photography. “Photography is life,” said he. Tse thought that the most important thing in photography was the photographer’s point of view, rather than the expensive and latest equipment. “My lenses are second-hand,” he said. “Even automatic cameras can shoot very interesting pictures. A camera is just an inanimate thing.” Tse shared his philosophy of photography through an analogy. Said Tse: “Like Chinese Kung Fu, photography is divided into two parts, namely technique and endurance. The former is the surface structure of the photos, whereas the latter is the photographer’s way of thinking.” “Both elements are important, but the latter needs more time to develop.” He sometimes thinks inexperienced photographers can shoot better pictures than experienced ones. He said mature photographers know too well which is the best angle to shoot. They take pictures according to formulas, and there is no breakthrough. The inexperienced ones may come up with new angles and produce lively pictures, he said. Working as a photojournalist in Hong Kong, Tse is depressed and dissatisfied. “People always regard photographers as monsters,” he said. Once the police restrained him from taking pictures of an accident in Aberdeen. Tse said he didn’t obstruct the police in the course of their duty. He could not figure out why taking photos should be forbidden. Nevertheless, he took two excellent pictures: one with a policeman embracing a little girl in blood; another with a firefighter carrying a baby out of the rubble. The next day, ironically, the police asked for his pictures to show how brave they were. Tse said he only wanted to record something about Hong Kong but he was not given chance to do so. He said working in other places is the same. Once he went to Milan to take pictures of a fashion show. He and his colleagues were not allowed to enter the venue. Some local journalists entered as a group with only one ticket, looking back and teasing them. “I understand that this is my job. It’s okay if my job is harsh, but I cannot tolerate discrimination,” said he. That’s why Tse feels pessimistic and frustrated sometimes. |
(Courtesy of Robyn Beck/ AFP)
(Courtesy of Tse Chi-tak)
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