Chapter 179 An Opportunity Falling from the Sky

“I don’t see any awkwardness that comes with being a newcomer in your work. If I’m not mistaken, you learned to use a camera to compose shots when you were very young, right?” Chen Qingchun said kindly.

Lu Yinzhao nodded shyly, feeling flattered by Old Chen's praise.

Chen Qingchun solemnly handed the certificate of honor to Lu Yinzhao and added, "Many people may look down on you because you are young, but I want to tell you that youth is not your label, it is your weapon."

"..."

"The world in your eyes hasn't been confined by too many rules, which is why you can capture such clean and pure images. Go forward, take more pictures. This old man is waiting for you to capture more diverse scenes in your lens."

After speaking, Chen Qingchun raised his hand and patted Lu Yinzhao's shoulder. The warmth of his palm seeped through the shirt, allowing Lu Yinzhao's originally tense shoulders to relax quietly.

The warmth and determination in his eyes only intensified.

With such high regard for him from a master photographer, how could Lu Yinzhao possibly disappoint his senior?

“Mr. Chen, I will keep taking pictures,” Lu Yinzhao said enthusiastically, “with the camera in my hand…”

After the awards ceremony, many people did not rush to leave, but stayed in the venue to admire the winning works.

The award-winning works were enlarged, printed out, and hung in the exhibition area, with the author's name listed below.

At this moment, a crowd of people gathered around Lu Yinzhao's artwork.

"This kid is really amazing. If the angle in this photo were even slightly off, it wouldn't have achieved the same effect," a man in his fifties said with a smile.

“I’ve been to this town before and took a lot of photos, but none of them are as good as this one,” another middle-aged man said.

"Yes, this boy captured the blue of the town with a sense of breath, and the starry sky isn't just cold, lifeless light; it's like shards of moonlight falling on the rooftops. Even the halo of the streetlamp at the alley entrance is wrapped in a soft layer." Some people even started commenting directly.

"The younger generation is constantly pushing the older generation forward. They are all incredibly quick learners, able to memorize things and apply what they've learned to other situations. We still have so much to learn," the crowd exclaimed.

Faced with a group of seniors, Lu Yinzhao didn't dare to go over. After only taking a short stroll around the exhibition area, he planned to leave.

Just as I was about to leave the venue, a foreign man stopped me.

Lu Yinzhao was about to speak in English when the other person suddenly spoke in Chinese, clearly having studied it carefully.

"Hello, Mr. Lu, my name is Elias Voss, and this is my business card."

After the foreign man handed over his business card, Lu Yinzhao quickly read the contents.

The foreigner in front of me who speaks Chinese is actually an international independent photography curator.

“I am preparing for the Global Emerging Photographers Exhibition. Mr. Lu, I really like your work. Your unique perspective is very attractive to me. I would like to invite you to participate in our upcoming core exhibition. I can co-create a personal photo essay for you.”

Lu Yinzhao was stunned for a long time before she could react; some of the things the other person said were beyond her imagination.

What incredible luck he has!

This isn't just a windfall, it's like a golden bowl falling from the sky!

Lu Yinzhao was well aware of the prestige of such an international exhibition, because the audience for his work would no longer be limited to the small circle of people from a domestic competition.

To put it bluntly, if the artwork you provide meets the requirements, it can help him gain international recognition in the art collecting world!

“Mr. Voss, I want to ask you… why did you extend this invitation to me based solely on my award-winning work? Don’t you think I just got lucky this time? You… really recognize my talent that much?”

Although Lu Yinzhao was excited inside, he still calmly asked his question.

"No! No! No!" Voss waved his hand dismissively, saying confidently, "I've seen countless people, I won't misjudge you. That photo of yours isn't something you can just take by chance."

Lu Yinzhao: "..."

This foreigner even knows the phrase "having seen countless people," which means he must have spent a lot of time in his country.

“Your lens has a unique warmth, and the personal feature I’m creating for you is precisely to present that warmth to the world in its entirety. This is the sharing of art, a visual treasure!” Worth said, becoming more and more excited.

Lu Yinzhao almost got sprayed in the face with spit, and unconsciously took a small step back to maintain a certain distance from the other person.

“Um… Mr. Voss, I can accept your invitation, but I may not have any works that meet your requirements at the moment.”

In Lu Yinzhao's view, works that can be exhibited internationally must be carefully selected.

Although many people say that his award-winning work represents his mature skills and strength, Lu Yinzhao is very clear that it is just a photo he took at will.

He can't always perform at that level!

The photos I have now are either celebrity portraits or old ones that I posted on Weibo before. They are not representative and cannot form a core theme of a unit.

Lu Yinzhao expressed concern about this.

However, Worth encouraged him once again, saying, "Don't worry, what I want is never a finished product that meets the requirements. The best start is when there are no finished products that meet the requirements."

"..."

“The core exhibition needs a sense of exclusivity. I’ve seen too many photographers get stuck in their own requirements and lose their style. Your award-winning photos have already proven your talent. Now we can take it slow.”

"How can we take it slow?" Lu Yinzhao couldn't help but ask.

Voss stroked his stubble, a smile playing on his lips, and said, “How about… you send me your recent shots, even the unfinished ones? I can work with you to find inspiration from them. The theme of the project can also be adjusted according to your creative preferences. The important thing is to let your work speak for itself.”

Lu Yinzhao was shocked again. The other party actually wanted even the scrap film?

His unusable films are all deleted on the spot; there is absolutely no chance of them being left behind.

After so many years of filming, Lu Yinzhao still has some obsessive-compulsive tendencies.

Seeing that Lu Yinzhao remained silent, Voss continued, "Or, you could try shooting a sample first, and we can work together to polish it into a feature that will impress the audience. I'd rather create something with you than work that's already been produced."

"..."

"You'll be in charge of capturing the moment with your camera, and I'll help you organize the narrative logic. The final feature will definitely be very vibrant!"

Seeing that Worth was fired up again and even had grand plans in his mind, Lu Yinzhao quickly called a halt.

"Stoop!!"

*

It took Lu Yinzhao a great deal of effort to leave the venue.

Once in the car that Bian Ji had specially come to pick him up, Lu Yinzhao lay back in the back seat and let out a long sigh of relief.

Mr. Worth is so incredibly enthusiastic.

In the end, they exchanged contact information, and it would be more appropriate to communicate the remaining details online.

Lu Yinzhao has come this far by adhering to the principle of taking one step at a time and eating one bite at a time.

He certainly knew this was an opportunity, but sometimes, an untimely opportunity can cut off many other possibilities.

International exposure would showcase the skill and talent of Chinese photographers. If the work turned out poorly, Lu Yinzhao could already imagine how those old-timers abroad would mock them online.

He still needs to think carefully about the content of this exhibition.

"Young Master Lu, the boss said he might be busy until the afternoon, so you can go eat wherever you want. I'll accompany you the whole time," said driver Lao Lin.

"No need for all that trouble, I'll just grab a quick meal from a roadside stall."

“Okay, Young Master Lu, I’ll go buy it for you.”

"Thank you, Uncle Lin."

Soon, Lao Lin bought several hamburgers and a bucket of fried chicken.

"Uncle Lin, I can't eat this much, you should eat some too."

"Young Master Lu, but this was bought for you... I..."

"Alright, Uncle Lin, your boss isn't here right now, and it's not your working hours either. Let's finish this food together and not waste any!"

Old Lin reluctantly accepted the fast food Lu Yinzhao offered. His boss and his boss's young boyfriend were the most unpretentious rich young masters he had ever met.

He had worked for other rich people's children before, and they all bossed him around, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with it, since he was paid to do the work.

At this moment, seeing Lu Yinzhao enjoying a hamburger so much, even the usually serious-looking Lao Lin couldn't help but smile.

What an easy-to-care-for young master.

When Bian Ji and Ling Guanren returned to the van, Lu Yinzhao was already fast asleep inside, drooling.

Bian Ji moved very gently and sat down, shifting Lu Yinzhao's head, which was leaning against the glass window, onto his shoulder.

After being disturbed like this, Lu Yinzhao regained some of his senses.

He wiped his mouth and said in a muffled voice, "Brother, are you done with your work..."

"Okay, I'm done with work. Sorry to keep you waiting. We're heading back to Xingbei City now."

"It's okay, I've already taken the day off, so there's no point in going back early."

Lu Yinzhao decided not to sleep anymore. After starting the car, he poured out his story about what happened at the awards ceremony, and then talked about the Mr. Worth he met when he left.

“I think it’s great. Participating in an exhibition like this will be very helpful for your photography career,” Bian Ji said.

“But I can’t think of anything representative that I can film right now,” Lu Yinzhao said, scratching his head.

“Since last month, you’ve taken photos of so many celebrities. Aren’t those all your style?”

“Those are for artist promotion or commercial activities, and can’t be used casually. I have signed contracts, and if they are to be exhibited, I need the artist’s authorization… Even if I wanted to use them, it would be too much trouble.”

“I’m not asking you to use those photos. What I’m trying to say is that you’re now working as a celebrity photographer, and you can definitely develop and extract the themes you want from those.”

Lu Yinzhao was stunned, then an idea flashed through his mind.

His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he suddenly rushed over and hugged Bian Ji tightly. "Brother Ji, I love you so much! You're so smarter than me!"

Bian Ji: "..."

"Thank you! I know what I need to film now! We Eastern artists also have our own unique charm!"

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Author's Note: Zhao Zhao: I want to be famous! I want to bring glory to my ancestors! [Glasses]