We Media: Living the Dream

By staff reporter WANG WENJIE

BREWING coffee, steaming milk, embellishing the result with a floral motif and photographing this latte art form is young couple Dong Lei and Dong Zheng’s pre-breakfast ritual. Creating and photographing two tastefully prepared cups of latte is how they start their day.

The China Radio International program Easy Morning released on March 26 a group of photos on its WeChat account under the heading “Latte art evokes life.” The 20 or more photos are a perfect medium for optic artistry, and present pleasingly aesthetic images. Just one day later, the click rate reached nearly 10,000. Dong Zheng is self-effacing about her contribution to this resounding online hit. “All I do is make the coffee. My husband is in charge of the artistic finishing touches and taking photos. The Internet enables us to introduce ourselves and what we do to the world.”

Accumulating Influence  

“He became hooked on photography two or three years ago. To start with he just liked it. Neither of us thought for a minute that it would become an indispensable part of our lives, nor that these works could be of commercial value,” Dong Zheng said. She showed us a magazine article entitled “Barcelona at Midnight.  “Few people have heard of Dong Lei, but he has a considerable following under his penname LensGR. This article marked the first time a periodical requested his contribution in advance and that he got paid for his photographs.”

Dong Lei was initially an outsider in the photography field. He had no formal training and worked entirely according to instinct. He decided to publish one of the photos he took each day on his microblog. The rapid development of the Internet has provided netizens with an abundance of opportunities to learn, and built an interactive platform for people with common interests. In the process of cramming theoretical knowledge, Dong Lei takes note of the techniques and works of many professional and amateur photographers. This has taught him a lot.

“The handful of fans I had to start with were old friends of mine. Then other amateur photographers began forwarding my photos, and their fans began paying attention to me,” Dong Lei said. “The microblog forwarding function enables me to make more friends and gradually accumulate my own fan base. It has a snowball effect.”

Registering on LOFTER was a qualitative leap towards expanding the influence of Dong Lei’s photos. Similar to light blogging, its emphasis is on originality. Once online, it catches the eye of young art lovers, as well as photographers and illustrators. Dong Lei published what he regarded as his best photos and added captions. Since his style is unique and somewhat gimmicky, its appeal for other photographers and photographic aficionados grew as they recommended his works to other likeminded netizens. Dong Lei’s vitality, guaranteed quality and quantity and influence persuaded LOFTER to take the initiative in signing a contract with him, so making him a “veteran photographer” of the platform.

Amplified Values  

Dong Lei and his wife went to Spain for a holiday in September 2014, and took many photos during their stay. On their return Dong Lei arranged his photos under different themes and posted them on the Internet. Several days later, the editor of Travel Photo magazine wrote to Dong Lei telling him how much he liked the black and white photos he had taken in Barcelona, and that he would very much like to work with him. An eight-page article including Dong Lei’s photos accordingly appeared in the magazine. Dong Lei was thrilled at this recognition from a professional of his talent and creativity, and also at the handsome fee he received for his work. He spent it on a coffee machine for his wife so that they both might “retain the flavor of Spain.”

“Having progressed from a hobby to systematically realizing the value of my works, the whole process can be summed up in the saying ‘when water flows, a channel is formed.’ And taking the commercial road hasn’t affected either my work or life. I feel at ease, and life is more colorful,” Dong Lei said. “I use the lens to record my experiences, the shutter to freeze-frame my thinking, and colors to express my feelings. This is my desire and pursuit. I will never forget my original intention.”

“Through the Internet, I’m lucky enough to share my passion with many people, and so make friends of strangers. But luck is transient. To make progress I must work even harder. The Internet has created millions of opportunities, but has also brought millions of competitors. Nowadays, everyone is on We Media, and all have the right of expression. Only through honing my skills can I make my works stand out from all others,” Dong Lei said.

Originality Lightens Life

“Having fallen in love with latte art, I’ve come to understand my husband’s passion for photography. Loving a thing from the bottom of one’s heart is really intoxicating,” Dong Zheng said. “In the past, I liked drinking coffee but never made it myself. Then a friend of mine opened a café, and I sometimes lent a helping hand when she was busy. I found watching her make coffee interesting, and wanted to have a try. So I bought a semi-automatic coffee machine. That was the start of my passion for latte art.”

“I’ve never studied it, so learned solely from observations of other people. My first attempts were somewhat strange, but I nevertheless felt pleased with them and enjoyed the experience. The Internet has also enabled me, like Dong Lei, to mature by providing a platform that gives me an opportunity to learn by my own efforts. I pay attention to many latte art lovers, and gain much benefit from comparing notes with them. Sometimes the hints they drop can open up whole new vistas.” Dong Zheng showed me the latte art works she has created over the past year on her computer. From novelty to mature art, and from imitation to creation, these photos document her growing sophistication.

When coffee meets photography, there are constant pleasant surprises. Dong Zheng is grateful for her “personal photographer.” “Since my husband began taking photos of my works, every cup of coffee is a work of art. Dong Lei chooses appropriate backdrops and adornments according to the pattern on the coffee, so embellishing their visual value.”

“In the process of perfecting my latte art skills, I hope my photos will be distinctive and convey stories. I think this is the same principle as that for painting, calligraphy and photography,” Dong Zheng said.

The couple plan to open their own café. “We are thrilled at this prospect – it’s like a dream come true. Mixing business with pleasure might cause problems, but with patience we can ride them out. Exploration and experience will help us through,” Dong Zheng concluded.