Shalun Beach in Tamsui was located near the estuary of the Tamsui River and was a scenic spot in suburban Taipei. It was founded in 1922, open to the public during summer, which brought local government much income of tourism. Yet, after several changes of the managing person and competitors from around, Shalun Beach went through a recession and was shut down eventually, no longer famous.
Lee Ming-tiao drew its materials of his works from the real life with a realistic and direct approach. Besides, some of his works are specially arranged to show his pursuit in the composition of image, demonstrating a sense of visual beauty. In his well-known Shepard Boys, we see his nativist salon style, which create a pictorial group photo through arranging the characters in the natural scene. The Shalun Beach in Tamsui was created likewise. We can see four children are on the beach. The two in the front was in squat position, as if collecting things on the beach, while the other two in the back was standing, looking at the children in the front. With their hats and dresses, they does not care about the camera and as if were playing naturally and naïvely. The photo was taken from a low angle, so the seaside space looks wide with the sunny sky connecting the land. The overall composition is steady and poised, and the still image contains a sense of movement, demonstrating the photographer’s deliberately created visual effects.
Liu Yi-hui, “2021 Compilation and Research Project of Metadata in Photography.”