Go Outside to See What Lies Beyond the Photograph

Today I read an article by Liu Run, “If You Can’t Think of a Way, Go Out More,” and it resonated with me.

He wrote about visiting the Amazon and finding things in the rivers, houses, and plants that differed from what he had previously understood. Why, for example, are riverside houses raised so high? Once he learned about changes in the water level, the empty space underneath took on another meaning.

I like that kind of observation. See something, be willing to ask one more why, then consider what it has to do with you.

It reminded me of my earlier art study travels. Whenever I arrived somewhere new and looked at the local paintings, people, and life, I found things different from what I had imagined, which in turn made me reconsider my own work.

So I really do think people need to go out.

But it need not mean traveling far, or even leaving Shanghai. Step outside, leave your familiar surroundings, and look at people and things you have not paid close attention to before. That already creates a chance to discover something you did not know.

This is also one reason I have always felt that painting should include sketching on location.

Of course, painting from a photograph is useful practice and convenient. But a photograph has a frame. The photographer chose where to stand, what to keep, and what to leave out. Colors and lighting may have been adjusted too. What we see already contains someone else’s choices.

Only on location do you have a chance to see what lies beyond the frame.

Things that may have been avoided or retouched out of a photograph sometimes deserve another look when placed back in everyday life.

An obstruction, for example, or a pile of objects arranged less than neatly. Looking only at the picture, we might call them messy and bad for the composition. But stay a little longer and we may discover that people are using them and that there is a reason they are there.

That is more what I mean by “there is a reason it exists.” First look at why it is there and what problem it solves. Then decide whether you like it.

“Not attractive” is an aesthetic judgment. “Useful” is another matter. The two do not necessarily conflict.

Arriving on location with brushes, it is easy to look first for a suitable angle to paint. But if we simply exclude everything we dislike, we can sometimes miss an understanding of the place.

This does not conflict with simplifying a painting.

A picture cannot contain everything, so choices are necessary. I just hope those choices come after I have looked and understood. Leaving something out of the final painting does not stop me knowing it is there, or knowing why the people here need it.

“Leaving it out of the final painting does not stop me knowing it is there, or knowing why the people here need it.”

In the same place, different positions and different points of attention lead to different feelings and judgments. On location, we can turn another way, step closer, or stay a little longer.

I think an eye for beauty also includes this patience to look. What is in front of me may not be beautiful at first glance, but it may be interesting, or make me want to know more.

Of course, going out does not have to bring back a life lesson every time. Looking at trees and water, finding a place to sit and paint for a while, is good in itself. Some feelings can remain unspoken if I cannot explain them yet.

This is part of what I want to offer in my in-person watercolor workshops. We go to a place together, see what you respond to, then discuss framing, what is worth painting, and what can be left out. Halfway through, we can pause and look again at what is in front of us and what is on the paper.

If you are in Shanghai and would like to make some time for painting, you can join my adult watercolor workshop. Beginners are welcome. I provide the materials needed for class, so you do not have to buy a set first.

The current price is 2,399 yuan per person for 10 in-person sessions, each 3 hours long, with no more than 4 people in a session. We can paint at the Hongkou studio or arrange to meet in a park or café according to the weather and what we are studying.

There is no fixed class start date. Weekdays and weekends can both be discussed in advance. You can book alone or with friends. Tell me what you would like to paint, whether you have any experience, and when you are available, and we can confirm the arrangements. The validity period for the sessions, rescheduling, and any possible venue charges will all be explained before payment.

“You don’t have to wait until you are ready for a distant journey to give yourself a chance to go out.”

I have put the workshop details and booking entry point in the “Read more” link at the end of the article.

The views, experiences, and final judgments in this article are the author’s. AI assisted with organizing the text. The observations about the Amazon draw on Liu Run’s WeChat article of September 12, 2026.