Lu Shifu began studying photography in 1918. He started his medical practice in 1928 in Shanghai. In his spare time, Lu Shifu made friends with some active figures in Shanghai’s photographic circle, such as Chen Chuanlin and Lang Jingshan. Lu Shifu studied hard on photographic techniques and skills. He always studied hard all through the night about the darkroom techniques. He had profound knowledge in still life, human figures, landscapes and darkroom techniques. The most photos he took were about landscapes. Lu Shifu was also the first well-known photographer to climb up the Huangshan Mountain. He had climbed the mountain for over ten times to take pictures, which made him a key representative of “Huangshan Mountain school of photographers”.

Lu Shifu published an article “My View on Artistic Photography” on Issue 3 of Photography Weekly in 1930. He thought that “the essence of a photo is to be vivid, honest and concise”. He stressed that photographers to “be personal on the scene to grab the beauty”, and encouraged photographers to experience “new environment and new things”. Lu Shifu travelled a lot, and took photographs of many famous landscapes at Mount Tai, Huashan Mountain, Tianmu Mountain, Tiantai Mountain, Wuyi Mountain, Yandang Mountain, Mogan Mountain, Putuo Mountain, Jiuhua Mountain, Badaling, Shanhai Pass, Beidaihe River, Xin’an River, Fuchun River, Songhua River, etc. From this perspective, Lu had a realistic view on photography. He once straightforwardly criticized that some contemporary photographers “only focus on subjects in traditional Chinese paintings, perhaps because they had learned it; they thought photos such as a tree looking obscure under dim moonlight and a few birds flying by are great photos. As to the negatives, most of them are underexposed. These photos seem good, but lack a powerful attitude.”

The photo “Misty rain at Jiuqu Stream”, with Lu Shifu’s signature and seal on it, was taken at Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province in 1953. Lu wrote on the picture that “the misty rain at Jiuqu Stream, Wuyi Mountain is one of the most beautiful scenes in Fujian. This picture shows a distant view of the Girl Peak from Wolong Pond. There is a workers’ sanatorium in the distance which was built after 1949.” Two persons in the picture are going upstream with one’s barge pole up and one’s down. The nearby hills look grand and magnificent, while the distant Girl Peak towers in clouds. The entire picture impresses viewers with its majesty and perfect combination of static scenes and moving figures. The photo “Glistening light of waves at Shimen Tan” was taken at Yandang Mountain in 1955 with Lu Shifu’s signature and seal on it. He took the photo downward. The bamboo raft on the lake makes a golden ratio of picture. The arch-shaped end of the raft breaks the stiffness of two flat surfaces, with one person rowing and the other resting. The hardness of the bamboo and the softness of waves perfectly complement each other, displaying a concise, vivid, simple and natural picture. Lu’s realistic view on photography is also reflected in his emphasis on technical details. He carefully recorded the type of the camera lens he used, the shutter speed, and some details such as polarizer he used to filter and eliminate water surface reflection.

The national conferences for writers and artists were held in 1949 and 1953, thus the relationship between literary and artistic creation and political ideology became closer. Premier Zhou Enlai made a report at the second national conference for writers and artists on the Tasks of Writers and Artists to Strive to Realize the General Line. Literary and artistic creation in the 1950s, including photography, mainly focused on shaping a great image for the newly-founded country and reflecting the achievements of socialist constructions. In this background, it is especially precious of the pure pursuit of art reflected by these two photos. His photos, to a certain degree, have enriched our perceptions for artistic creation in that era.

(Edited by Su Wenxiang, Xu Chongbao, Huang Si, 2015)