• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Archive
    • Camera Reviews
    • Lens Reviews
    • Accessory Reviews
    • In-Depth
    • Galleries
    • Guest Post
  • About Us
  • Our Websites
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Youtube

MirrorLessons

Mirrorless camera reviews right at your virtual doorstep!

You are here: Home / Guest Post / Lost in Shanghai: Intriguing Works of Shanghai Street Photographer Tim Gao
x100s street photography

Lost in Shanghai: Intriguing Works of Shanghai Street Photographer Tim Gao

11/04/2016 By Heather

Born in 1986, I am a self-taught and enthusiastic freelance portrait photographer based in Shanghai.

With a curiosity about the world, I find my passion in street photography. Street photography not only enables me to create a documentary view of the unique Shanghai streets and its culture, but  it also reveals the extraordinary and metaphorical aspect of Shanghai – a mixture of mystery, nostalgia and unease.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_01
Photo property of Tim Gao

Street photography is not just a sharp triggering of the shutter to shape the outside world in the form of light and shadow. It is simultaneously a curious observation and emotional perception of what’s happening in the ordinary streets at any moment when unpredictable dramas and realities are actually taking place.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_11
Photo property of Tim Gao

As for Shanghai, I have lived here for over 9 years. I always try to explore the urban city and residential lanes (also known as Longtang) that are hidden and unknown to me, and contemplate my emotional attachment to the city. Photography is a personal and intentional media, as well as a diary about my feelings of curiosity, mystery and nostalgia.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_03
Photo property of Tim Gao

Besides, I find street photography a magical experience because when you click the shutter, not only the present but also the past of the streets, such as the imprints and smells of daily life, are frozen in time. These stories continue when the viewer, with their personal imagination and feelings, see the final print of the photograph.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_04
Photo property of Tim Gao

The metropolis is transforming, the light is changing and my cameras are changing too. The gear I use for these snapshots of Shanghai are various, from the earlier analogue cameras like Konica Big Mini F with a 35mm f/2.8 lens and a Nikon FM2 with a 50mm f/1.4 lens, to current yet compact cameras like the Panasonic GF2 with a 28mm f/2.5 lens and the Fuji X100s with its 35mm f/2 lens.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_05
Photo property of Tim Gao

In terms of the analogue negatives, I learned to develop the black & white film by myself and later I just sent them to the developing lab with the standard process.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_10
Photo property of Tim Gao

Now I am mainly shooting digital photographs with the Fuji X100s and processing them with Photoshop instead of spending time in the darkroom. The Fuji X100s is very convenient and weighs so much less than a DSLR. The superb equivalent 35mm lens is very suitable for street photography, at least for me. With a built-in flash, artificial light is always available if needed. What’s more, the ultra-fast flash sync speed makes any high shutter speed possible when the flash is utilised. The great performance with ISO as high as 1600 or 3200 is a bonus for shooting in dark environments or during the night.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_06
Photo property of Tim Gao

As for the film-like look of my images, some were taken with negative film and the special textures such as the scratches and dust were caused by uncertainty during darkroom process. But lately I mainly shoot digital images and process them in Photoshop and sometimes Lightroom.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_07
Photo property of Tim Gao

One reason I tend to imitate film textures in my digital images is that I try to give my whole body of work a similar look given that I’ve photographed this way for many years with different cameras. Another was that the film look made me feel nostalgic.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_08
Photo property of Tim Gao

Generally speaking film textures are better than digital photographs. I think some features of traditional B&W film could inspire us to better process digital images on a laptop: 1) dynamic range – I prefer to improve the dark detail and reduce the highlights; 2) contrast and sharpness – strengthen them within the proper scope; 3) grain – every pixel of grainy dots especially in the grey zone makes your images sexy; 4) exposure – I prefer to use the Curve/Mask tool to fine-tune the exposure.

MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_09
Photo property of Tim Gao
MirrorLessons_Tim_Gao_Photography_12
Photo property of Tim Gao

You can find the entire collection of Tim’s Shanghai project photographs on his website and follow him on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter . You can also drop him a line if you are interested in his work at mail@ziranxing.com.

Filed Under: Guest Post

About Heather

Heather Broster was born in Canada, has lived in Japan and Italy but currently calls Wales home. She is a full-time gear tester at MirrorLessons. You can follow her on Google+, Twitter or Facebook!

Primary Sidebar

Reminder

We have moved! Our latest reviews can be found on Mirrorless Comparison and YouTube.

DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Heather Broster is participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Heather Broster is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.

Heather Broster and Mathieu Gasquet are also participants in the following affiliate programs: B&H Photo Affiliate Program, Ebay Partner Network, Skylum (Impact Radius), Expert Shield, The Inspired Eye, and Mediterranean Photo Tours.

To read more information, visit our full Disclaimer page. Thank you!


© HEATHER BROSTER/MATHIEU GASQUET AND MIRRORLESSONS, 2013-2024

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heather Broster/Mathieu Gasquet and Mirrorless Comparison with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.