Photographer showcases China's distinct sceneries from train windows (15)

Photo shows the natural landscape outside a train window photographed by Chu. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

A set of photos showcasing the stunning natural landscapes and distinct local architecture and customs of western China through "picture frames" -- namely train windows -- has recently gone viral on the Internet.

"Many people asked me why I want to shoot the landscapes through train windows. This is because I want to use a currently available technology to present the unique scenery of China," said photographer Chu Weimin, adding that "only in today's China can we see such a wide variety of landscapes, including plateaus, rainforests, snow-capped mountains, lakes, waterlands and urban agglomerations, by train."

After graduating from university in 2014, Chu worked as a software engineer for three years. "I have had a keen interest in photography since then, and during my spare time, I would post my photography works on the internet," he recalled.

Chu explained that in 2017, he was offered a number of commercial filming opportunities. That was when he decided to become a professional landscape photographer.

Redoubling his efforts in his new field, he won the award at the National Geographic World Championship two years later with a work displaying the incredibly beautiful snowfield scenery in Greenland. In the same year, another of his photos depicting the breathtaking scenery of Patagonia in South America won a prize at the IPA International Photography Awards.

Chu came up with the idea of taking pictures of stunning views on his train journey in August last year. "Along the way, I was amazed by the beautiful scenery of the Gobi Desert outside the window in northwest China," Chu recalled.

Chu also noticed that in addition to natural scenery, there were many unique buildings, construction sites, solar power plants and even chemical plants along the route. "I believed that this architecture can represent our modern time, which is why I had the urge to take pictures of them outside the train windows," he explained.

"China's railway mileage ranks second in the world, while its total high-speed rail mileage is the longest in the world. Through the train windows, you can see basically all the representative landscapes that exist in China," Chu further explained.

In the process of shooting, the most challenging part involved technical issues, including light reflection and exposure. After some period of trial and error, Chu finally overcame the technical obstacles by taking several pictures at a time, and then combining and processing the pictures so as to present the most distinct landscapes both inside and outside of the railway carriages.