by Yvette Depaepe
Published the 19th of February 2024

To Nancy Xu, photography integrated her heart and became a part of her feelings. Landscape and wildlife photography mean the world to her.  She quotes: 'I like nature. It makes me relaxed and happy. I enjoy immersing myself in nature, quietly seeing, listening, smelling, touching, and imagining conversations with the mountains, rivers, flowers and trees. Wildlife fills me with curiosity. I am touched by their beauty and spirituality.'  And she fully succeed in that purpose.  See by yourself and learn more about this excellent lady photographer through this interview.

'Grand sand dune'

Please introduce yourself shortly and tell us more about you, your hobbies or other projects you are involved in, dear Nancy.

I am a retired software engineer living in Los Angeles, USA. I grew up in Beijing, China. My studies and work had nothing to do with art, but I have always loved Chinese paintings, calligraphy, and ceramics. After I retired, I learned oil painting, ceramics, and flower arrangements. I started learning photography in 2018, and now I devote all my time and energy to photography.

'Fashion Show'

When and how did you start your photographic journey?

I like travelling, and I like to take pictures of the beautiful sceneries during my travels as materials for paintings. In order to improve my photography skills, I bought my first DSLR camera, Nikon D750 in 2018 and I took a weekend photography class to learn basic photography techniques. The teacher was an excellent photojournalist. This study made me feel the magical expressive power of photography and started my exploration of photography.

'A Dancer'

For many of us photography is either a hobby or a way of life. How would you define your relationship with photography?

In the beginning, photography helped me record the sceneries I saw and the artworks that I liked. Gradually, as I studied the language of photography and the pre- and post- photography techniques, I became more and more interested in using photography to express my feelings about nature. Photography gradually integrated into my heart and have become a part of my feelings.

'Desert Trip'

'An unknown world'

What would be the most important experience so far that has influenced your steps in photography?

In 2018, I learned about 1x.com from my photography friends. I was deeply attracted by the high-standard photography works there. It became a very important platform for me to learn photography. In 2020, my photos were published for the first time by 1x. It gave me great encouragement. It was the recognition of my photography skills and expression. I began to spend more time delving into the art of photography through various channels including books, lectures, and videos. I also participated in photography clubs. In 2022, I began to participate in photography trips led by photography masters, which greatly broadened my horizons. Thanks to Yunman, Ah Liu, Jeffrey Wu, Marsel van Oosten , and Marc Adamus  for their guidance in pre- and post-photography, which greatly improved my photography level.

'Spring Farmland'

'A maple tree'

You have your very own style. Why are you so drawn by landscape and wildlife photography?

I like nature. It makes me relaxed and happy. I enjoy immersing myself in nature, quietly seeing, listening, smelling, touching, and imagining conversations with the mountains, rivers, flowers and trees. Wildlife fills me with curiosity. I am touched by their beauty and spirituality. I hope my photos express my feelings about nature.

'Sweet moment'

'Birds, man and sea'

What is more important to you, the mood/story behind your images or the technical perfection?

For me, the mood and story of a photo are the most important, without them there would be no need to click the shutter. Photography technology helps me better express the mood in a photo and tell stories more vividly and excitingly.

'Mommy Boat'

'Love story'

What generally is your relationship to your subject matter beyond being an observer? Do you prepare carefully the locations where you are intending to photograph?

I like to communicate with the photography subject, have a dialogue with it in my mind and find what moves me. When choosing a shooting location, I try to go online to find photos, and analyse the shooting time and various possible shooting angles. I also like to join the tour groups led by photography masters and learn how to choose the best location from the best photographers.

'Out of the water'

'Impressions of Namibia #2'

Describe your overall photographic vision, dear Nancy.

Photography is an art, and it requires the photographer’s passion and vivid photographic language to impress the audience. A photographer must be able to discover beauty and express it well so that the audience can feel it. This requires long-term study and practice, and it is also the goal I want to work hard for.

'Pebbles on the beach'

What are the main features of a successful landscape/wildlife photographer in your opinion?

In my mind, a successful photographer must have keen observation, unique perspective, rich emotions and superb expression techniques. What to shoot and how to shoot is a question that photographers always have to ask themselves. 

'Waves'

Can you please tell us something more about your workflow from the idea to the final product?

For post-processing, I use Adobe Camera Raw to first adjust the overall tone of the photo. If necessary, I will recompose the photo, and then make further partial adjustments in Photoshop. Sometimes I use the Nik plug-in for rendering, and the Topaz plug-in for noise reduction and sharpening.

'Dancing Lemur'

Where do you look to find inspiration and what inspires you the most?

My photography inspiration mainly comes from reading the works of photography masters. I like to go to their websites, visit their galleries and buy their photography albums. In addition, I also like to listen to some photography lectures to broaden my horizons and ideas. Reading some books on photography theory and visiting various art exhibitions are also very helpful in improving my photography artistry.

'Thinking'

Many are of the opinion that the gear is not very important when the passion for photography is strong. However, can you please share with us what gear you use(camera, lenses, lighting, tripod, etc)?

The cameras I use are Nikon D850, Sony A1, Sony A7RV, and the lenses are 14-24mm f/2.8, 16-35mm f/4, 24-105mm f/4, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, 200-600mm f/5.6 -6.3, 600mm f/4. My tripods are Gitzo Traveler and FLM Series II. My favourite camera bag is f-stop Mountain Series. DJI Air 2S drone is my new toy.

'Bird's eye view of Giau Pass'

What would be your favourite photo? Please tell us the story behind it.

I don't have any works that I'm very satisfied with yet. I'm still in the initiation and learning stage. I would like to share this lotus picture, it inspired me a lot. Before sunrise, my friends and I went to a local park to take pictures of lotus flowers at sunrise. However, the clouds were too thick that day and there was no light in the pond. I was very disappointed. Then I noticed these lotus leaves and lotus flowers on the edge of the pond. They are so small and lonely, but they are arranged in an orderly manner. Their postures interested me. During post-processing, I did not rigidly enhance the light and shadow, but let nature take its course to make the photos more softer and hazier, and the colours more elegant. The final result is the lotus in my mind. This photo makes me understand the joy of discovering beauty and realize that the natural expression is the most beautiful.

'Summer memory ...'

Who are your favourite photographers or mentors whose works have influenced you and your photography?

First of all, I would like to thank my first photography teacher, Bin Xu. He is an excellent photojournalist. From him, I not only learned photography techniques, but also learned how to shoot with emotion. I have many favourite photographers, such as the master of wildlife photography Jeffrey Wu. I am deeply moved by the wonderful moments and charming light in his works. Landscape photography master Marc Adamus's unique perspective and magical light were sensational to me. The black and white minimalist works of Michael Kenna and Yueheng Duan give me peace, ideas, and dreams. I also follow many photographers on 1X, such as John Fan, Phillip Chang, Bingo Z, Larry Deng, Milan Malovrh, Thierry Dufour and Robin Wechsler. Their unique works inspired me a lot.

'The moment'

Now, since we have almost reached the end of this interview, I would kindly ask you to share with us your plans or photographic projects you would like to be involved in.

Photography is an art that deeply attracts me. In 2024, I will shoot more to find my way of expression and enrich my photographic language. I will focus on black and white photography, and also want to try some humanistic subjects.

Is there anything else you wish to add and what do you think about 1X as a home base for your work?

1X is the only platform for me to share photos. Every time my work is published, it gives me great encouragement. I am very grateful to the curators for their review. No matter whether the photos are published or rejected, it is a good learning opportunity. There are many talented photographers on 1X, and their works are examples for me to learn from. 1X is the biggest promoter of my photography progress. Thank you very much for interviewing me. I am very honoured to share my photography experience here.

'Deadvlei at night'

'Running on the dunes'