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All aboard please — commercial and documentary photography by Grant Maiden, Wellington, New Zealand.

Posts tagged documentary photography

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Here’s a series of documentary photos I shot in China exploring the cultural phenomenon known as Hanfu photography. Also known as “Guachao” or “National Trend” photography, the picturesque Hunan town of Fenghuang is one of China’s epicenters, and its streets and riverside are awash with participating domestic tourists.

This hugely popular activity is kind of part fashion spectacle, part cosplay adventure and part love letter to 5,000 years of culture. Every day, thousands rent elaborate traditional outfits and after professional hair and makeup, spend hours striking dramatic poses in the ancient cobblestone alleys and stone bridges chasing the perfect shot for Tik Tok and Xiaohongshu (China’s Instagram).

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I’ve been like a wounded bird for most of 2025 after shoulder surgery and haven’t been able to use my dominant left arm for anything, let alone pick up my camera, until recently. So I definitely needed a good shot in the arm to lift my spirits as well as my camera again, and what better place than China.

Here’s a small collection of photos taken at the ‘Land of Wilderness’ in Yunnan Province. We spent hours wandering and taking photos at this wonderful art park that was created by singer and folk artist Qiao Xiaodao back in 2020. It’s made largely from scrap and recycled materials and as well as the whimsical sculptures, there are also a number of small abandoned buildings that look like they date back to the previous use of the large site, maybe for growing? Some are empty whilst others have old electronics, mannequins or furniture inside, and add to the overall ramshackle, slightly mysterious and un-curated nature of the park, it’s full of surprises at every turn.

I remember it was about lunchtime on the second day of our trek in Nepal when the gastro bug that had started to hit our school group with a vengeance got me too.

The joy of photographing in a new and inspiring place was swept away and my camera went from its ready for action position around my neck to firmly stowed in my pack for the next few days and forgotten about. It was now all about getting myself and the other mostly sick 20 people in our group from A to B- looking down and putting one foot in front of the other as we headed a long way uphill.

Thankfully, just like ‘all good things must come to and end’, so too do all bad things. Those uphills became downhills and I knew I was starting to come right when I had the energy to reclaim my camera and start looking at the world around me again with fresh eyes.

Back home now and maybe the resulting photographs with beautiful mountains and friendly people will help to quickly shift those memories of un-photographed tough times to the far recesses of the brain, hopefully to be long forgotten about.