Professor Shen Chao-liang of National Taiwan University of Arts writes in his preface to Ilha Formosa! The Beautiful Isle!, a collection of photographic works soon to be published by Taiwan Panorama: “Through images related to agriculture, deities, nature, and architecture, this collection presents a vivid portrait of Taiwan’s rich diversity and makes a case for the powerful role of photography in documenting history, promoting art and culture, and communicating policies.”
Photographer Chung Yi-chieh, in another preface to the book, notes: “From the mountains to the sea, and from the cities to the countryside, these photographers painstakingly conduct field research and trawl through published sources, patiently waiting for every fleeting light and shadow to appear, every wave to crest.” On every photo assignment, our photojournalists must not only employ specialist skills like controlling exposure, light, colors, and composition, they are also faced with the challenge of how to capture on a flat surface images that tell a story and have aesthetic depth.
Taiwan’s beauty can be found in the diligence of its people, in the reverence of religious ceremonies, in the awakening of environmental consciousness, in cultural and architectural practice. The challenge of capturing such images can only be met by people who have long closely observed Taiwan and have devoted themselves wholeheartedly to photography. This is why we have collected Taiwan Panorama’s finest photography of the last several years under various themes, and tried to express the humanistic values of this land.
Moreover, since Taiwan Panorama’s forum on photography at the Academia Sinica in 2019, each year we are continuing to hold a series of activities. Besides distributing our magazine to over 100 countries and territories worldwide, we also hope that through campus visits our frontline photographers can share the conceptual background and effort behind each photo, allowing audiences to grasp the nature of photography. We also hope that through these activities the beauty of Taiwan can capture the attention of young people, who can internalize it and transform it into cultural self-confidence.
This month, besides exploring the changes and the “new normal” in Taiwan in the post-Covid era, we once again delve into local culture, including reports on the Paiwan nose flute and on a renaissance of rice culture, as well as the photography exhibition and forum held to mark the 45th anniversary of Taiwan Panorama’s founding. The appeal of photographs lies in the feeling of identification that wells up within us when we see them. This sensation draws on our individual memories and feelings, transcending the moment recorded in the image itself. This is part of photography’s fascination, for the story frozen in that moment still continues.