Ｚｉｂｏｙ：Ｐｈｏｔｏｇｒａｐｈｅｒ　Ｌｉｆｔｓ　ｔｈｅ　Ｖｅｉｌ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｒｅａｌ　Ｂｅｉｊ.docVIP

Ｚｉｂｏｙ：Ｐｈｏｔｏｇｒａｐｈｅｒ　Ｌｉｆｔｓ　ｔｈｅ　Ｖｅｉｌ　ｏｎ　ｔｈｅ　Ｒｅａｌ　Ｂｅｉｊ 　　 “Beijing is captured from the perspective of a regular guy, with the simplest of 　　photographic techniques, and an aim to present events objectively... so I hope they convey a pure and compelling portrait of the city life around me.” 　　 　　WEN Ling is an ordinary, 33-year-old Beijinger and arts graduate who has become a celebrity of sorts for his photoblog Ziboy (/).Displaying his many vivid pictures of the Chinese capital, the website is a window through which foreigners have become “virtual explorers” of China. Now, many famed writers and photographers admit to Wen’s influence on them. Ziboy has inspired blogs that not only mimick its approach, but also its signature colors and webpage design. 　　 　　 　　Mutual Admiration Society 　　Launched 　　 　　In 2001, Wen Ling came across a photoblog (/) established by New Yorker David F. Gallagher, and it was a revelation. “On David’s blog, I saw for the first time what foreigners’ homes look like, what they eat for lunch and where they go for fun at night. I felt rather surprised because that was a New York I had never seen on TV or in newspapers,” says Wen. 　　Immediately Wen adapted the concept. “If pictures taken by a common New Yorker could be such a pleasant surprise for a Chinese person, I thought why not do the same thing ?C show ‘my’ Beijing to them and offer the same sorts of insights?” So he invested around RMB 2,500 in a digital camera, one with only a million pixels, and set up his own photoblog ?C Ziboy. 　　“I was snapping everywhere at any time, like on my way to work and on shopping errands, our mealtimes, my home, and parties with my friends. My subjects are typical of life in Beijing ?C the city where I live.” Every day Wen carried his camera wherever he went, and captured scenes of anything that tickled his fancy. Usually he averaged more than 100 photos per day, often reaching 3,000 photos per month. Then he sorted the pictures carefully and upload