When I first started learning photography, I didn't just pick up the camera and start shooting. Instead, I quietly read through a stack of photography books at home, about a dozen or so. After familiarizing myself with the principles and techniques, I bought a camera and immediately felt like I knew how to take photos. The results were indeed not bad. In fact, the first few rolls of film I developed were so good that other customers at the photo lab wanted to buy them. However, as a high school student at the time, I was a bit overwhelmed and turned down this first opportunity to make money.

Scrutinizing each of my past works, I can see an evolution of my photographic style. In my youth, I embraced bold colors, considering them the best expression of personality. With age and experience, my photography has adopted a gentler approach. I used the 16-35mm lens less and started using the 28mm, 35mm, and 50mm lenses more. I now tend to use soft colors and techniques and avoid any fancy or show-off techniques, as photography reflects one's true self.

I believe post-processing is an indispensable part of photography, especially in the digital era we're in, where photos could look the same as what we want them to look like. In digital photography, pressing the shutter button merely captures a 'digital negative.' To develop this negative into a digital photo, post-processing is essential. The quality of the photo depends on both the post-processing techniques and awareness. Choosing to forgo post-processing and opt for 'straight out of camera' (SOOC) means giving up the rich color expression capabilities of 14-bit or even 16-bit color depth. Additionally, this places a high demand on computer monitors. Without accurate color, brightness, and contrast representation, achieving precise and controllable effects is impossible.

Post-processing should never be viewed to compensate for the loss of the quality of a piece; instead, it should only help elevate the piece to the next level. From the eyes to the heart, good post-processing should help people delve into the beauty of the vision and make the theme of the photo more concrete and resonate with people.

I hope everyone can stay away from a restless mindset; steer clear of shooting just to please others for likes and avoid blindly imitating others. Instead, focus on taking photos that are true to yourself.