Nathan Pelton: photography is also an act of understanding

Nathan Pelton, from the United States, is the vice president of the Suzhou Foreign Language School and Deputy Director of the International Second Department. In 2015, 2016, 2018 to participate in the“China through foreign teachers'eyes” photo contest won the first prize, third prize, second prize. He said as a representative photographer at the start of the collection activities，“The 2022 Winter Olympics that will be held in Chongli is an honor for the city, province, and country. It is an opportunity for the world to come together, here, in this place, in the search for competitive excellence.”Olympic track star Jesse Owens said this of his Olympic experience - “A lifetime of training for just ten seconds.” Right now at this very moment there are athletes the world over practicing, training, hoping, and wishing to have an opportunity to compete in this place, to show China and the world what they are made of, and to bring their country honor in 2022. The Olympics is one of those rare events that brings the world together and celebrates each countries individuality while highlighting the commonalities that make us human, despite our country of origin. The Olympics is an opportunity for the world to share - to cheer together and to cry together with the athletes. It is an opportunity to deepen empathy and understanding. In the same way photography is also an act of understanding. Famous photographer Ralph Hattersley said, “We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us.” Photography is one of those rare mediums that transcend language, time, and culture to communicate, create empathy, and foster understanding. Photographer Henri Cartier Bressonspoke about photography much in the same way Olympian Jesse Owens talked about the preparation of the Olympian athlete. Cartier-Bresson said, “Your former 10,000 photographs are your worst.” Just as the athlete has years of preparation, so does the photographer. For each of the foreign photographers invited to the “China In the Eyes of Foreign Experts - focus On Chongli”  there are hundreds of thousands of photographs taken throughout our lives that have been the process of learning and understanding to bring us to this point.