My Photo Story 

My name is Tianyi (Olly) Liu, currently a student at University of Pennsylvania. 

Photography has been my hobby since my trip to Canada in the sixth grade. The vast and majestic landscapes really draw me into the world of photography. Since I was living in Shanghai where pollution was already a serious issue, I always wanted to capture the great nature of Canada in my pictures and take it back to China. The little camera reminded me the moments I had and invited my interest in photography, 

When I came to U.S. in 2010, I started to learn photography systematically. From film camera to digital SLR; from abstraction, night photography to portraits, sports and settings; from darkroom photography to Photoshop, the process of learning photography transformed my interest to love. To take good pictures, I need to think outside of (black) box. I love to explore, so supermarkets, churches, schools, and museums all became my classroom. I once read that, " What makes a good photographer is experiencing life and the world around you and having a story to share with people through your photos." Therefore I ventured through streams to create my own images. 

The theme of my works consist mostly of abstraction, documentary and landscape. Most of the pictures shown here are shot in China, Europe and North America. As a college student I want to display the world through the lens. I also wish that the camera will serve as a bridge between people and nature.

Olly Liu 

我的摄影故事

        我出生在上海，记得六年级时学校组织去加拿大游学，加拿大湛蓝的天空和纯净的白云给我留下了非常深刻的印象，是上海所无法比拟的。那时的我多么渴望能带一片加拿大的蓝天回上海，好在随队老师的卡片机记录了我与小伙伴在那里的每一个瞬间，使得我回来后可以拿出照片来回顾。小小的卡片机让我第一次对摄影有了兴趣，我喜欢旅游和户外运动，父母给我拍的照片也给我的童年生活留下了美好的记忆。

          2010年我去美国念高中，开始接触系统的摄影学习。从卡片机到数码单反；从抽象、夜晚到肖像、运动、场景等不同题材的摄影；从暗房到Photoshop的处理技术，学习的过程使我从单纯的兴趣转变为热爱。与国内随处可见的发烧级摄影器材不同，在美国，老师希望我更多使用普通相机，从构图学起，多拍一些细节，学会突出重点。老师建议我要大胆去尝试不同的拍摄手法，更积极的鼓励我要敢于冒险、打破常规去拍摄，走出校园、学会观察。超市、教堂、街头和美术馆都曾是我学习的课堂，而我也渐渐认识到好的作品不仅仅只有好看的图片，还需要有主题的构思，有情节有故事，甚至蕴含着哲学、人文与价值观的探究。好的作品可以是耐看的，也可以是发人深思的。

        作品主要以抽象、纪实、以及风光为主题，主要拍摄地在中国，欧洲，美国和加拿大。作为一名大学生，我想站在大学生的独特视角来展现大千世界的声相百态。在相册 “Modern” 中我将很多相片都转成了黑白，因为我想弱化照片中色彩的比重，更加注重照片本身以及构思，黑白照片更能突出照片中的对比度以及线条，并给人以足够的想象空间和视觉冲击力。我对抽象摄影很感兴趣，不仅因为抽象摄影题材丰富、随手可及，更重要的是这些照片更能体现我创作时的灵感，充分发挥出我与众不同的想象力。 而纪实摄影则不仅可以体现一座城市和一个国家的风格和实力，也包含着丰富的人文情怀，可以从一个侧面表达出城市和国家独有的文化魅力，成为他们的名片之一。我也非常热爱旅游，于是风光摄影就成了我记录旅行的一种方式。

                                                                                                                                         刘天一    

Info

• University of Pennsylvania 
• Address: 4043 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, 19104
• Email: ltianyi@seas.upenn.edu
• Wechat: ollylty