Top 5 Photoblogs in China

Photography is huge all around Asia due to the beautiful sceneries that can be found in both cities and rural areas. CHI looks at the top 5 photoblogs in China, where people capture beauty everyday.

A picture is worth a thousand words – and that adage is especially true in China. From futuristic cities  to ancient weathered temples, from lush countryside greenery to the snowy mountains of the North, China is a dynamic country filled with variety, nuance, and an unexpected sight around every corner. Maybe that’s why photographers love this nation so much. Searching the internet for a photoblog about China is easy; thousands exist, all offering a slightly different pictorial insight into the China of past, present and future.

Chosen for the quality of their pictures and the intriguing nature of their photographic subjects, the five photoblogs listed below are all top choices for jumping into the unique imagery and artistry of China.

1. Hai Photography

Using atmospheric close ups and a variety of subjects, from nature to people to historical objects, images from Hai photography wow the viewer by presenting a simple yet unexpected perspective on the modern world of China. Whereas most pictures of Xi’an’s famous Terracotta Warriors are composed to shock the viewer with the size and expansiveness of these artifacts, Hai Photography takes a different route: the warriors are brought into focus up close, with just a hand or part of a shoulder blade in view. This close up and intimate technique brings a surprising tenderness to the warriors, making for photos that demonstrate not just the impressiveness of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, but the human element as well. The viewer may be apt to question: Who built these warriors? Upon whom were the figures based?

The photographer and author of the Hai Photography site lives and works in Shanghai, China, and is a nominee in the 2013 Photoblog Awards; a contest conducted by coolphotoblogs.com. With less than 200 photographs on the site, Hai Photography provides a small yet poignant set of pictures, in both color and black and white. For photos that evoke beauty and simplicity, and provide a new look at well known images from China, pay a visit to Hai Photography.

2. Veallymoon

Dark and abstract, emotive and moody, the photoblog Veallymoon is a monochromatic collection of snapshots from the camera of Kevin Clim. A resident of Beijing, Clim publishes his photos on a myriad of online platforms, offering the caveat that he is somewhat of a pessimist. Indeed, Chim’s black and white photos are full of shadows and obscured shapes, lending the viewer some insight into the mind from which the pictures were composed.

Clim’s photos can be found at www.kevin1986.com, as well as on his tumblr account at kevin1986x.tumblr.com. Both platforms also offer access to Clim’s explorations into the written word, with blog entries (written in Chinese) to accompany photographs.

Photos from Veallymoon are expert studies into the art of black and white photography; without color to intrigue the viewer, the monochromatic photographer must find other ways to capture and enrapt his audience. Clim absolutely does so, through his use of angles, contrasting shapes, and an interest in photos that display movement along with emptiness.

3. WildChina

Technical skill and artistic expression are not the focus on WildChina; instead, this photoblog offers a fun and realistic pictorial story about living and traveling in China. The blog is published through the Beijing travel company WildChina, and includes adventurers’ snapshots along with useful information and advice on visiting China. Photos range from a basket of walnut dumplings, to a misty hillside vista, to a rooftop shot of Beijing during a particularly smoggy day.

WildChina viewers will especially enjoy the relaxed, first person narrative style of the blog entries and accompanying photographs. One entry, for example, follows the daily routine of a Teach for China fellow working at an elementary school in Yunnan province. As the teaching fellow describes his day, blog readers can look at pictures from his school and his life, and learn more about the experience of being an expat in China.

4. EyeStore

For anyone interested in style and fashion in China, EyeStore is a must-read blog. Photographers Kenny and LB of Guangzhou, China take their photography expertise to the street, snapping portraits of who’s wearing what. Like any good street style blog, EyeStore includes photos of all kinds of fashion: of-the-moment studded collars and envelope clutches; bohemian shoulder bags and belts; and even futuristic gaucho pants for men.

The photos on EyeStore are simply composed; always making the subject and his or her outfit the focus of the frame. However, simple details such as choice of background and subjects’ pose make for a collection of pictures that is aesthetically pleasing even for those with little interest in fashion. One curious note about EyeStore is the site’s use of large watermarks on all their pictures – in a 2011 interview, the creators of EyeStore explained their concern with copyright issues in China, saying that watermarks are one of the only ways to confront the very serious issue of copyright infringement. It is a bold decision to include the watermarks, and most photoblogs do not, and yet this concern with copyright demonstrates a certain maturity and respect for the art of taking pictures that, perhaps, more bloggers ought to emulate.

5. Sound Without Voice

The photographs on Sound Without Voice evoke wonderment and happiness, without making the viewer feel as though a tablespoon of sugar has been shoved down their throat. With warm light, delicate colors, and subjects such as young children, fresh blossoms and happy couples, Sound Without Voice shows blog readers the softer side of China. Rather than focusing upon the tourist trail of historic temples and city streets, Sound Without Voice is a glance into everyday moments of Chinese family, love and life. It is the sort of blog that may feel a tad too orchestrated and saccharine for some photoblog readers, and yet for others, Sound Without Voice may be the perfect blog through which to explore all the beauty that China and its citizens have to offer.

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