應(yīng)金泉
“永遠(yuǎn)有一處遠(yuǎn)方,它遙遠(yuǎn),神秘,無法抵達(dá)。那是一個(gè)陌生地帶,那是我渴望到達(dá)的地方。”
—陳慶港
在浙江攝影圈里,有一位小有名氣的“攝影奇人”。
他喜歡獨(dú)思獨(dú)行,一年中約有三分之一時(shí)間,一個(gè)人背著相機(jī)與簡單的行囊,去陌生地帶拍攝;別的攝影記者一年要拍幾十個(gè)題材作品,他一兩年才重點(diǎn)推出一個(gè)專題,投入與產(chǎn)出成巨大反差,而他的專業(yè)成就卻足以讓同行仰慕:獲得過世界新聞攝影比賽(荷賽)突發(fā)新聞?lì)惤皙?jiǎng),這是中國記者有史以來在這一獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)中取得的首次突破;還先后獲得過第一屆、第三屆、第四屆、第五屆國際新聞攝影比賽(華賽)金獎(jiǎng),“金鏡頭”全國攝影比賽金獎(jiǎng)。
他平時(shí)寡言少語,思維卻相當(dāng)靈敏,且多才多藝,不僅精于攝影,愛好繪畫,還能彈一手好吉他;摸慣相機(jī)的人往往怕動(dòng)筆,但他能寫一手清新而感情真摯的文章,至今已出了五種攝影專著。
這位“攝影奇人”曾在杭州日報(bào)擔(dān)任首席攝影記者,現(xiàn)供職于浙江日報(bào)報(bào)業(yè)集團(tuán)圖片新聞中心,大名叫陳慶港。
獨(dú)行探秘的“瑪格北”
“浩渺的沙海,沒有綠草與鮮花,只有叢生的荊棘;沒有蟲鳴鳥啾,只有駝鈴丁冬、丁冬。駱駝,面對險(xiǎn)惡從不低頭,昂首挺胸,勇往直前。駱駝,吃苦耐勞,堅(jiān)忍不拔,忍辱負(fù)重。駱駝,腳踏實(shí)地,默默無聞,一步一個(gè)腳印。記者就是駱駝?!?/p>
流傳于新聞界的這首《駱駝之歌》,曾在無數(shù)新聞人心中掀起波瀾,激勵(lì)記者為實(shí)現(xiàn)心中的理想去艱辛付出。陳慶港從他認(rèn)定攝影為自己終身職業(yè)的那一天起,就憑著自己的執(zhí)著的追求,一步一個(gè)腳印地奔向心中的目標(biāo)。
在MSN及博客上,陳慶港的名字叫瑪格北。
一看見“瑪格北”這個(gè)充滿詩意的名字,讓人馬上聯(lián)想到“瑪格南”?!艾敻衲稀笔鞘澜缰男侣剤D片社,1946年成立于法國巴黎,全體成員都是職業(yè)攝影家。著名戰(zhàn)地?cái)z影師羅伯特·卡帕就是創(chuàng)辦人之一??ㄅ劣幸痪涿裕骸叭绻愕恼掌牡貌粔蚝?,那是因?yàn)槟汶x炮火還不夠近?!?936年西班牙內(nèi)戰(zhàn),卡帕在西班牙戰(zhàn)場捕捉了一個(gè)戰(zhàn)士中彈將要倒下的一瞬,這幅名為《西班牙戰(zhàn)士之死》的作品使人有身臨其境的感覺,立刻震動(dòng)了當(dāng)時(shí)的攝影界,成為戰(zhàn)爭攝影的不朽之作,也成為卡帕的傳世之作。
陳慶港對“瑪格南”攝影家們充滿敬意,因此把自己的博客取名為“瑪格北”。他說,這是一個(gè)攝影記者對“瑪格南”的致敬。
陳慶港屬馬。馬的天性愛奔跑。陳慶港像馬一樣,喜歡在廣袤的大地上自由馳騁,喜歡到陌生地帶獨(dú)行。他覺得,陌生地帶特別是人跡罕至之地,往往蘊(yùn)藏著攝影“富礦”,那里常能采擷到帶露珠的鮮花。遼闊草原、茫茫大漠、雪域高原、西南邊陲……那些鮮有記者涉足的地方,都留下了他的足跡。
陳慶港最初去西藏時(shí),旅行社還沒有阿里這條線,也不通車,自己租車去要2萬多元錢。藏民說,沒有去過阿里,你就沒有真正了解西藏。阿里的神秘色彩強(qiáng)烈吸引著陳慶港??勺廛囐M(fèi)怎么解決呢?他靈機(jī)一動(dòng),去各個(gè)旅館貼小紙條,征集同行者分?jǐn)偮觅M(fèi),結(jié)果來了一大堆應(yīng)征者。經(jīng)過挑選,陳慶港最后選了8個(gè)人,有讀大學(xué)的、畫畫的、拉小提琴的、制作小提琴的……還有一個(gè)德國工程師。8個(gè)人臨時(shí)組成一支“特別采風(fēng)隊(duì)”,租了兩輛車,一輛豐田吉普載人,一輛大卡車?yán)Z食、罐頭、帳篷和日用品。
車子先過了日喀則,在岡底斯山脈和喜馬拉雅山脈之間,沿雅魯藏布江一直向西奔馳。一路上,有眾多美麗絕倫的雪山、澄明如鏡的湖泊,天藍(lán)得讓人醉倒,云朵似乎伸手可及,各種高原珍奇動(dòng)物和名貴植物爭奇斗艷。通往阿里的路上有世界上最純粹的美景,最自然的生靈,最神秘的文化以及最虔誠的信仰。
阿里之行,前后花了一個(gè)多月,途中生活異常艱苦,常常野外做飯,帳篷露宿,最難受的是一個(gè)月不能洗澡,但陳慶港卻很興奮,他感到這次采風(fēng)吃多少苦都值。那一個(gè)多月讓陳慶港真正了解了西藏,他拍攝到大量珍貴的照片。
陌生的地帶、陌生的題材,對陳慶港來說,都具有巨大的吸引力。在陳慶港拍攝的題材中,有密林深處不為人知的母系部落,有隱藏在浙閩交界崇山峻嶺中的神秘古道,有將藏傳佛教經(jīng)典刻在石板上的拉薩刻石者……他通過攝影的手法把這些鮮為人知的原生文化栩栩如生地展示出來,其實(shí)就是在發(fā)掘祖國的文化寶藏。陳慶港深深感到自己的工作價(jià)值。
走與眾不同的攝影路
陳慶港從小酷愛攝影,后來又考上了南京師范大學(xué)美術(shù)系攝影專業(yè)。大學(xué)時(shí)代學(xué)的是知識(shí),大量課程是技術(shù)解讀,諸如暗房、光線原理、相機(jī)的解體,等等。數(shù)碼技術(shù)取代膠片后,陳慶港開始領(lǐng)悟到攝影已經(jīng)進(jìn)入技術(shù)歸零的時(shí)代:一個(gè)攝影師需要的不單純是專業(yè)技巧,更重要的是他的拍攝理念——選擇拍什么,從什么角度拍,用什么方式表現(xiàn)這個(gè)多彩的世界。因此,當(dāng)陳慶港成為職業(yè)攝影記者后,他就致力于理性思考,探索新聞攝影的與眾不同之路。
報(bào)道攝影被稱為20世紀(jì)人類最有趣的攝影成果,它區(qū)別于一般的新聞?wù)掌皇撬囆g(shù)創(chuàng)作,而是深度專題攝影。攝影者要深入到自己所要拍攝的環(huán)境中去,與自己將要拍攝的人群長時(shí)間生活在一起,記錄他們的生活細(xì)節(jié)。陳慶港認(rèn)為,優(yōu)秀的報(bào)道攝影作品,通過記錄客觀現(xiàn)實(shí)演變的過程,可以成為人類的一部部精神史和心靈史,成為歷久彌新的文獻(xiàn)。在陳慶港的鏡頭帶給我們的那些陌生地帶中,我們看到了許多曾經(jīng)不為我們所熟知的東西,看到了守望著古老記憶的原生文化。
2004年秋天,陳慶港前往橫斷山脈的深處,在經(jīng)過長時(shí)間的準(zhǔn)備后,深入到一個(gè)神秘而又古老的村落麗嘉則拉。由于特殊的地理環(huán)境和長期的與世隔離,這里很少有外人到達(dá),一些人類古老的習(xí)俗,在這里能夠得到完整而又原始的保留。在村落里,陳慶港和牧人一起去放牧,跟阿媽一同去水磨房磨面,與女主人喝酒,悄悄隨著小伙子去會(huì)情人。陳慶港在村里生活了近一個(gè)月,走遍了村里的28戶母系大家庭,詳細(xì)記錄下了每一戶家庭的經(jīng)濟(jì)、人口、婚姻等狀況,以及家庭與家庭之間的復(fù)雜的血緣關(guān)系。他成了村子里幾乎所有人都熟悉的朋友。陳慶港拍攝了數(shù)千張圖片,做了數(shù)十萬字的文字筆錄,完整而詳細(xì)地記述了這個(gè)村莊,他讓我們看到了完全不同于現(xiàn)代文明的鮮活而生動(dòng)的原生文化。陳慶港拍攝的《密林深處的母系氏族》獲得聯(lián)合國教科文組織和中國民俗攝影協(xié)會(huì)第五屆“人類貢獻(xiàn)獎(jiǎng)”大獎(jiǎng)。
有人說,新聞只求一日之輝煌,是易碎品。而陳慶港拍攝照片,不僅追求題材獨(dú)特、有視覺沖擊力,更追求作品本身的思想力量,追求作品巨大的心靈震撼力和強(qiáng)大的生命力。
2008年5月12日,四川汶川發(fā)生大地震。地震之后兩個(gè)小時(shí),陳慶港就決定去四川。當(dāng)時(shí)沒有飛機(jī),他十幾個(gè)小時(shí)守在機(jī)場,等到了重慶的第一班飛機(jī)。下了飛機(jī)他連夜租車,十幾個(gè)小時(shí)后,到達(dá)災(zāi)區(qū)。眼前是一片廢墟,滿地狼藉,腳下余震不斷,讓人驚慌。站在瓦礫堆上的陳慶港,看到這一切,心情復(fù)雜而沉重。環(huán)視四周,忽然一個(gè)個(gè)動(dòng)人的情景闖入眼簾:一些志愿者趴在廢墟堆里,用軟管給被壓在亂石下尚有生命體征的人送營養(yǎng)液和水;在通往北川縣城的路上,一批批解放軍指戰(zhàn)員抬著剛剛搶救出來的傷員,高一腳低一腳地趕往臨時(shí)救治點(diǎn),那場面讓人心中升騰起一種希望:在災(zāi)難面前,生命支撐多么需要人際間互助,中國有一種戰(zhàn)勝困難的巨大力量。陳慶港趕緊找到一個(gè)理想的觀察點(diǎn),調(diào)整好角度,拍攝了四川大地震后解放軍救援部隊(duì)抬送一名幸存者的畫面。
這幅照片拍攝手法簡潔,沒有任何的技術(shù)雕琢。但就是這幅極其樸實(shí)無華的攝影作品,卻深深感動(dòng)了“荷賽”評委。簡單的鏡頭語言,無聲表達(dá)了面對災(zāi)難時(shí)體現(xiàn)的強(qiáng)大的中國精神。正如我國《人民攝影報(bào)》總編輯霍瑋所說:“這張照片畫面干凈肅穆,卻給人更大的想像空間。這是中國式的表達(dá)。含蓄委婉,于平靜中直擊人心。它獲獎(jiǎng),與意識(shí)形態(tài)無關(guān),只與人性的力量有關(guān)。”
2009年2月13日,在荷蘭首都阿姆斯特丹揭曉的第52屆世界新聞攝影比賽中,陳慶港的《走出北川》獲突發(fā)新聞?lì)悊畏坏泉?jiǎng)。
永無止境的下一站
陳慶港追求個(gè)性化攝影。他習(xí)慣于獨(dú)立思考,獨(dú)立行動(dòng),常常遠(yuǎn)離繁華的都市、沸騰的人群,甘愿長時(shí)間為一個(gè)專題所苦,不肯輕易放棄。他在媒體也是個(gè)“特殊”人物,報(bào)社給他特別的待遇:負(fù)責(zé)深度攝影報(bào)道,平時(shí)自己想拍什么,選題自定,出去多少時(shí)間自定。正是他這種不羈的天性和媒體給他創(chuàng)造的特別條件,才得以讓他超凡脫俗,獨(dú)立行走在祖國的山河大地,捕捉震撼人心的題材。
從1999年開始,幾乎每一兩年,陳慶港就會(huì)有一個(gè)宏大的攝影專題問世:《侵華日軍細(xì)菌戰(zhàn)調(diào)查》《密林深處的母系氏族》《浙閩古道大穿越》《農(nóng)民工生存調(diào)查》《中國慰安婦》《灰度空間—抑郁癥》《拉薩刻石者》……其中,拍攝時(shí)間最長的專題《中國農(nóng)民生存報(bào)告》延續(xù)10年;尋訪最為艱難的是中國幸存的慰安婦。
陳慶港的《中國慰安婦》,是我國第一部關(guān)于慰安婦的深度專題、長篇紀(jì)實(shí)的攝影作品。作品第一次完整記錄了中國慰安婦當(dāng)年的苦難和目前的生存狀況,對研究慰安婦歷史具有重要價(jià)值。為尋找幸存的慰安婦,陳慶港從海南,到云南,再從山西、河北、湖北,到江蘇、浙江、上海,艱難地尋訪幸存下來的慰安婦,聽她們講述那段屈辱的經(jīng)歷。陳慶港一共采訪了38位老人,每一位都讓他難忘。這些慰安婦當(dāng)年白天被逼著在慰安所干活,晚上淪為日本兵輪奸泄欲的工具,受到非人折磨,很多人喪失了生育能力。但更為嚴(yán)重的傷害是精神上的。海南保亭縣一位姓楊的老人現(xiàn)在晚上常會(huì)夢到日本兵來抓她,她的床頭永遠(yuǎn)都放著一把刀,沒有刀她根本就睡不著覺。慰安婦是受害者,但回鄉(xiāng)后,周圍人對她們常常充滿鄙視和凌辱。陳慶港運(yùn)用自己大量的文字記錄和攝影鏡頭,整理成描述中國慰安婦經(jīng)歷和現(xiàn)狀的書《真相》《血痛》,讓更多人了解那段歷史。
成果豐碩的陳慶港今天依然馬不停蹄,不斷尋找新的陌生地帶、陌生題材。他在《陌生地帶》這本書的結(jié)尾表達(dá)了自已積聚多年的心愿:“永遠(yuǎn)有一處遠(yuǎn)方,它遙遠(yuǎn),神秘,無法抵達(dá)。那是一個(gè)陌生地帶,那是我渴望到達(dá)的地方?!?/p>
陳慶港獨(dú)行探秘的下一站在哪里?對他來說這是個(gè)永無止境的課題。
記者的職業(yè)使命是記錄和反映時(shí)代,攝影人永遠(yuǎn)在路上。□
(本文照片由陳慶港提供)
Journalist Photographs the Little known
By Ying Jinquan, our staff reporter
Chen Qinggang stands out as a photojournalist in Zhejiang Province: he travels about four months a year and he travels alone to places he does not know. In sharp contrast to some photojournalists who handle dozens of subjects a year, Chen creates only a series every one or two years. However, his accomplishment is outstanding. He won the first prize in the Spot News Singles category of the 2009 World Press Photo contest. The photo shows rescue troops carrying an earthquake survivor in Beichuan County, China, May 14, 2008. He has won many other first prizes in various international press photo competitions. When he won the first prize of 2009 World Press Photo contest, he was the chief photographer for Hangzhou Daily. Now he works at the photo news center of Zhejiang Daily Group.
Born in 1966, Chen Qinggang is a reticent photographer whose photographs talk more than words. A man of agile thought, he is also a painter, guitarist, and writer. He has published a number of books on the subjects he photographed and wrote insightfully.
His photographer career started with Tibet. When he first toured Tibet, no travel agency offered an itinerary to Ali. It would cost him more than 20,000 yuan to hire a taxi for the trip. He knew he must go there, for without a visit to Ali, any Tibetan tour would be incomplete. He posted notices at bulletin boards at small hotels in a bid to find fellow travelers to share cost. Many people answered. He handpicked seven fellow travelers including a college student, a painter, a violinist, a violinmaker, and a Germany engineer. They hired a jeep for travelers and a truck for all the supplies: food, tents and 2 tons of gasoline. The month-long travel opened up a world he had never seen before. The snow-capped mountains, the azure sky, the crystal lakes, the clouds, the exotic fauna and flora, the Tibetan people and religion went into his heart and soul.
The travel around Tibet convinced him that he needed to reach out and photograph the unknown or the little known. In college, he had studied photography. As the photography powered by the old-fashioned camera became obsolete and digital camera is revolutionizing the graphic art, Chen has long realized that what makes difference in photography is what is in the mind of a photographer. What he has brought to media readers are no longer press photos. Nor are they art photos. They are in-depth complete visual records of events and people little known to the world.
In the autumn 2004, Chen spent about a month in Lijiazela, a village in Hengduan Mountains. Far away from the modern world, the village is home to a primitive lifestyle in which matriarchy prevails. He photographed 28 families in the matriarchal clan, recording household economy, family members, marriages, and entangled ties of the families. He took several thousands of photos and made notes of several hundred thousands of words. He put together a book of texts and photos. Published in 2010, it won critical acclaim and a prize jointly issued by UNESCO and China Folklore Photographers Association.
Wenchuan, Sichuan was hit by a killer earthquake on May 12, 2008. Two hours after learning about the tragedy, Chen was at the airport for a flight to Sichuan. He waited for more than 10 hours before he was able to board a plane. After he landed in Chongqing, He hired a taxi and traveled for more than ten hours before he reached Wenchuan. Flabbergasted by the devastating scenes and excited by rescue operations, he began to take photos. His prizewinning photo occurred after he saw PLA soldiers carrying a survivor in a hurry to the medical tent. This photo was declared the first prize on February 13, 2009 in Amsterdam.
Chen Qinggang has enjoyed carte blanche from his previous and present employers: he decides upon what, where, when for his photograph projects. He spent 10 years photographing 14 poor families in poverty-stricken areas in Chinas west and north. Chinese sex slaves during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression have been a big subject over years. From 2004 on, Chen Qinggang traveled across China for four years, and located and interviewed 38 women who were willing to talk about their lives as comfort women ravaged by Japanese soldiers during the war. He investigated and photographed the germ warfare in Zhejiang launched by the Japanese invaders. His other photo books include Gray Space—Depression, Stone Carvers of Lhasa, Tracing Ancient Trails from Zhejiang to Fujian. □