One of my projects at Lijiang Studio was giving each member of the neighboring family a disposable camera. The residency is located on the property of local farmers. When approached by the founder of the residency with the idea of hosting artists, the grandpa of the family agreed. He thought it would be a really great avenue for cultural exchange, especially for the kids in the family. Before I left for the residency I wanted to bring them a gift, something related to what I was doing so I came up with the idea of giving everyone a disposable camera! Since I was photographing locals through my lens, I wanted to give them a chance to take pictures through their own. Being that I was a foreigner and they locals, their photos were bound to be different somehow, maybe more intimate and personal in nature than my own. At the end of my residency I was to bring back the cameras, get the pictures developed and send them back to the family. Part of the fun in using film is getting to see the photos later and re-discovering the moments you experienced. Below are some photos taken by Er Ge, the father in the family.
