It’s truly remarkable to consider that someone as artistically mature and talented as Xin Li is only 20 years old. I was completely captivated by her photographs, particularly the concepts she selects to convey her emotions. Every artist possesses a unique vision and method for crafting their artworks.
For Xin Li, motivation and inspiration are intertwined. She explains that whenever she feels the need to release her emotions, whether it’s anger or any other negative influence, she immediately turns to photography. For Xin Li, it’s a wonderfully positive outlet, and the results speak for themselves… A display of immense talent.
You can find Xin Li on the Web:
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“I began taking photos when I was quite young. My dad always used to carry around a camera when I was a kid to document my (and my younger sister’s) growth. I’ve always been fascinated by it: the way cameras work and how they can freeze a moment in time. It’s possible to take something that may not be inherently beautiful and transform it into something stunning with the right interplay of light, shadow, and color. In my mid-teens, I started taking photography more seriously, as it became much more to me than just a hobby.”
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“For me, taking photos was a way of making that possible by visualizing it. Sometimes it’s my own thoughts and emotions that I want to get out, sometimes it’s stories about other things or other people I want to make into a photograph. It’s storytelling and documenting.”
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“It’s kind of hard to explain, since I don’t have a constant work flow or process that I follow. There are endless ways of making a feeling of a thought into a photograph (or other kinds of visual work) and there are no limits. Sometimes I do sketches or write down notes on pieces of paper before I start shooting, because some ideas require planning and props/setups. And sometimes it’s spontaneous and not planned at all.”
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“Photography is a very big part of my life. I think about it more than anything else. Whenever I go somewhere new, see something I find interesting or hear something that has an effect on me, the first thing that pops into my head is either “how can I make this into a photo?” or “how can I use this in a photo?”. It’s constant. And every time I do take photos, I try to put all of myself into it. It’s important to me that they feel personal. I often feel the need to take photos when my heart feels too heavy. I don’t know why, but rather than punching a pillow, yelling at someone or crying, I turn to photography. I think it’s better to use those feelings to create something beautiful.”
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“Inspiration is something that comes unexpected. A lot of things can inspire me : observing my surroundings, listening to great pieces of music, reading books, poems, people, other people’s art. Me and what’s going on in my head. Anything really. Inspiration and motivation go hand in hand. When I’m inspired or get an idea I automatically become motivated to shoot it. It isn’t always easy to be super inspired or motivated, but when it happens it’s amazing.”
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