#FMP REFLECTION

At the very beginning of the project, my theme was time, but it was too broad, so I chose two different  directions, one is Time Traces in Daily Life, is more like document product photography, and another one is 24 Solar Terms, is like fashion photography,

At the first, I was focusing on product shooting for Time Traces, such as a 20 years silver bowl, a 5 years lipstick, 50 years hat, something has been with me or live for long time. I also did some shoots of skin, like wrinkles, texture of skin and beard. However, the final images are not strong enough, so I turned to focus on 24 Solar Terms.

24 Solar Terms is a very new and unfamiliar subject to me, I only had a very basic understanding about it. The reason why I chose this to be my FMP topic is also because of too few of people know about this. This is a traditional Chinese culture. Marie Claire China made a series of photoshoot base on this topic in December 2018, it inspired me to wonder why Solar Terms couldn’t be presented in a different way. From the survey we can clearly see 84% people know Solar Terms from family and friends, and never researched this specially. The biggest reason is because this traditional has been gradually lost, very few of people promote it, people are not interested in it, so I would like yo use photography, through visual image to make people interested in it and understand it.

I started the shooting in the end of February, there are 24 themes totally, and I found time management was probably my biggest problem, most of my models are available in late March and April, and it takes 10 days to print, bind and deliver to me, so I decided to shoot everything between late March and 21st April. Fortunately, I did the research and prepared advance. In the middle of shooting there was a little episode, one of the models refused to cooperate the shooting in the last minute (within 12 hours before shooting, and we supposed to shoot 10 themes in different days), I prepared everything and booked studio for second day shooting. I was so upset, angry anddevasted, but luckily I found another model few days later.

A lot of shooting was taken during Ester, and I couldn’t book a studio and lighting for indoor shooting, so there are lots of light colour were edited in Lightroom and Photoshop. Almost all of the shots were done by two people, me and the model, such as setting and styling (more details on the last page of photo book), there were quite lots of problems during this period, as lot of things had to be done without a team or any helper.

In my research, apart of basic information and custom, I also did some research of relevant  poem, and flowers are related almost in every Solar Terms, so I have used more or less flower element in a lot of shooting.The final outcome is a photo book, compared to other commercial fashion shooting, this series of shooting might be more abstract, I believe the whole shooting and the work will be more perfect if I have more time.

Anyway, I still feel a sense of accomplishment after completing 24 themes of photos, I hope through this photography ways, the traditional culture which on the list of Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity can be interesting and understanding to much more people.

 

Website: fayhuang.com

#FMP Research – Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity

24 Solar Terms successful application for Intangible Culture Heritage of Humanity.

(the traditional knowledge lost increasingly)

Hundreds years later, human civilisation has entered a new stage, technology can completely control the climate, just like live in capsules, spring all the year.

Modernisation seems to be a process of concealing time and space.

The traditional Solar terms and diet culture become a footnote in the calendar.

air-condition=four seasons

winter=thermostic chamber

summer=cool air

fringe=geographical limitation of food

The value and significance of the 24 Solar terms inherit is the value of culture identity.

The traditional time system and concept represent a kind of cultural belonging.

The Solar Terms also reminds people can’t escape the natural order of time, breaking the rules causes disaster, such as the destruction of the natural environment today, and the climate disasters.

There are still some misunderstandings about the characteristics of solar terms, some of them are not very representative, and some of them still controversial, and need to be improved, become more local and modern.

It has been more than 1000 years since the 24 solar terms were introduced into Japan. It is our mission to carry forward the 24 solar terms.

 

 

 

#FMP Survey of 24 Solar Terms

“Why did you choose this subject?”

Before the project started, 25 Chinese people filled out this survey form, the survey shows that many Chinese people are not familiar with this traditional culture.

1.How is your age range?

Under 20 / 20 to 45 / Over 4568% people are in the age range of 20 to 45.  (17 people)

 

2. Have you ever heard about 24 Solar Terms?

Yes / No100% people have head about it.

 

3. Do you know the culture meaning of each Solar terms?

Very well / Most of them / Just a few / No56% people know just a few of them.    (14 people)

0% people knows the meaning very well.

 

4. Do you know the custom of every Solar terms?

Very well / Most of them / Just a few / No
48% people know just a few of them.     (12 people)

0% people knows everything about this.

 

5. Have you researched 24 Solar Terms specially?

Yes / NoOnly 12% people researched.   (3 people)

 

6. How did you know 24 Solar terms?

Family & Friends / Books / Internet / A song of Solar Terms / Lecture / Others

84% people are told by family and friends.  (21 people)

 

7.  Can you described more if you know this from other way?

2 people knew this from school, 1 from movie, 1 from traditional food, such as rice cake, Laba porridge…..(from people who selected “Others”)

 

8. Should this culture be passed on?

Yes/ I don’t care / No96% people think should be passed on.   (24 people)

4% people doesn’t care about it.       (1 person)

 

9. Did you know the 24 Solar Terms is on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?

Yes / NoOnly 1 person knew it, and 96% people didn’t know.  (24 people)

 

13 people know Start of Summer and Winter Solstice,

12 people know Summer Solstice,

11 people know Major Heat and Vernal Equinox,

10 people know Minor Heat, Start of Spring and Pure Brightness,

9 people know Start of Winter, Minor Snow and Major Snow,

8 people know Start of Autumn,

7 people know Grain Rain and Autumn Equinox,

6 people know Waking of Insect,

4 people know Minor Snow, Major Snow and Frost’s Descent,

3 people know Grain in Ear and White Dew,

2 people know Rain Water,

1 person knows Grain Full and Cold Dew,

Nobody knows Limit of Heat.   (in this 25 people)