Deaf artist wins inaugural Hsinchu City photo contest

2015/12/24

Pan Ting-jung, a deaf painter turned lensman, was awarded a trophy and cash prize of NT$100,000 (US$3,030) as winner of Hsinchu City’s inaugural Love Photo Shooting competition Dec. 23.

With Hsinchu Station as the theme of his four-piece series, Pan depicts commonly seen aspects at the historic facility in northern Taiwan—passengers waiting on the platform, ticket gates, an approaching train and nearby nighttime street scenes—to convey the mood of travelers.

“Pan’s work demonstrates good pictures can transcend various obstacles in life while capturing the artistic beauty of the moment,” said chief panel judge Chen Wen-pin, a retired high school teacher who has documented the sights of Hsinchu with photos over the years.

Graduated from National Taiwan Academy of Arts, the forerunner of National Taiwan University of Arts, Pan used to work in advertising and animation. He was also a frequent winner of numerous painting contests.

About eight years ago, with encouragement and support from friends and family members, Pan adopted the camera as his creative tool. Although he lives without sound, Pan is able to faithfully record the faces of his world using pictures.

Pan’s training in the arts helped him quickly master photography and incorporate unique perspectives. His shot taken from a forest train won a prize in the innovation category of a 2014 competition held by Alishan National Scenic Area Administration.

With the goal of promoting local tourism, the contest was held to document the beauty, charm and precious memories of Hsinchu. A total of 221 photographers across the nation submitted their series of pictures, each telling a city story.

As Hsinchu City counts 26 historical sites, 18 peaks, 17 kilometers of coastline among its various cultural treasures, other winning pieces spanned a wide array of signature subjects like glass art, intertidal ecosystems, modern infrastructures and rice noodles.

Along with Pan, two other photographers shared second-place honors and three third-place prizes. Five gained recognition for excellent submissions, while 10 made the judges’ list.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=240584&ctNode=2194&mp=9)