My name is Zhuang Zhe and I am 33 years old by 2018. I was born in Xi’an but moved to Shanghai with my wife who I studied together in Britain for years. We have a daughter named 77, and we have a Border Collie called Rollei. Yes, the name was after the German camera brand Rollei. I am now the co-founder of Family Dairy and also a family photographer.
In 2016, I left my previous job in financial industry and set up my own family photography brand. Then I joined to co-found the China’s biggest family photography community – Family Dairy. Currently, I am in charge of strategic plan and financial investment for the company. In the meanwhile, I still take family photography for ordinary people. So far, I have photographed over 130 families.
Photography has been an interest of mine for a long time. It help me relax from my busy work. Now photography has become my habit. It is the birth of my daughter in 2014 that leads me to family photography. After she was born, I began to take film photos to document her growth . For every week in the past four years, I use up a roll of 120 films, almost uninterrupted.
Taking family photos make me realize that it is not only about clicking the shutter, but also about reexamine the interconnection in our family, and then to handle it better. What makes family photography different from other photography genre is that it belongs to the future. Only long after can we feel its charm and power.
I am so sure that I will continue to document my family. There is no doubt that it is the biggest photo project in my life.
