Afour-minutevoyagearoundtheuniverse
On Sept 24, more than 40 astronomers and amateur stargazers at a darksky forum in Beijing fell in love with the work of Chen Jili in just four minutes.
“I display more than 10,000 images in just four minutes, demonstrating splendid movement and traces,” Chen said, referring to a video of his timelapse photos of the universe, which accelerate the movements of the stars and planets.
“It’s a good way of demonstrating the mystery of the galaxy and stars, which have inspired numerous musicians, artists, astronomers and poets, as well as the viewers of my works,” said Chen, an ophthalmologist in Shanghai who spends his vacations photographing the night sky.
To capture the images, Chen visited places where he was guaranteed a clear view, such as the Tibet and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions, plus Sichuan province and Nepal.
It took three years for Chen to capture all the images needed for his video.
“It took a long time to make a very short video, but it was totally worth it,” he said. “When I see people sharing the same feelings I had when they look at the night sky, enjoying the beauty of nature and purifying their minds, I realize that it really was worth it.”
Chen’s work has inspired people to visit the same places and take similar images, especially Nyingchi prefecture in Tibet, where he was one of the earliest photographers to take photos of the early peach blossoms when he visited the region for the first time in spring 2006.
The prefecture uses Chen’s photos and videos to promote local tourism and attract hundreds of visitors every year.
“It’s hard to buy a (rail or plane) ticket during holidays because people flood in to witness the views, but I’m glad I could help them,” he said.
In addition, Chen has strong bonds with Tibetan residents with eye ailments.
During a visit to Nyingchi in October 2008, he had a severe attack of altitude sickness that made him vomit frequently. After a local resident helped him, Chen discovered that her mother had a severe eye condition, so he sends her medicine regularly. He has also arranged for colleagues to provide free eye clinics for the residents.
Even though his main interest is the sky above, Chen said it’s important to lower one’s gaze and help people in need.