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Gold 2023 Special / Night Photography

Sleepless - City Walk

  • Photographer
    Zhao Yi Chen
  • Prize
    Gold in Special / Night Photography

"Difficulty sleeping" often plagues modern urbanist. I also suffer from it. Once I have "insomnia", I feel anxious and have more difficulty in sleeping. In a fit of insomnia, I had an epiphany. I couldn't sleep anyway, so why not try "wandering carefree" like the ancient Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi? Maybe it would ease the restlessness, so I started city walking. My portfolio captures cityscapes and people at midnight, revealing the unique serenity and grandeur of this ancient city that few people notice. The sequential arrangement of the images reveals the tossing and turning of insomnia.

I am an amateur photographer who discovered the art by chance. Initially, I used my camera as a mere recording tool, but soon realized the abundance of stunning and serene scenes surrounding me. Over time, my passion for photography blossomed, and I developed an insatiable hunger to capture these moments. Despite my lack of formal artistic training and negligible standing in the wider world of photography, I remain determined to continue my quest of immortalizing these calm and impressive moments with my camera.