ALMOND CHU SELF-PORTRAIT AS A CYCLIST 朱德華是單車手自拍像 2012

This is an exhibition project presented by Fuji Photo Products Co., Ltd., and I was invited to be one of the photographers participating.  The curator asked me to collaborate with another photographer Lau Ching-ping, to capture each other’s portraits for the exhibition.  I had hoped to take self-portraits — I would love to do so with wearing a cycling outfit!

But, how should I incorporate Lau Ching-ping’s portrait into this concept?

I found out that Lau Ching-ping and I shared the same size of clothes and shoes!  So, I asked him to put on my outfit and imitated me as a cyclist.  Upon setting up the camera, I took two self-portraits, then I took his.  I asked him to completely imitate my expression and posture for two identical portraits.

When the four photos were put together, the audience will feel that the photos are similar yet somewhat different.  If you look carefully at Lau Ching-ping who had a beard, but I didn’t.

I think this is a cool idea that makes several seemingly ordinary portraits contain multiple meanings.

這是香港富士攝影器材有限公司Fujifilm Camera所主辦的一個展覽項目，我被𨘋參與。策展人要求我與另一位攝影家劉清平合作，互相拍攝對方的肖像作為展覽作品。但我希望以自拍照出發。直到此時我還未曾穿著單車衫自拍過，所以非常渴望賞試一下。但又怎樣能把劉清平的肖像融入這概念呢？ 我詢問劉清平穿衣服和鞋子的尺碼，答案竟然是與我的尺碼一模一樣。就這樣我便要求劉清平穿上我的單車衫模仿我裝扮成單車手去拍攝肖像。我先架好相機自拍2張，然後便拍劉清平，我要求他完全模仿我的表情和姿勢拍2張一模一樣的肖像。當4張照片放在一起看的時候，觀眾會感覺相片很相似但又有些不同⋯仔細看劉清平是留有鬍子的但我卻沒有。我覺得這個意念很捧，令幾張看似普通的肖像照片背後含有多重的意義。

Wearing cycling costume offers me another identity. It is like playing in cosplay. The feeling is surreal and is like drowning in a dream. This way of interpretation provides another meaning of portrait. When I shot Lau Ching Ping, I arranged him to imitate me as a cyclist. There are three identities exiting at the same time.

單車的服飾為我提供了另一個身份，像cosplay的角色扮演虛幻而不真實，也是肖像攝影的另一重意義。我安排劉清平扮我扮單車手所拍的照片，同時間包含著三重身份與角色。