Wedding photography

As I've blogged previously, an important part of a Chinese wedding is to have some spectacular pictures taken, which are often a vastly superior distant relative of the type of wedding photos taken in western countries.

I recently went through this process just last month, and what a 12-hour marathon it was. I'm very pleased to report that the results, however, made it worthwhile. It involved several costume changes, a trip to some nearby mountains, and lasted until well after the sun had gone down.

Wedding photography is very big business here in China. You can tell that simply by the sheer number of these photography places that can be seen in any city or town. The cost is usually upwards of 4000RMB (way more than the average monthly salary), so maybe that helps to explain why it needs an entire day to carry out... then a few weeks for Photoshopping (wrinkles and blemishes disappear... looks just like me, but better! Then the obligatory skin whitening), then more time for printing and binding, since photos are then made into a fancy book, plus huge prints are made, more than a metre across.

Though it's not the place that we used (mainly due to a combination of the ridiculous pricetag and the way-too-pushy staff), there's a place on Xi'an's South Street that I like, because they have live models in the window to advertise their business. You can sometimes see the people going out, or returning from, their outdoor photoshoots, resplendent in their wedding clothes (or whatever costumes they're wearing). 

Here are some pictures that I managed to snap of some other folks having there pictures done, though unfortunately not in their intended setting - here they are perched on the curb in the middle of Xi'an's South Street. I remember the day well. This was 12th May 2008, the day of the earthquake in Wenchuan. Though there was little damage caused here in Xi'an, everyone certainly felt it. As everyone poured out into the street these folks joined us... I suppose it didn't seem like a good time to stay indoors and change their clothes.

I'm sure these people will be thinking about their experience today - exactly one year after the earthquake happened.