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Tom Carter Snaps True China
Are you one of those kooks who spends more time staring at the Forbidden City workers than at the place itself? If so, you're in good company with Tom Carter. His 640-page photobook, China: Portrait of a People, forsakes temple and tower to focus on China's many faces. For those who read more in a twinkling eye or a lined brow than in a slate roof, the book is a revelation, providing a more honest picture of this turbulent land than a rack of China travel books pre-approved by the Ministry of Information.
China: Portrait of a People is the fruit of Tom's two-year long march. Hoofing it through all 33 provinces on his own thin dime, Tom has amassed a comprehensive folio of China's many peoples, photographed with an authentic hand that knows bus station grime and back-country dirt. Many of the pictures startle with their immediacy and candor, thanks to Tom's resolve never to hide behind a zoom lens, to engage all his subjects as individuals. This commitment led him to close scrapes with coal mine authorities, and with police during a peasant uprising, but also to the most unconventional work of photo-journalism in some time. Here are some of his snaps, with accompanying captions.
Beijing: Feng Tai locals on the eve of their 55th marriage anniversary.
Beijing: Expatriates-China's unofficial 57th minority group. In Wudaokou, the New Zealander has established one of the city's most popular café-bars, aptly named Lush, which attracts Chinese and expat students from the surrounding university district.
Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture: the second-largest Tibetan area in Sichuang is home to the ethnolinguistic subgroups Aba, Chabao-Jiarong and Zhugqu.
Chongqing:Engrossed in a game of xiangqi(Chinese chess).
Chongwu:The women of Hui'an County. A subgroup of the Han, the Hui'an are known for their unique folk customs and distinctive traditional attire, including yellow bamboo hats and blue kerchiefs.
Dalian:Police officer and her steed. Dalian's female Mounted Police Unit was established in 1994 and is the first of its kind in China.
Dongshan: Cottage industry-In the local school yard, children have fun husking the community corn.
Hexi:From the mountain-sized sand dunes of Dunhuang down to the province's capital Lanzhou on the Yellow River, the Hexi Corridor is part of the ancient Silk Road trading route which threads through northern Gansu.
Fenghuang:Women of the Miao ethnic minority wearing traditional indigo-blue turbans and hand-embroidered smocks.
Gegentala:110-kilogram Mongolian wrestler postures for his audience during the grassland's famed Nadam Festival, meaning ‘Three Manly Games'. The traditional Mongolian festival takes place in late spring and includes wrestling, horseracing and archery.
Guangzhou:Waitress being trained at an upmarket restaurant.
Puxian:Mining is known as ‘the deadliest occupation in China' and the State Administration of Work Safety calculates over 6,000 annual mine-related deaths(not including health consequences such as Black Lung or unreported fatalities at illegal ‘black mines').
Yan'an:View of peasant shanties and cave dwellings at Qingliang Shan in central Yan'an.
Shenyang:On 3rd March 2007, the provincial capital suffered its heaviest snowstorm in 56 years. Arctic gales measuring 30 meters per second and minus 10℃ were not unlike the strike of a razor against bare skin, though some resourceful individuals took shelter in simple plastic bags.
Shanghai:The largest city in China and the eighth largest in the world, with a population of approximately 20 million.
To purchase China: Portrait of a People, click here.
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Comments
average snaps
These feel like above average holiday photos taken with a point and shoot..while the composition in some of his photos is good, where's the sharpness, colour, depth of field, and clever use of light?
that's the whole point i think
don't be the snob! depth of field and clever use of light does not a good photographer make. i think it is the whole point of this book: an oridinary guy with an ordinary camera who did a very un-ordinary thing: travel to all provinces in china and take pictures of it all. not even any famous photographers did that before. this guy is inspiration that someone with ambition can accomplish the historic achievment, even if he doesn't have money or good camera. so you snob photographers can go back to your photo club and discuss depth of field. i'm going to go travel like this guy!
Photos
I think the photos are fabulous. Isn't there always someone willing to criticize from the comfort of their big over stuffed computer chair while this photographer drags his ass to every province of China. I salute the naturalness of his art, his tenacity to persevere what had to be a difficult journey and his choice of superb subjects.
Kudos for a allowing us to be a part of your exceptional journey. I have already orderd your book.
Dr. Bob
The Heart and Soul of China captured on film
My wife and I were lucky to get an advance look at Tom's work before his book came out. We have traveled to China often. My wife ws born in Shanghai and came to the United States at twenty-eight. I agree with her when she said, "Tom Carter has captured the heart and soul of China."
An Interesting Text Book
Different place different people. Walking through thousands of miles ; Reading through thousands of the books to know the real china. China: Portrait of a People, a really interesting meaningful book tells real China.
一方水土一方人，行万里路，读万卷书，方知天下中国。China： Portrait of a People，一本真实而有意义的教课书。
Great work, keep it up. I
Great work, keep it up. I love returning back to this site and reading the quality content you always have on offer.
Oh, stop.
That means a lot to us, Zoran. Cool name!
Chaina is a best!
Unbelievable pictures! I like it and I would like to come to China as a tourist next year. I think it's one of the best places to visit.
You're not wrong, BW.
You're not wrong, BW.
The pictures are so awesome
The pictures are so awesome that they shown a true Chinese tradition and the People. Every picture tells 1000 stories about the China and its very rich people culture. alivemax
great pictures, very
great pictures, very inspirational.
Many thanks for this amazing
Many thanks for this amazing post
That picture of the corn
That picture of the corn husltling is quite disturbing, their feet is on their food!
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I agree with you.
I agree with you.
I agree with you,thanks !
I agree with you,thanks !
That picture of the corn
That picture of the corn husltling is quite disturbing, their feet is on their food! anghinare
there is just beautiful
there is just beautiful place. i just love going to china.
Good Job
Really amazing pictures, thanks for sharing it ! and congrats to the photograph !
"China: Portrait of a People" - A Face of the Republic of China
I just finished reading few chapters from Tom Carter's book: "China: Portrait of a People". I think it gives a comprehensive overview of Chinese people, culture, economy, government, geography, history, politics, philosophy, etc. in the form of simple text and lots of image. Kudos to Tom for his glorious literary work.
The pictures are so cool
The pictures are so cool man. Chinese people are very cultural. It also shows that they are very smart. Using polythene bag to prevent the head from getting wet was a very smart idea.
Really awesome culture. The
Really awesome culture. The Chinese are really beloved to their culture and I envy that being from the U.S. The U.S. should show some more class in my opinion
a great collection of images
a great collection of images showing the various elements of the chinese culture.
fantastic job in giving credibility to the individuals who make up the chinese culture
beautiful images. each image
beautiful images.
each image tells a great story.
love how Tom has portrayed such a positive energy and has reflected the chinese culture in such a beautiful manner.
the images are really powerful
agree with previous
agree with previous comments
the images are beautiful
Yeah the images are really
Yeah the images are really beautiful ! Great shoot
Very nice pictures... thx
Very nice pictures... thx you very much !
Great pictures!
Thanks
Thanks. Good work. I enjoy
Thanks. Good work. I enjoy it! China is a beautiful country.
Amazing
These amazing photos really capture China. I want to visit now!
Those are some magnificent
Those are some magnificent pictures. They are so natural yet very moving. Drug Rehab
Really amazing pictures,
Really amazing pictures, thanks for sharing it ! and congrats to the photograph ! Skinfood
pictures
pictures, thanks for sharing it ! and congrats to the photograph !
diggma.
Those are some magnificent pictures. They are so natural yet very moving.
Great photo collection. I
Great photo collection. I especially like the one of the Mounted Police Officer. I sure as heck wouldn't mess with her.
Excellent photos
Good work of artist, these photos are beautiful and very original.
Thank
Good work of artist, these photos are beautiful and very original.
These amazing photos really
These amazing photos really capture China. I want to visit now!
I saw this fellow while
I saw this fellow while visiting Storm King Art Center over the weekend and admired his unique and colorful style. He looks ready for an adventure in his straw hat and heavy boots, but seems quite content taking a little rest on a nearby bench.sohbet
Beautiful photos
I am amazed at these beautiful pictures, thank you.
beautiful images. each image
beautiful images. each image , Very nice pictures... thx
My wife and I were lucky to
My wife and I were lucky to get an advance look at Tom's work before his book came out. We have traveled to China often. My wife ws born in Shanghai and came to the United States at twenty-eight. I agree with her when she said, "Tom Carter has captured the heart and soul of China."
Interesting stuff, have you
Interesting stuff, have you ever thought about selling those photos?
great photographs!
That mongolian wrestler has a friendly smile on his face, but I'll bet he'd rather wrestle you to the ground than stand there and pose.
Oh well, at least he's got more self esteem than the guy with the bag over his head! :P
Thanks !
Excellent pictures , good work.
cool....Love the pics
cool....Love the pics ....saved all of them :)
I love the police woman
I love the police woman picture.
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Those are some magnificent
Those are some magnificent pictures. They are so natural yet very moving
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That wrestler
Wouldn't want to mess with that wrestler...
Nice photos
These photos are very successful, congratulations to the artist.
Where is my bike?
Great photos. For me only picture of Shanghai is familiar. I was there a year ago. I rent an old bike, but after parking, I needed almost an hour to find it between more then hundred bikes. The other parts of china I didn't meet, but they must be extremely interesting.
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