Rebirth of top photographers

Chapter 238 Defeat them with photography! (Wan Geng 44)

"It's really intense. Now there are more and more discussions on the Internet."

From the beginning, it was just a few people's rebuttals. Later, a group of photography influencers posted video rebuttals for the sake of hot topics.

Then to the various video battles between the two sides of the debate, all this happened in just three days.

The Internet always spreads arguments as fast as possible.

This is something Chen Pingsheng did not expect.

The root cause of this situation is not actually the so-called ideological debate.

But sales.

When Abner called Chen Pingsheng and told him about the sales of "The Decisive Moment", he finally understood why this discussion was so loud.

In more than a month, the sales volume of "The Decisive Moment" has increased instead of decreasing, reaching 30 in the United States alone!
What a concept, this means that for every ten photography enthusiasts and photographers, someone will definitely buy a photo album.

There is no doubt that this photo album has become a phenomenon and has been collected by countless photographers.

And now the daily sales speed is still very fast, because after this controversy, more people who don't care about photography have become curious about it.

"After scolding each other, I benefited in the end, right?" Chen Pingsheng was a little dumbfounded. This answer was something he had never expected at all.

It also gave him some other ideas.

"If I continue to criticize like this, will it sell better?"

After thinking for a while, Chen Pingsheng shook his head again, feeling that this was not good.

It will damage your own reputation. After all, if you allow these people to interpret it as they please, wouldn't it be possible that many people would be led astray?
So it’s better to hurry up and realize your ideas.

Thinking of this, Chen Pingsheng took Huang Liao out of the car and came to an exhibition.

"Is this right here?" Huang Liao raised his head and looked at the words above.

"Robert Keeney Photography Exhibition: No Decision, No Moment." She frowned: "Why do we have an exhibition of opponents?"

Yes, this exhibition appeared after "The Decisive Moment". Judging from the title, you can know what he is expressing, and the exhibition gallery itself is a public gallery. There is no charge and anyone can enter.

Although this photographer is not well-known, he has to say that he is very following the trend.

During this period of time, he has become well-known to many people through this set of photos, and has gained a lot of reputation.

"Just because he is an opponent, that's why I came." Chen Pingsheng smiled, then put on a mask, straightened his black glasses, and lowered the brim of his baseball cap to make himself look particularly inconspicuous.

Huang Liao's eyes were dazed for a moment, and then returned to normal. She was not wearing a mask, and no one knew who she was anyway.

After she followed Chen Pingsheng into the exhibition, she found that the photos on display were all taken with seemingly random content.

For example, a person in the crowd, the expression on the bus, or objects floating in the air, just like a casual shot of a person walking on the street.

Compared with the works shot by Chen Pingsheng, the compositions are not so refined and more casual.

It looks like it was taken by ordinary people.

After walking around, Huang Liao discovered that Chen Pingsheng suddenly picked up the camera, pointed it at the photos, and captured them with a click.

Why take these works?Huang Liao had some doubts in her heart, but she didn't ask.

He just held the lamp in his hand to provide Chen Pingsheng with enough light.

Chen Pingsheng took photos very casually, just mechanically recording each photo truthfully, without any composition or filtering.

Huang Liao was confused by this move.

After the shooting was completed, the two people walked out of the photography exhibition. Chen Pingsheng waved his hand: "Let's go, next!"
-
At seven o'clock in the evening, Huang Liao, who had wandered around major photography exhibitions in Los Angeles, returned to the hotel with a head full of doubts.

In the elevator going upstairs, she finally couldn't help but ask: "Teacher Chen, what on earth are you going to do?"

Chen Pingsheng looked at the photos in the camera and replied: "I just want to teach them a lesson."

"Last lesson? Just use these photos?" Huang Liao pushed her hair behind her ears.

"Of course it's not just these, we need more. Come, come to my room." Chen Pingsheng led the way into the room.

After closing the door, he turned on the computer and found the photos of those photographers who opposed the decisive moment one by one. Then he asked Huang Liao to fill in the light to avoid the stroboscopic problem, and then captured them with his camera.

By the time all the filming was finished, it was already ten o'clock in the evening.

Huang Liao sat on the chair. Although her arms were a little sore from holding the lamp, she didn't complain.

She just stared at Chen Pingsheng curiously, her eyes shining brightly under the light, like a roe deer that had just emerged from the woods and was unknown to everything about the outside world.

Chen Pingsheng couldn't bear it anymore and had no choice but to surrender.

So he pointed to the photos in the camera and said, "I plan to create an exhibition."

"Exhibition? You mean to put these photos on display?" Huang Liao thought quickly and immediately understood Chen Pingsheng's counterattack.

But I still have some doubts about the idea behind it because I don’t understand it.

Chen Pingsheng raised the corner of his mouth: "Not only will it be exhibited, I will also add a line of text on it."

As he spoke, he whispered the specific content.

Huang Liao's eyes widened instantly and she looked at him in surprise: "Teacher Chen, your move is too..."

She wanted to say hurt, but didn't dare to say it.

"Isn't it fun?" Chen Pingsheng laughed, and then said seriously: "I just emphasized my concept again. I believe everyone will understand after watching this exhibition."

"I don't know if those people understand. I only know that many people's expressions must be ugly." Huang Liao said "tsk tsk" twice, feeling that she had seen the moment when the anti-decisive moment flag collapsed not long after.

"Okay, go back to sleep, we will print photos tomorrow."

Chen Pingsheng drove Huang Liao back to the house, and then called Shah.

"Chen, I have already contacted the venue for you. The exhibition will be held in that gallery the day after tomorrow. Why are you so anxious this time? What kind of work is it?" After getting through, Shah asked a series of questions.

"How should I put it? It should be regarded as a work. You will know when you have time to come over and take a look. You can't explain it clearly on the phone." Chen Pingsheng did not give a specific explanation.

"Okay, but I believe you won't be disappointed. After all, this is the first time you are so eager." Shah's laughter was gentle. "Disappointed, we will definitely not be disappointed, but some people will be disappointed." Chen Pingsheng gave up.

After the two chatted about Tini for a while, they hung up the phone.

Chen Pingsheng looked at the charging camera and said to himself: "I hope you are ready to take the call."
-
"Chen Pingsheng is holding another exhibition?"

The news spread throughout the Los Angeles photography community in just a few hours, as he posted about it on Photo Circle.

And this exhibition is exactly about the decisive moment, and it is completely free and does not require admission.

There is no doubt that both his fans and his anti-fans are concerned about this news.

"We should go see what this guy filmed again."

In an anonymous forum, several photographers opposed to Chen Pingsheng were discussing the exhibition.

"They are just works with fancy compositions and empty content. I don't think there is any need to see them."

"No, I have to go, I want to film it. My recent video footage is not enough."

"Yes, let's go to the scene and ask him questions. I want to watch his face turn green at the scene!"

"Do you think he's the Hulk?"

"Anyway, he must admit that the theory of the decisive moment is wrong, otherwise I will never let him go."

"So what if we don't let go? No matter how fierce our quarrel is, it won't stop others from making money, idiot."

"Damn it, who are you calling a fool?"

"What do you say?"

Seeing that several people were about to quarrel, someone finally stood up and interrupted the topic.

"I will also go to the scene tomorrow and I will have a chat with him."

"Robert, are you really going?" Someone recognized the anonymous user.

"Of course, I think his theory is wrong."
-
On the morning of the exhibition day, Robert Keeney carefully combed his hair in front of the mirror and put on a blue formal suit.

He did not carry the camera as usual, but put on a pair of leather shoes that he did not often wear.

"Jenny, I'll be back in the evening." He said goodbye to his wife loudly, then opened the door and walked out of the house.

Facing the sea breeze, Robert drove his old-fashioned Mercedes-Benz to the outside of the block where Chen Pingsheng's exhibition was held.

"Hey! Robert!" A middle-aged man with dreadlocks passed by and said, "I saw your exhibition and it was really cool. The photography world needs a voice like yours!"

"Thanks, man." Although Robert is forty this year, his mentality has always been very good, like a young man.

Bumping fists with the man with dreadlocks, the two continued towards the entrance of the exhibition.

"You are also here to see Chen's exhibition, right? Wow, you will definitely have a heated argument by then." The man with the dreadlocks said in an exaggerated tone while chewing bubble gum.

"No, I'm just communicating with him." Robert seemed confident and his tone was very calm.

"Okay, although I think the battle of ideas is much crueler than war." The man with dreadlocks did not continue.

Not long after, they arrived at the main entrance of the exhibition.

"The decisive moment, as expected, was not unexpected." The man with dreadlocks shrugged.

"I just don't know whether the photos he used are from the album or newly taken." After Robert finished speaking, he walked towards the interior of the gallery.

The light gradually dimmed with the obstruction above the head, and Robert soon saw the first photo of the leader.

It was a snapshot of a little boy, but unlike the one in Chen Pingsheng's photo album, the boy just sat on the swing and looked around without any movement.

Moreover, the composition of this photo is very random, and you can even see the messy background colors.

"Is this a work by Chen Pingsheng?" the man with dreadlocks asked doubtfully. He felt that this level did not seem to be consistent with Chen Pingsheng's works.

He turned to ask Robert, but saw that Robert's face was extremely ugly.

"What's the matter, man?" he asked, spreading his hands.

"That's...that's mine..." Before Robert could finish his words, he quickly stepped forward with his eyebrows twisted.

The man with the dreadlocks also followed, and then the two of them discovered that there were traces of borders in the photo. It seemed that Chen Pingsheng had taken someone else's work.

"This is my work!" Robert roared immediately when he saw this.

"What do you mean?" The man with the dreadlocks looked a little confused.

"He plagiarized my work! Chen, plagiarized my work!" Robert had veins on his face and he was very angry!
But the man with the dreadlocks looked at the text under the photo carefully and said, "No, he didn't plagiarize. He wrote the author."

Yes, the author of each photo is identified below the photo, along with the location where it was taken.

Robert suppressed his anger and read it, but felt even more confused: "Why would he do this?"

The man with the dreadlocks ignored his thoughts and just continued walking backwards.

Then he saw that every photo seemed to be a remake of someone else's work selected by Chen Pingsheng. It was not an original work at all.

But because he identified the author and confiscated the tickets, it cannot be said that he plagiarized everyone's ideas and made commercial charges.

This is a very classic "appropriation" technique in photography, that is, using the same photo in different contexts.What needs more attention now is the context in which Chen Pingsheng applies these photos.

It didn't take much effort for the man with the dreadlocks to find it.

So he walked back to Robert, tapped him on the shoulder, pointed to the center wall in the back and said, "Look, man, I think your ideological battle has come to an end."

"Fake, how is that possible!" Robert didn't believe it and looked up to the rear.

I saw a sentence written on the wall, which was an introduction to this exhibition.

"Exhibition theme: "This is also a decisive moment."

"Author: Chen Pingsheng."

(End of this chapter)