Camera Ready



Creating a youthful memoir through photography

By by Annette Kahn

Tianyue Sun ’16 snapped her first picture when she was 7 years old. A photographer friend of her father’s gave her the camera, and after that, there was no stopping the young child. She recalls her first efforts as being those of “funny faces,” along with activities and events that took place in her schoolroom. Sun became more serious about photography during a trip to the Great Wall of China, photos of which appear in a book of her work, Impressions of Youth, published when she was 15 by the Chinese Photographers Society. A selection is shown on these pages.


Born in Beijing, Sun, known as Angela to friends and classmates, is the daughter of parents who each have pursued separate careers in public service. She learned English at the International School in Beijing and has had an international and well-traveled background, which she chronicles through the pictures in her book. 


Sun plans to major in economics, with a possible minor in psychology, but photography remains a part of her life; currently, she is an associate in the photo department of the Columbia Daily Spectator. Over the recent winter break, she took her Canon with her during a visit to Cambodia and Thailand. She no doubt found ample subject matter; as she writes in her preface to her book, “Photography . . . has become my indispensible companion. It gives me the power to capture and record beautiful moments in my life.” 


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