Chapter 6

Landscape photography is a profession with a stark divide in income; there is no shortage of photographers struggling to make ends meet. Liang Yuanxing was well aware of this.

When he first got his hands on his camera, the owner of the bar he frequented tried to dissuade him: "Return it while you're still within the refund period. Once you get hooked on this, you're finished!"

Liang Yuanxing explained his genuine passion for photography to the owner. The owner, who was going through a failed business venture himself, patted him on the shoulder with a melancholy air: "Fine, I suppose. There are plenty of people booking shoots online these days. Buying a camera is still less risky than renting out a storefront."

Then Liang Yuanxing added, "Boss, I want to be a landscape photographer!"

The owner fell silent, lit a cigarette, and said nothing.

A professional landscape photographer—to put it bluntly—either becomes wildly famous, producing one set of images a year that sells for an astronomical price, or they lead a miserable existence, uploading twenty or thirty stock photos daily, praying to the heavens that each one sells for a mere hundred yuan.

In truth, Liang Yuanxing regretted saying that immediately after it left his lips. He wasn't sure if the level of intimacy between him and Duan Qingshen could handle that kind of joke. The result, however, was obvious: Duan Qingshen was entirely supportive.

The following day, the shoot officially began.

After waking up, the two went out to buy photography lights and a tripod, then joined the bride and groom for breakfast. Liang Yuanxing had already met Zeng Xiaoyang the previous night, but he didn't know how to address the bride, so he offered a polite, "Hello," which he delivered with endearing charm.

When Jiang Yu saw Liang Yuanxing, her eyes lit up. "Xiaoyang told me yesterday that Qingshen found a handsome young assistant. He told me I should snatch you away from him. Looking at you now, that really does need to be put on the agenda."

"Hey, hey," Duan Qingshen said, setting down the pickled vegetables he’d grabbed from the breakfast shop’s self-service counter as he sat down. "I’m sitting right here, and you’re already trying to poach my staff? Sister Yu, you could at least wait until I’ve left."

"That's right," Jiang Yu nodded. "Once you're gone, I'll dismantle his car tires and lock them in the warehouse."

Liang Yuanxing held his soy milk. The breakfast shop was crowded, and the tables were small, forcing the four of them to squeeze together. After Duan Qingshen sat down next to him, Liang Yuanxing asked hesitantly, "Sister Yu is... joking, right?"

Duan Qingshen glanced at him and said with a smile, "She’s already planned out where she’s going to lock you up. Do you really think she’s joking?"

"She's joking," Duan Qingshen said, seeing Liang Yuanxing taking it seriously. "Eat. Eat more. You're at the age where you can eat two full meals even after you're already stuffed."

"..." Liang Yuanxing looked at him gloomily.

"Why so resentful?" Jiang Yu teased him. "If you can't stand this boss, change to a new one sooner. Come work for me."

Liang Yuanxing ducked his head to eat.

Duan Qingshen had said that because Liang Yuanxing had suffered from indigestion the night before after eating all that barbecue, and Duan had spent the middle of the night searching for a pharmacy to buy digestive tablets.

Jiang Yu only took a few bites before stopping, saying she didn't want to have a bloated stomach for the photos. She set down her chopsticks, took an iPad from her bag, and said, "Look at this. The photographer from the wedding planning company took these of me. It nearly made my liver explode with anger."

"Sigh," Zeng Xiaoyang sighed and said to Liang Yuanxing, "Do you know why the wedding is tomorrow, but we're only taking photos today?"

"I don't know," Liang Yuanxing shook his head.

"The wedding package we bought included a bridal shoot, but that photographer was just too mediocre," Zeng Xiaoyang said. "And his attitude was awful. Later, he actually said, 'You two just look like that; what do you expect me to do, make you look like flowers?' Damn it, I just exploded right then and there. I almost got into a fight with that jerk."

Liang Yuanxing nodded in understanding. "That’s extremely unprofessional."

"Exactly," Jiang Yu added. "Show little Liang."

Duan Qingshen took a cursory look at two of the photos and handed the iPad to him. "Look, this is a classic example of an unnecessary foreground. The foreground has absolutely no connection to the background, and it doesn't echo the props the subject is holding. And the lighting—in the daytime outdoors, if you can't set up lights, you have to find the light. This one managed to find a light source, but clearly didn't adjust the subject's mood..."

"Brother Shen, Boss." Liang Yuanxing bumped him with his knee twice. He thought to himself, *Please stop. Using someone else's failed photos for a live lesson on what not to do is just too much.*

Duan Qingshen finally realized that this wasn't the right time for a lesson, especially since the subject with the "poor mood" was sitting right across from him. Jiang Yu was staring right at him.

"My apologies." Duan Qingshen hit the lock screen and handed the iPad back. "I'll finish eating now, and then we'll go reshoot."

Jiang Yu certainly wasn't taking it to heart. She took out her phone. "Little brother, will you be doing the post-production on the photos later?"

"Yes," Liang Yuanxing nodded.

"Let’s add each other on WeChat," Jiang Yu said, displaying her QR code. "Once you're done shooting, send me the raw files, and we’ll split the editing work."

Liang Yuanxing added her on WeChat and said, "Actually, it's fine, Sister. I edit quite quickly."

"It's no trouble. I'm quite professional too. Back when my clothing store was small, I used to edit all the model photos myself." Jiang Yu glanced at his WeChat name and said, "Xingxing, is it?"

Zeng Xiaoyang chimed in from the side, "Xingxing."

"Yes," Liang Yuanxing said, smiling as he nodded. "Xingxing."

For some reason, Duan Qingshen followed suit: "Xingxing."

"Yes," Liang Yuanxing responded, "That's me."

After the meal, Jiang Yu and Zeng Xiaoyang went to the wedding planning company to change and get their makeup done, while Liang Yuanxing and Duan Qingshen headed to the shooting location.

The agreement they had reached with the wedding planners was that the company would assist with the reshoot, but they couldn't provide a photographer; the company only had one available, and he wasn't up to the task. That was why Zeng Xiaoyang had called Duan Qingshen.

The shooting location was a rocky beach, and they needed to select a few suitable backgrounds.

"The sky is a bit overcast," Liang Yuanxing said, looking up after getting out of the car.

Perhaps because the sky was so gray and seemed to threaten rain, the beach park parking lot was nearly empty. Without the sun, the temperature was low, and there weren't many tourists, save for a few people foraging on the shore.

Duan Qingshen took the tripod bag from the back seat and slung it over his back, hung the photography light bag on his shoulder, locked the car, and said, "It's fine. I brought lights, and we can shoot in a cold-toned style... Xingxing, ask Sister Yu on WeChat if the wedding company has a black wedding dress. If they do, bring it."

"Got it."

Duan Qingshen opened his camera, wrapped the strap around his wrist, and observed the shooting environment. The elements of the beach were limited: the sea water, lacking sunlight, looked dull; there was a chilly wind, dark clouds, and jagged rocks. The distant view was equally uninspiring, which really put one's aesthetic sense to the test.

Liang Yuanxing looked at him, then at the sea. "Can we really shoot in this?"

Duan Qingshen: "It'll do. A few of the shots the wedding company took were bright enough to use. In any case, they’re just going to be displayed on the big screens at the hotel tomorrow."

Though he said it would "do," he had no intention of just getting by. It wasn't just because he didn't want to fool around with an old classmate; he had never been one to cut corners when it came to photography. Duan Qingshen walked a few steps toward the sea. Liang Yuanxing started to follow, but Duan gestured for him to stay. "You stand there. Act as the subject for a moment so I can check the effect."

He watched as Duan Qingshen walked toward the sea. At first, Liang thought he was just adjusting the focus, but then the man turned around, lens pointed at him. The wind on the Shandong Peninsula was chaotic and terrifyingly strong, blowing from all directions. Standing there, Liang Yuanxing felt as if he were in a karaoke room with terrible soundproofing, being assaulted from every angle.

The wind whipped against Liang Yuanxing, forcing him to squint. He couldn't "watch" Duan Qingshen as he retreated further and further away, especially since Duan kept shouting "Look at me" while retreating.

*I want to look,* Liang thought, *but my bangs are attacking my eyelashes.*

The camera was equipped with a telephoto lens, bought along with the photography lights, plus a flash. Duan Qingshen finally stopped retreating. He was wearing sneakers, and the incoming tide had already submerged his shoes.

"Xingxing, look at me, not the lens!" Duan Qingshen shouted. The wind was so fierce that Liang Yuanxing could only make out the gist of it.

The camera angle was low; Duan Qingshen was slightly hunched, holding the camera at the height of his thighs.

Liang Yuanxing knew the seawater in autumn was bone-chillingly cold. He wanted to take two steps forward and shouted, "Brother Shen, stop backing up!"

"Don't move!" Duan Qingshen stopped him. "If you move, my soaking in this water will be for nothing!"

The gray clouds grew thicker. It felt as if something in the sky was testing the limits, but it couldn't break through the dark clouds. Duan Qingshen fired off a continuous burst of shots. The telephoto lens compressed the space, capturing the subject, the distant city being encroached upon by black clouds, and a cold, gray rock in the foreground.

"It works." Duan Qingshen walked back to Liang Yuanxing's side and handed him the camera. "Take a look."

He looked thin and fragile in the frame. With the coastline as the background, the beach in the foreground ensured the main message of the image was clear: the subject facing the sea.

Liang Yuanxing looked down at his shoes. They were soaked through, of course. In this season, wearing wet socks and shoes had to be cold and uncomfortable. Jiang Yu and Zeng Xiaoyang hadn't arrived yet. Liang Yuanxing looked around and spotted a shop. "Let's go buy two pairs of sandals. This is too uncomfortable for you, and we'll definitely have to step in the water later for the shoot."

Duan Qingshen nodded in agreement.

While waiting for the bride and groom, the two sat on a bench on the beach. Liang Yuanxing held the camera, looking at the photos of himself. They were continuous shots; Duan Qingshen’s hands were steady, and there was hardly any difference between them.

The composition was the most basic horizontal and vertical, and because the light was insufficient, the overall image was oppressive and dark. That wasn't a flaw; it was the style of the photograph. Liang Yuanxing looked at them for a long time.

Then, Liang Yuanxing took out his phone, preparing to transfer the photos. Seeing this, Duan Qingshen knew exactly what he was about to do: "Don't delete them. Keep them."

"Huh?" Liang Yuanxing turned to look at him. "How did you know I was going to delete them?"

He hadn't brought a laptop, and he really liked the photos Duan had taken of him. After all, the memory card space had to be saved for the bride and groom.

Duan Qingshen: "There’s enough storage space. A few photos won't hurt."

"Oh," Liang Yuanxing put his phone away.

A few passersby and some debris on the beach had been caught in the frame. Duan Qingshen stood up, bent over, and traced a line on the screen with his fingertip. "Just crop it like this when we get back. I'm going over there to smoke a cigarette."

"Where to?" Liang Yuanxing looked up.

"Just over there."

Duan Qingshen didn't smoke much; he wasn't addicted. But after shooting Liang Yuanxing, he suddenly felt the urge.

Turning back, he looked at Liang Yuanxing, who was still looking down at the camera. The wind had tousled his hair into a mess. Sitting alone on the bench on this overcast beach, head drooping, the image looked a bit pathetic. Duan Qingshen didn't smoke. He threw the half-finished cigarette into the trash can and walked back to sit on the bench.

Duan Qingshen sat back down. He wasn't looking at the camera anymore; he was looking at his phone.

Liang Yuanxing held up his phone to show him and asked, "What did you use to take this one?"

He was looking at his previous work. Duan Qingshen recalled: "Sony ZV-E1."

"What about this one?" He swiped to the next.

"I think that was a Nikon Zf? Or maybe a Canon EOS, I can't quite remember."

"And this one? What about this one?"

"That one was taken with a phone."

Liang Yuanxing was a bit skeptical. "Really?"

"Yeah."

But after asking, he realized Duan Qingshen must have a lot of gear. Why, then, had he been reduced to using his little assistant's camera today? He thought this, but didn't ask; it wasn't the kind of thing one should bring up.

So, Liang Yuanxing changed the subject, deliberately sounding a bit sour: "A mere amateur, then."

"Tsk." Duan Qingshen really wanted to pinch his cheeks. "Those were all taken in college. Later, when I failed some courses, my dad sold off all my gear."

Duan Qingshen finished and asked, "What about you? What did you do before, Assistant Liang?"

"Ah, me?" Liang Yuanxing blinked. "I was a resident singer at a bar."

"Why did you stop singing?"

"The bar went out of business."

"Oh..." Duan Qingshen nodded. "Do you play the ukulele?"

"Guitar," Liang Yuanxing said. "The guitar is hard to carry around, so I left it at home."

Before long, the wedding planning company's van arrived. The two stood up and walked over. Liang Yuanxing handed the camera to him, taking the lights and other gear from his shoulders.

"Hey, sorry for the wait!" The rocky beach was hard to walk on in high heels, and Jiang Yu had to find flat stones to step on.

The young girl from the wedding company who was following along to touch up makeup said, "Big Brother, why don't you carry the sister?"

The photographer and his assistant followed behind the bride and groom. Liang Yuanxing was carrying a load of equipment—the tripod, lights, and lens bag.

Liang Yuanxing smiled and turned to ask, "Should we shoot this pose?"

Duan Qingshen frowned: "Better not. Your Brother Zeng might throw his back out just walking these few steps."

Liang Yuanxing was stunned. "Then... do you need my help?"

Duan Qingshen glanced at him. "What help do you need? Save your energy for holding the lights for me."

After saying that, Duan Qingshen looked around: "Xiaoyang, put her down here. Let's take a few shots first."

Jiang Yu had a balanced figure and was quite tall. Women always seem taller, and in heels, she looked even taller than Liang Yuanxing, who was 1.8 meters.

"Xingxing!" Jiang Yu called out to him with a smile. "Your boss is calling you!"

Liang Yuanxing was startled and looked back at Duan Qingshen.

The man was looking at him too, his expression helpless but carrying a smile. Then, Duan Qingshen took a breath and shouted even louder: "Over here! I'm talking to you, against the wind!"

"Oh!" Liang Yuanxing smiled. "I know! I'm watching you!"

Jiang Yu was a very cooperative model because she dealt with photographers in her own business, so she could clearly understand some of Duan Qingshen's instructions. The sky grew darker and darker; it looked like rain was imminent. Jiang Yu quickly went to change into another wedding dress—the black one Duan Qingshen had requested.

While waiting for the bride to change, the environment grew darker by the second. It was only just past noon, but forced by the dismal sky, the nearby shops and stalls had already turned on their sign lights and doorway lamps, making the colors of the light chaotic.

"Are you cold?" Duan Qingshen asked.

"It's alright." Liang Yuanxing was wearing a T-shirt and a sports jacket. "Not too cold. Sister Yu must be freezing, though. We’re almost done, right?"

"Seems like there are two more outfits." Duan Qingshen looked up at the sky, then back down to adjust the camera settings. "I hope it doesn't rain. We need to pick up the pace."

"Yeah..." Liang Yuanxing sniffed and felt like he could smell the rain.

Duan Qingshen smiled: "Can you smell it? Zip up your jacket."

When shooting the black wedding dress, Duan Qingshen stood in the seawater. Although he had changed into sandals, he stood further out this time; the water reached his calves, which made Liang Yuanxing feel cold just watching.

"Don't look at the lens, look at the light source!" Duan Qingshen shouted. "Sister Yu, look at Xingxing!"

Jiang Yu really wanted to cooperate, but...

"Ouch, Boss Duan, this little handsome guy of yours is blindingly handsome!" Jiang Yu said with a wry smile. No one asks someone to stare directly into a photography light.

Duan Qingshen: "Then... look at Xingxing's left shoulder!"

After that shot was taken:

"Good! Turn! Backwards! Give me a silhouette!"

A rapid series of shutter clicks followed as the model spun. The black wedding dress on the rocky beach under the dark clouds—Liang Yuanxing sighed with admiration in his heart. He could already imagine how the photos would turn out.

"Xingxing! Turn off the light!" Duan Qingshen shouted again.

Although he didn't know why, he turned it off immediately. The next second, a branch-like bolt of lightning struck in the distance, and Duan Qingshen captured the fleeting light in the frame. Then, a roar of thunder erupted. Someone nearby screamed in fright.

Liang Yuanxing looked at Duan Qingshen, who was standing in the seawater, and was momentarily lost in thought.

When he came to his senses, Duan Qingshen had already walked up to him: "Xingxing, let's go."