Metro

Friday January 18, 2008

Photographer rises to the challenge

By TAN KARR WEI

TEO Bee Yen travelled to Yuangyang in Yunnan, China, 12 times over seven years to photograph its famous terraced fields.

The result is a vast collection of breathtaking photos of the beautiful fields taken in various weather and lighting conditions.

Vibrant: The orange hue of the sun is reflected in the water of the terraced fields in this photograph.
His works is on display at the Wisma Kebudayaan SGM in an exhibition jointly organised by Soka Gakkai Malaysia and The Photographic Society of Malaysia (PSM).

“I think I’ve been blessed because some of the best pictures I took happened in very rare lighting conditions. Some photographers wait a long time for the same effect yet never manage to capture it,” said the 58-year-old.

Teo said it was very challenging taking pictures in Yuangyang during winter.

Shrouded: A blanket of mist covering the terraced fields.
“It was very cold and when I took out my gloves to change my camera film, my fingers went numb,” he said.

Even with the advent of digital cameras, Teo still prefers taking pictures on film.

“I never use a digital camera. I’m still not satisfied with the quality of digital prints. I will continue to use film,” said the Singapore resident who was born in Fujian province in China.

He published this collection of terrace fields photographs in 2003 and has six other books to his name.

PSM president Harry Woo said Teo’s expertise was not photography techniques but that his photographs expressed his deep feelings about Yuangyang and the beauty of nature and the people there.

First-hand info: Hon (right) looking at the photographs as Teo explains the details during the launch of the exhibition.
The exhibition was launched by deputy Education Minister Datuk Hon Choon Kim recently.

The exhibition at Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, 243, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur ends on Jan 20. Admission is free and it is open from 11am to 6pm daily. For details, call 03-2141 2003.

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