环球时报英文版采访【转】
原文链接:http://www.globaltimes.cn/NEWS/tabid/99/ID/682950/Four-weddings-and-a-photo-shoot.aspx
Four weddings and a photo shoot
Global Times | November 08, 2011 09:44
By Wei Xi
A woman clad in wedding dress, perched on a rock with beautiful scenery unfolding behind her - this is just one of the many sights you get used to seeing in China. It is not, however, something you observe in other countries. Until recently, that is…
Magazine editor Amima Xu is one Chinese lady who wants to export this tradition to the rest of the world. Believing, as a lot of people do, that a wedding is one of the most important moments in life, one for which every detail needs to be perfected, including the photos, she wants to up the ante. And that's why Xu chose to lug her bridal attire across four different Asian countries for a photo shoot to end all photo shoots.
At the end of September 2009, Xu and her fiancé, a photographer and musician, worked out a 40-day travel itinerary: Bali - Malaysia - Cambodia - Laos. "I am a person that loves traveling and I always bring beautiful clothes along with me," said Xu. "I wanted my wedding photos to be taken in the places I like rather than in a small studio or some common gardens."
Like a wedding itself, it was not all plain sailing. "It was tiring," she recalled. Xu's bags were heavy due to the weight of the wedding dresses, and it was not always pleasant walking around wearing them, baking hot under the midday sun.
But when she reflects on the journey as a whole, Xu still thinks it was happy and worthwhile. "My fiancé and I were crowded by tourists, which made me really embarrassed. However, gradually we got used to that and even felt happy when people cheered for us and gave us blessings," she said.
Then, in Cambodia, she made the acquaintance of Ni Na and her boyfriend, a young couple from Yunnan Province. Realizing the pair were also traveling prior to their marriage, but without a wedding dress or a professional photographer, Xu suggested lending them one of her dresses and offering a free photo-taking service. This took place in Banteay Srei, another famous site in Cambodia.
"Xu and her fiancé are really nice people," commented Ni Na. "And they have a strong belief in their love."
Jilted on the day
On the back of this experience, Xu was keen to get other couples involved. She worked out a detailed plan about what such a journey would entail and how it could be tailored to the individual couple, and released the plan on Douban, a social networking website.
Of course the main problem is the expense. Hiring professional photographers to travel to a foreign country is not cheap. Xu therefore thought about recruiting photographers who like traveling and asking them to take pictures. But a couple would still need to pay the photographer on average 2,000 yuan ($317) a day as compensation. And that is before other costs, like flight tickets, food and accommodation, not to mention one hell of a wedding dress, or two, or three.
"In some cases, it costs a couple up to 10,000-20,000 yuan for a one-month trip in Southeast Asia, or as much as 20,000-40,000 yuan to go to Europe," she estimated.
Xu herself minimizes costs by opting for cheaper accommodation and travelling off-season, alongside being frugal when at home.
The initial response on Douban was encouraging. Many people contacted her, saying they wanted to travel together. However, when the trip finally took place, few couples or photographers actually showed up. "Some said their visas were denied, and some said their air tickets were canceled, or some said they could not have such a long holiday," remarked Xu.
Wang Yaojia, a photographer and friend of Xu, was also inspired by Xu's idea. Wanting to take pictures in Tibet and Nepal, she posted the event on Douban. But she encountered the same situation. "At the very beginning, a number of couples were interested and applied, but in the end, no one came," she said.
The look of love
Despite these episodes, Xu does not feel disappointed, and is now thinking about organizing another trip, this one being 80 days of travel to Europe and the Middle East. "Of course I will be happy if more couples come along," said Xu. "But even if nobody came, I will keep moving, to the places I like with the one I love."
Wang Yaojia is keen to join as well. "In my opinion, it is when you are traveling with your beloved ones that you give the most sincere smile, and that's the best wedding photo," Wang added.
In fact, Xu's idea did take effect. Ni Na and her boyfriend have decided to take wedding pictures themselves when they travel to Egypt, a destination Ni has been dreaming of since childhood. "We used to think that traveling is nothing but walking and sightseeing, but after meeting Xu and her fiancé, we now realize traveling can be a testimony of our love," commented Ni, with a sparkle in her eye.
Four weddings and a photo shoot
Global Times | November 08, 2011 09:44
By Wei Xi
A woman clad in wedding dress, perched on a rock with beautiful scenery unfolding behind her - this is just one of the many sights you get used to seeing in China. It is not, however, something you observe in other countries. Until recently, that is…
Magazine editor Amima Xu is one Chinese lady who wants to export this tradition to the rest of the world. Believing, as a lot of people do, that a wedding is one of the most important moments in life, one for which every detail needs to be perfected, including the photos, she wants to up the ante. And that's why Xu chose to lug her bridal attire across four different Asian countries for a photo shoot to end all photo shoots.
At the end of September 2009, Xu and her fiancé, a photographer and musician, worked out a 40-day travel itinerary: Bali - Malaysia - Cambodia - Laos. "I am a person that loves traveling and I always bring beautiful clothes along with me," said Xu. "I wanted my wedding photos to be taken in the places I like rather than in a small studio or some common gardens."
Like a wedding itself, it was not all plain sailing. "It was tiring," she recalled. Xu's bags were heavy due to the weight of the wedding dresses, and it was not always pleasant walking around wearing them, baking hot under the midday sun.
But when she reflects on the journey as a whole, Xu still thinks it was happy and worthwhile. "My fiancé and I were crowded by tourists, which made me really embarrassed. However, gradually we got used to that and even felt happy when people cheered for us and gave us blessings," she said.
Then, in Cambodia, she made the acquaintance of Ni Na and her boyfriend, a young couple from Yunnan Province. Realizing the pair were also traveling prior to their marriage, but without a wedding dress or a professional photographer, Xu suggested lending them one of her dresses and offering a free photo-taking service. This took place in Banteay Srei, another famous site in Cambodia.
"Xu and her fiancé are really nice people," commented Ni Na. "And they have a strong belief in their love."
Jilted on the day
On the back of this experience, Xu was keen to get other couples involved. She worked out a detailed plan about what such a journey would entail and how it could be tailored to the individual couple, and released the plan on Douban, a social networking website.
Of course the main problem is the expense. Hiring professional photographers to travel to a foreign country is not cheap. Xu therefore thought about recruiting photographers who like traveling and asking them to take pictures. But a couple would still need to pay the photographer on average 2,000 yuan ($317) a day as compensation. And that is before other costs, like flight tickets, food and accommodation, not to mention one hell of a wedding dress, or two, or three.
"In some cases, it costs a couple up to 10,000-20,000 yuan for a one-month trip in Southeast Asia, or as much as 20,000-40,000 yuan to go to Europe," she estimated.
Xu herself minimizes costs by opting for cheaper accommodation and travelling off-season, alongside being frugal when at home.
The initial response on Douban was encouraging. Many people contacted her, saying they wanted to travel together. However, when the trip finally took place, few couples or photographers actually showed up. "Some said their visas were denied, and some said their air tickets were canceled, or some said they could not have such a long holiday," remarked Xu.
Wang Yaojia, a photographer and friend of Xu, was also inspired by Xu's idea. Wanting to take pictures in Tibet and Nepal, she posted the event on Douban. But she encountered the same situation. "At the very beginning, a number of couples were interested and applied, but in the end, no one came," she said.
The look of love
Despite these episodes, Xu does not feel disappointed, and is now thinking about organizing another trip, this one being 80 days of travel to Europe and the Middle East. "Of course I will be happy if more couples come along," said Xu. "But even if nobody came, I will keep moving, to the places I like with the one I love."
Wang Yaojia is keen to join as well. "In my opinion, it is when you are traveling with your beloved ones that you give the most sincere smile, and that's the best wedding photo," Wang added.
In fact, Xu's idea did take effect. Ni Na and her boyfriend have decided to take wedding pictures themselves when they travel to Egypt, a destination Ni has been dreaming of since childhood. "We used to think that traveling is nothing but walking and sightseeing, but after meeting Xu and her fiancé, we now realize traveling can be a testimony of our love," commented Ni, with a sparkle in her eye.