One day, I learned from the newspaper that Yuan Xi, a reporter from the Mengjin Newspaper who was interviewing the troops on the attack, died in the war-torn position, and Wang Hong was seriously injured. What happened to Teacher Ma Fu, and what happened to teachers like Liang Zi and Yan Wenbo who had never met before. My heart has always been touched by them. Whenever I see their films in the newspaper, I feel happy for a while, as if I have met them face to face. From this, we know that photography is not only a technical job, but more importantly, it bears the important task of truly recording historical events. It is a sacred profession, and those who engage in this work deserve our respect. Judging from the information, Teacher Ma was awarded second-class merit once during the battle on the front line in Laoshan, Yunnan. It can be said that this is a military medal obtained in exchange for his life.
I never saw Teacher Ma, whom I respected, until the end of the war, but I still vividly remember the videos he shot on the front lines. For a long time after returning from the front line, the scenes of fighting on the front line and the videos taken by photographers and teachers on the front line kept lingering on me like a slide show, even in some dreams. Especially Yuan Xi's sacrifice shocked me: people will die while making the film. From then on, I put down the camera, picked up the pen, and started writing. Also put down at the same time was the groom, Teacher Ma. Different ways lead to different ideas. Brave Teacher Ma, I dare not follow in your footsteps. I said silently in my heart.
Two
A few days before New Year's Day in 1992, the cadres of the Lanzhou Military Region's organizational organs came to serve on behalf of the troops, that is, they replaced the company cadres who had been leading troops at the grassroots level all year round and went home to celebrate the New Year. Coincidentally, Teacher Ma Fuma and I were assigned to the same group. The team was located in the desert of Shitanjing, Ningxia, in an area with no name but No. 73. He was the acting instructor in one company, and I was in another company. Acting deputy company commander. Before that, I had been transferred to work in the Lanzhou Military Region for more than two years. I have the impression that Teacher Ma entered the military region earlier than me. We worked in the same department and ate on the same stove, but we had no intersection. He was at CCTV As a reporter at the Lanzhou Military Region Reporter Station, I edited and researched the party and military history of the Lanzhou Military Region among a bunch of historical materials. I am ashamed to say that I, a fan of Teacher Ma at the time, had not eaten from the same pot with Teacher Ma for two years. Verbal communication.
At that time, the company I was working for was reorganized by the regiment and taken to the Dingyanghuang construction site in Yanhuan to support local economic construction. There were only seven cadres and eight soldiers left in the company. What's the point of this job? Teacher Ma’s company is similar. So the regiment leader Zhang Jiazhe came to us and said that the company currently has no soldiers and there is nothing to do. There is no point in staying here. You can live in the guest house of the regiment headquarters, use your expertise, make films and write articles, and promote the news work in the regiment. . So there was the first meeting with Teacher Ma.
As soon as we met, I couldn’t wait to explore the origin of his name. Teacher Ma, his original name was Ma Dongfang, but he changed his name to Ma Fu after joining the army. The reason is: I look like a groom, and I hope that like a groom, I can do a good job no matter how menial the job is. interesting. The name Ma Tokyo is more interesting. In 1950, the word "Tokyo" could be used in naming a baby. The parents of this family were not simple.
Yes, Teacher Ma is tall and tall, and I am thin and small, so there is a difference in size. I also laughed, and laughed out loud. This smile made my heart feel warm, and a small fire lit up.
When the sun just peeked out from the horizon, and when the first ray of sunlight hit the horizon like a chasing light, I was shocked by the picture illuminated by this chasing light. Because the heat from the rapid march condensed on the eyebrows and hats, all the water droplets turned into ice crystals at this time, and the hidden officers and soldiers looked like ice withered and frozen with the snow under them, the mountains under them, and the land of the motherland. They merged into one, as if they were part of the mountain, unmoving and unshakable.
Teacher Ma is busy, with close-ups, long shots, and large scenes. I only have eyes for Teacher Ma. His creativity and perseverance make me fall in love. In fact, I was so frozen that the snow beneath me was stuck to the mountain below. I couldn't get up even if I wanted to, so I had to throw myself on the ground and wait for rescue.
After the training session, the video taken by Teacher Ma seemed to be broadcast on the news broadcast, which was the first time in the history of this group. I wrote a feature article "This Year's Training is Extraordinary", and 80% of the ink was devoted to Teacher Ma. Teacher Ma read my draft and criticized me seriously: When doing news, the camera must always be directed at the grassroots and focus on the officers and soldiers. Teacher Ma is a teacher, and I am a primary school student. I am speechless and can only scratch my head and find another news source.
I remember that before the Spring Festival, Teacher Ma asked the league leaders to arrange a party for the Spring Festival to enliven the holiday life. Both of us are from clubs, so we can be said to be professional counterparts when it comes to partying, and we are very familiar with it.
Just do it. First determine the songs to be sung, and then the cross talk skits to be performed. At the same time, we brainstorm various talents from the company, including those who can sing and dance, those who can talk bamboo boards, and those who can play and play. Without a notebook, Teacher Ma drove all night and wrote it by himself, and it was vivid, touching and appropriate. What is versatility? Teacher Ma demonstrated it vividly. If we hadn’t worked together as substitutes and lived and worked together so inseparably, my understanding of Teacher Ma might have been limited to his name: Ma Fu.
I am also a club director. How come he is so much better than me? Don't you know, if you pull him out and give him a ride, he will be a splendid horse, and I can't even be considered a little donkey.
I remember that at the party, Teacher Ma also sang two songs, which seemed to be "Xintianyou" and "Loess High Slope". He still had a broken gong voice, the kind that was blown by a sandstorm, high-pitched and hoarse, heartbreaking. , the officers and soldiers clapped their hands vigorously and imitated his broken gong voice and shouted: One more, one more. My mouth almost burst into blood, and my joy was in perfect harmony with the Spring Festival.
In the meantime, we also have free time. I only do one thing in my spare time: play military chess. I hold it in my hand and touch it blindly, openly and secretly, but there is always only one result: he wins and I lose, without even an accident. I don’t know why. I feel like I’m not stupid. Just like an engineer, he should have dug a mine after digging for two months. But the fact is that every time I, an engineer, encounter a small platoon leader, Or company commander, no exception. I am very helpless, Teacher Ma’s nose is amazing. In the following years, we played in the army together. As soon as I told him what game to play, he would immediately take out the military chess from his luggage: you decide how to play it. Every time I start like this, I have played N times and I still lose without exception. Later I found out the reason: the military chess was his, and his surname was Ma, how could I not lose?
At the end of my substitute work, because of our huge contribution: Mr. Ma’s film was featured on CCTV and News Network, setting a record. I published 68 articles of various types in 60 days, helping the group to remove their helmets. We have been labeled as backward for many years, and the regiment wants to mark our merits. Teacher Ma spoke: Give more rewards to the warriors. A skill is very important to a warrior's future development, so give it to them.
When I was fighting on the front line, I gave up two third-class merit certificates to my soldiers. I also wanted to put a merit list in my file to give me support for my future development. My credit is not as great as that of Teacher Ma. If he doesn't want it, how can I be greedy for it?
三
For some unknown reason, Teacher Ma, who was working very well in the military region, suddenly told me one day: I have been transferred back to work in the Shaanxi Military Region, and I will go to Xi'an when I have time. Come and play chess with me.
I opened my mouth in shock, but before I could recover, he had already walked out of my sight. Soon, I was transferred from the Military Region Party History and Military History Compilation and Research Office to the Northwest Militia magazine as a screenwriter. We became a system, and I was also his superior agency. Because of interviews, magazine subscriptions, events and conferences, etc., I had many opportunities to go to Xi'an in those years. Every time I came to Xi'an, I would go to Teacher Ma's office to sit and chat. The only thing we talked about was not drinking. Teacher Ma never drank alcohol. It seemed that he was allergic to alcohol. His lips and face suddenly turned red to the roots of his ears when he touched them. He looked very much like he had just had a big quarrel with someone. His face was red and his neck was thick, which was a bit scary. So every time I met him, we talked about everything except drinking, drinking, and playing military chess.
At that time, he was not only engaged in videography but also photography. He was so busy that he only had machines on and off. Every time I saw him, he was either editing videos or selecting and developing photos. He was too busy to say a few words. talk. I said: I am an editor now. In addition to giving your manuscripts to Central Television and Central Newspapers, you also give us one or two. By the way, you can also publish multiple manuscripts. Support my work and add some color to our magazine. .
He really added a lot to our magazine. He kept sending me some photos of female militia and female reservists, and specifically marked: cover photo. He did all the editing work for me. I called him and asked him: Do you only know lesbians? Do you only see lesbians? He burst into laughter, like a broken gong being knocked hard: Aren't you going to add some color to your magazine? If our militia and reserve forces have too many gay men and too few female comrades, and if you post a beautiful woman, more people will rush to read it, and will your magazine’s circulation increase?
Li sounded crooked, but after he sent the cover he took, there were always enthusiastic and enthusiastic readers calling and mailing the magazine. I remember one year, ten female militiamen were published in twelve issues of the magazine. One of the leaders joked to me: Xiao Yuan, I think it would be more appropriate to change "Northwestern Militia" to "Northwestern Female Militia." I replied: Reporting to the head, I don’t know anyone. Completely out of touch. In the following year, there was no female militia member on the cover. Not only did the magazine's subscriptions drop significantly, but the leader who criticized me also said: Your magazine is too monotonous and lacks color. I just smiled.
One time I went to Xi'an on a weekend, and Teacher Ma invited me to sit at his house. As soon as I walked in, I was surprised by a girl in military uniform: she looked familiar. By the way, the photo was on the cover of our magazine.
This is my little girl, you don’t remember.
I remember you, little girl, are a little taller than the bench legs. I don’t recognize this beauty. He laughed, the children are getting older, we are getting older, and I am about to retire. Yes, time is a swift knife that only cuts youth away.
Pretending to serve the public good for private gain. I made a joke about Teacher Ma. The girl said: Uncle Yuan, my father made the film and I sent you the manuscript. Thank you for your insight. Teacher Ma and I looked at each other with big eyes and small eyes, and smiled with wrinkles all over our faces.
Four
After retiring, it can be said that Mr. Ma has lived to a new level. The word "splendid" is a bit weak when used with him.
Perhaps it is his attachment to the army, or perhaps he cannot let go of his military sentiments, but he always wears camouflage uniforms. In Yuanyang, Yunnan, Xuexiang in Northeast China, Nalati Grassland in Xinjiang, or Bashang in Inner Mongolia, among the teams running after the scenery all year round, if there is anyone wearing military camouflage uniforms, it must be Teacher Ma. If there are one or two others wearing camouflage uniforms, they must be his companions. In those years, he traveled almost all over the mountains and rivers of the motherland, capturing all the great rivers and mountains of the motherland into his lens from his perspective. During that time, Teacher Ma also built a very impressive studio. When I went to Xi'an on a business trip, I would go to his work whenever I had a spare hour. Every time I went there, he would show off his work to me one group after another using a projector. Through his lens, I experienced one beautiful scenic spot after another, such as the terraced fields in Yuanyang and the scenery of Xuexiang at night. The lights and the morning sun on the dam make me want to immediately pick up my camera bag and follow Teacher Ma’s footsteps.
There is a lyric that seems to be: The mountains and rivers of the motherland are connected to my heart. Teacher Ma’s lover, my Party sister-in-law, said: In Lao Ma’s heart, he really only has the mountains and rivers of the motherland, but he has no children and no mother.
From this, I remembered the sour music of Shenmu and the taxi driver Zhu Erxia. In my impression, the sacred tree is Zhu Erxia, and Zhu Erxia is the magical sacred tree. I have no other impression of Shenmu.
Some time ago, I saw an exclusive interview with Teacher Ma by Shenmu County TV station on WeChat. Speaking of each film, he clearly remembers when it was taken in which town, village, east and west villages, as if he has uncles, uncles, aunts and aunts who have been in those villages for many years, and they are familiar with each other. The films he took include mountains and rivers, local customs, and folks.
In the world of Chinese photography, Teacher Ma is a divine man, a god-like existence. It is only said that in the past few years since his retirement, in Pucheng, he has successively photographed, compiled and published "Thousands of Years of Wind and Rain", "Echoes of History", "Persimmons in Yaoshan Are Red", "The Rhythm of Time", "Pucheng Today", "Blue Helmet Mission", " Across a Hundred Years," "Great Beauty in Martial Arts," "Lifeline," "Qianling Mausoleum of Wei Zai," "Crossing the Qinling Mountains," "Sword Unsheathed," and "Rainbow Rising." In Shenmu for three or four years, I filmed "Northern Shaanxi Energy", "Old City", "The Great Wall", "Yellow River Strange Stones", "Zao Township", "Gaojiabao", "Erlang Mountain", "Autumn Rhythm", "Tiantai Mountain" and "Yellow River". There are more than ten collections of works such as "Hongjiannao", "Danxia Danqing", "Fathers and Folks", and "Youyou Shimao", and three consecutive exhibitions with the theme of "Loess, Yellow River, Yellow Emperor? Magical and Mysterious Sacred Tree" were held in Shenzhen, Xi'an and other places. Photography exhibition. You don’t need to look at the works, just looking at the names of each portfolio will make every photographer’s jaw drop. Many of us photographers have been shooting for several years, decades or even a lifetime, but they may not be able to produce a decent portfolio that satisfies them and is praised by others. I dare say that there are no other photographers like Teacher Ma.
Five
Photography is the art of light and shadow. According to Teacher Ma’s words: Photographers are light chasers. It can also be said to be the art of feet, from feet to camera. The best time for landscape photography is in the morning and dusk. If you want to take pictures of the scenery somewhere in the morning, you have to get up an hour or two earlier than the sun, rush to the place, choose the angle, set up the camera and wait. If you want the effect of morning light, wait in the dark. If you want the appearance of the wind and rain, wait in the wind and rain. If you want the appearance of the ice and snow, wait in the ice and snow. Wait for spring, summer, autumn, and winter. If you are not satisfied once, wait twice, three times or ten. Times eight times, only when you have the landscape, spring, summer, autumn, and winter feelings, can the film look what you want. Open Teacher Ma's portfolio and click on his WeChat account. If you browse through each piece of work, you will know how many mountains Teacher Ma has climbed. After so many villages and towns, day and night, days, months, and years, you will know how much sweat, hard work, and good times he has put into these years, and you can't help but respect and admire him. I lamented that I couldn’t learn.
Taking and giving up is a skill in photography and an attitude towards life. After retiring, Teacher Ma chose what he loved and plunged headlong into it, falling in love so hard. He rented a cave dwelling for ordinary people in the countryside of Pucheng and lived there for several years. This shows his love and dedication to the profession of photography. Likewise, he went to Shenmu and lived there for another four or five years, becoming a true Shenmu man. Because of this kind of love, many things have been lost and abandoned, such as the company of family members, harm to one's own body, etc.
Some time ago, I heard that he was sick and had been admitted to the hospital for surgery. I called him and wanted to persuade him to give up his careless love and pay more attention to his health and spend more time with his family. Rest, spend money and enjoy life. The phone went through and I asked him where he was. He said he was in Shenmu.
I have nothing to say to such people who run into darkness. A stubborn old man, let him go. I only wish Teacher Ma is safe and healthy.
(Author profile: Baidu search)