Farmers in Jilin capture life through their lenses

"I will never stop photographing as long as I can move," he said. "The photos are the most precious thing in my life."

Ma Xueyan, a 61-year-old farmer from Nianzigou village, began his photographic journey much later than Qi, but he has made remarkable progress.

After his son got married in 2011, Ma was able to relax a little as the burden family was lighter. He spent around 4,000 yuan buying a digital single-lens reflex camera to fulfill the dream born in his adolescence.

"I was interesting in the arts in childhood and was attracted by a camera that my father brought home when I was in junior high school," he said. "The camera was sent by an employer to my father as payment for work, and I was quite curious about this strange new thing."

Ma got little chance to use the camera, however, as his elder brother took it away when he moved to Heilongjiang province. That's when he determined to pursue photography on his own.

After getting the new camera, Ma seized every opportunity to learn from other photographers and improve his skills. He made rapid progress.

Most of Ma's photos show daily life in the rural areas where he lives.

"I hope to record the unique beauty of farmers and their industrious nature with my camera," he said. "My family members began to give me great support as my photos shocked them. There was so much they had never noticed before."

Three years ago, Ma moved to an apartment in the center of town and he found more time to take photos around the city.

"In recent years, the city has paid much attention to promoting rural construction, and we can find big changes in living environments, infrastructure and people's spirit in rural areas," he said. "Fortunately, I have recorded all the changes with my camera and will keep the photos as my precious treasure."