Culture

New life in B&W

By Wendy Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-29 10:42

Jiang Xuelan, 35, lost her 14-year-old son in the Wenchuan earthquake. She is five months pregnant. [Photos by Pan Songgang / for China Daily]

While many Chinese photojournalists are trapped in formulaic visions, Pan Songgang creates fresh perspectives and captures different angles of disasters.

Pan, a veteran with the China Population Daily - a State-owned newspaper with a close relationship to family planning governmental offices - was recently crowned winner of the News People Golden Award for 2010 China International Press Photo Contest (CIPPC), for his black and white series of re-impregnated women who lost their only child in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

Pan, a former middle school gym teacher, changed his career to photojournalism in 1993. He has been working under China Population Daily since 2000. Most of his individual projects are made possible by his access as a government photojournalist, but his photos are by no means generic.

In addition to the CIPPC award, Pan has earned recognition for fresh perspectives that focus on individuals. He has photographed nurses fighting against SARS and rescue forces during the Yangtze floods of 1998.

The Wenchuan earthquake, among many other things, was responsible for the death of children in one-child families. But within three months of the quake, the Chinese government gave 100 million yuan to support parents wanting to have another child.

During the year, Pan photographed 70 re-impregnated mothers.

"I've been reporting stories from rural areas for 10 years. There are so many stories worth documenting there; but re-impregnated mothers are definitely the most touching."

"The Wenchuan earthquake created a wealth of shocking images. Pan Songgang's photos are significant in the sense that they are not straightforward shots of sad faces. Instead, they pose stark contrast, express profound symbolism and leave a deep impression," commented photography critic Zhao Qing.

As an acute observer, Pan believes that remaining calm is key to success - photojournalists cannot notice the details if they are occupied with their own emotions.

Calmness is also critical for being a successful disaster photojournalist because panicking never helps in extreme situations.

CLOSER ANALYSIS                        Statistics show that 5,422 parents who lost their children in the Wenchuan earthquake intend to give birth again. By the end of April, 3,140 mothers had become pregnant, from which 2,160 babies had been born, according to the local family planning commission. More than 8,000 families suffered the loss or disability of their children in the disaster. Since most of the women are now at advanced maternal ages and facing unstable pregnancies, the central government has launched a 100-million-yuan project to offer free assistance. Local government has offered psychological and re-impregnation counseling, as well as medical treatment for infertility or related illnesses. In addition, local family planning commissions have made contingency plans to ensure that every woman can get to a hospital safely. Postnatal assistance will also be provided. Metro

"Always be careful. Even though documenting is important, putting yourself in danger is detrimental to the point."

Pan's ability to remain calm during disasters comes from years of experience. He witnessed his first earthquake at the age of 7. Born and raised in Northeast China's Liaoning province, Pan remembers the 1975 Haicheng earthquake.

Baotou, the largest city in Inner Mongolia, was the location of the first earthquake Pan got to report. The year was 1996.

Despite his experience, when Pan first arrived at Beichuan - the epicenter of the recent quake in Sichuan - he found it was devastated beyond his imagination.

"We landed in Chengdu and drove to Dujiangyan. At first, I thought it was just like all the other earthquakes, but when we arrived at Beichuan, I was truly shocked. There were bodies everywhere."

Pan was not comfortable with taking too many photos of parents who lost their only child. The following year, after the local family planning commission told him that moods had improved, he returned with the project in mind.

Despite the saying that "time heals everything," Pan remained careful during the documenting process. He chatted with mothers before taking photos, to calm them in front of the camera.

"Some of them cried out of sorrow while others cried out of joy," he said.

Pan normally uses black and white film because he believes color distracts attention from the subject. After editing, he sends anything he takes through QQ (a Chinese instant messaging tool) to the family involved. He also collects newspaper and magazine reports and sends copies through snail mail.

Pan says that his current project will continue for three years.

"It's a large project because babies are being born right at this very moment."

By April 2010, 3,140 women have given birth. However, since many mothers are now older than the recommended age for childbirth, only just over 2,100 of the babies born were labeled "healthy".

"There are also families who lost their child and could not give birth to another. I have a responsibility as a journalist to document them as well," Pan said.