01. A young man skating in front of a statue of Chairman Mao Zedong.

Many people have argued that the true beauty of photography has been lost in this digital age when more and more people use smart phones to take and share photos on social media. While Liu Heung Shing concedes that photojournalism may be a dying profession, he is adamant that the craft is nowhere near its demise.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, who is the founder of the Shanghai Center of Photography, believes that craft of capturing images will exist so long as humans do, simply because it is in our nature to tell stories. He sees photography as a most effective method of storytelling as it is not bound by any barriers such as language.

Despite the millions of images that are taken and uploaded to social media sites every day, Liu noted that good pictures are still rare, for it takes great skill to create one that can tell stories, evoke an emotional response from the audience, and become part of the “collective memory” of a nation.

Liu said that people now understand the challenges and difficulties involved in photography, as getting hands-on with the craft itself has made them realize that “photography is the easiest thing, and at the same time the most difficult thing to do.” He views the immense popularity of photography as a good thing, saying that the phenomenal has gotten people more interested in the craft, resulting in record attendance figures at international photography exhibitions and art fairs.