Looking through my old moments, I found this photo and stared at it for a long time...
It was early March, and during that time, my mindset and mood were very poor. I felt extremely gloomy, often experiencing insomnia and living in a haze every day. I wanted to improve my mood, so I would go out with my camera and wander around, but I rarely took any photos.
I had bought the camera over a year ago and had been wanting to try some humanistic and documentary themes. However, due to my social anxiety, I was hesitant to take my camera out on the streets and raise the lens in the midst of crowds. Combined with my poor mood, I stayed cooped up in my dormitory.
Until one afternoon, when the sunlight was beautiful, a desire to "just go" suddenly surged within me. I grabbed my camera and headed outside. I arrived at an unfamiliar street. Although I had managed to step out, my social anxiety DNA was still present. When I saw something I wanted to capture, I had to observe before raising my camera, as if I was afraid of being caught doing something wrong. The photography process was also very rushed, and as soon as I finished taking a photo, I turned and walked away.
When I was about to capture a street sign across the street, an elderly lady was approaching. I panicked and put down the lens that I hadn't even raised yet, preparing to walk forward. But before I could take a few steps, the lady caught up to me and struck up a conversation. "Young man, you like photography," she said. I nodded and replied, "I do like photography. There's something called the China Photographers Association, you can search for it online and send them your good photos." I asked the lady, "Do you also know about photography?" She smiled and said as she walked, "What do I know about this stuff? I just saw it on TV at night while lying in bed. Be bold and take photos, go to various places to take them. You will definitely achieve great things in the future!" I laughed awkwardly and said, "But don't go to dangerous places just to take photos. Life is the most important." After speaking, she had already walked ahead of me, ready to bid me farewell. "Alright, take your time with your photography. I'll go first, haha." I stood still, not knowing what to do for a moment. I looked up and saw a red figure getting further and further away. I wanted to pick up my camera and capture it, but I realized the distance was too far. I hurriedly caught up, but it was too late. I pressed the shutter a few times while jogging, and the photo above is one of them.
It was a strange encounter, a feeling I had never experienced before, and a photo that will be remembered...