My earliest memory of photography is my family photo album. My father always has a camera in the house, that’s where I started to pick it up and shoot photos.
As the only child in my family, I'm curious about how other people live. So the camera really gives me a chance to meet people and be in their life for a while.
My first assignment was in the United States for my college newspaper, the Iowa State Daily. I was sent to cover an American football game. It was the first time I’d even watched a game. My editor told me all I had to do was follow the ball. But the game moved so fast it seemed impossible. When I got back to the newsroom, I realised I had missed the ball. I learned from this experience; watching more football games and looking at photos of games before I had to do it again.
I did a story on people who come to big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou seeking better health resources. We called them Chinese medical migrants - most of them came to the cities because they or someone in their family had a serious disease. After the story published, donations started pouring in and I got to share the good news with my subjects. One mother who had a child with leukaemia told me she hoped to donate her share to other families in dire need. That was really touching for me to hear. Journalism doesn’t just change the world, it also changed me.
Every story excites me. I love my job. Photojournalism is so important because it shows people what kind of life other people have. Even if we speak different languages, we all love, hope and suffer.
Everyone can understand emotions from pictures. A good photo touches people’s hearts. I think my audience is anyone who can relate to my subjects.
My biggest lesson is to talk more with the people you are going to photograph before you pick up the camera and don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them.
