An eye for the common folk

Photo provided to China Daily

Discovering the extraordinary in the ordinary is an article of faith for Liu. One day, he saw a woman pushing a stroller with a baby, while another woman pushed a wheelchair with her father in it, a white-haired old man. Liu saw the old man's eyes looking fondly at the baby, and he grabbed his camera and captured the scene.

"I could never forget that moment. I feel like life is such a wonderful thing," he says, reflecting on the contrasts of being born, growing and growing old.

To him, the best spot for inspiration is at McDonald's. During lunchtime, with the fresh-faced young people there, he can find his "spectacle".

He won't quit reading water meters, even if that is not the most fulfilling job. Knocking on doors gives him time to find new photo ideas, and through his lenses he can find peace.

Although his wages are not high, he refuses to apply for commercial photography work. He wants to stay focused on what he sees as pure and good－and the people he love.

Dubbed as "snapshot aesthetic", his work pursues unexpected coincidence and irrational exaggeration of social space and time.

"My use of contrast, exaggeration and other techniques, the pursuit of satire, humor and artistic effects present a mixture of fun," he says. All his imagery is taken from society, so the information he conveys in his pictures does not lose its social touch. The audience, as a result, shares his deep love for the city and his compassion for those who live there.