Photographer

It may be hard to find a relation between odontology and photography, but Shao Ping has been a dentist and a photographer for a long time. His business card indicates a perfect combination of science and art: he is a dentist and photographer in Wenzhou, a port city in southern Zhejiang.

As a photographer, Shao is a late bloomer. He began to study photography at a local community college for elders in 1993. Probably inspired by the sharp contrast between health and defects he witnessed for decades, he learned fast. Before long his works frequently appeared in art exhibitions at national, provincial and local level. Many of his photographs have won prizes. He became a member of the city’s photographers association after he was in his 60s.

He has published an album of human figures. Photographing human figures may not be new in China, but surprisingly, not so many photographers have published collections of human-figure photographs.

What Shao Ping’s card does not say about him is that he is a member of Wenzhou Charity Association. In Wenzhou, one of the richest places in China, Shao Ping is by no means rich. He did not make it overnight. However, he has devoted to charity for years. Since the early 1990s, he has donated more than one million yuan to charity organizations. He also provides regular financial aids to over 40 orphans, physically challenged children and those from the needy families and support them through schools. Financially, he is mean to himself. In order to save every penny for charity causes, he leads a frugal life. He has his wife cut his hair. The remaining soy sauce and vinegar in a plate at one meal is always saved for the next meal.

His son’s congenital deformity in both feet does not dampen his enthusiasm for beauty and his generosity. Born with gravely deformed feet, his son Shao Qizhang committed himself to self-education. Through studies at home and correspondence schools, he has acquired a graduate degree and an MBA degree. Today, the junior is a shareholder of an IT business.

Shao Ping is widely respected in Wenzhou as a big-hearted man, good dentist, and prominent photographer. Wenzhou Business, a local newspaper, once printed a story about him and his photographs. Today, Shao Ping is a member of China Photographers Association and International Photographers Association. In 2005, he was named a photographer of national excellence.