May 2012
| Joy of Flight by Shi Xu Gu Best Landscape (tie) Photographer Shi Xu Gu says that the light was remarkable the moment he took this photo of cherry blossom trees in the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Public Park. He had already noticed the scenery when a bird flew into the frame of his camera’s lens. “When the bird came there was a joy that came with it,” says Shi Xu. “I wanted to capture that joy. I just felt like this moment of flight and this bird represents so much happiness, and there is so much joy in it. When the bird flies I know he or she must be experiencing joy, and I’m experiencing the same.” Shi Xu Gu had two photographs chosen as top 40 images this year. “I very much appreciate this opportunity [to enter the contest]. I’m really grateful for it,” says Shi Xu. Photography is his favourite form of artistic expression and he is currently learning to draw. “I’ve liked art ever since I was young.” He also enjoys music and singing and attends concerts in the Downtown Eastside and around the city. Originally from Liaoning province in northeast China, Shi Xu studied engineering and worked as an assistant researcher before immigrating to Canada ten years ago. He has made the Downtown Eastside his home for five years. From the Hope in Shadows collection |
