Ancient pavilion, 1936

Rhythmic Vitality and Animation (VI)

Long created composite photography in order to reflect the many kinds of Qi that can be found in time and space. Here, we should particularly note that what gave Long’s works the same subtle variations in thickness, clarity and moisture to be found in ink painting was his mastery of magnification techniques. Various darkroom shading methods can produce different shapes to meet the needs of various compositions. Moreover, to avoid exposure to direct rays of light within the same area, it is necessary to alter the degree of shading. At such a time, the hand must move in all directions. The speed and nimble variations of these motions are reflected one by one on the photographic paper, giving the image a three-dimensional sense of space.