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一个偶然的机会，认识了企业家刘志成先生，他对摄影的痴迷拉近了我们的距离。从摄影延展开来，自然多了许多共同的话语。
《最后的辛巴》这部有关非洲辛巴族红泥人生活影像的辑录，充满着神秘与传奇，作者拍摄技术的可圈可点不多赘言，近乎原生态的人类学观察角度和表现手法更具有不可多得的影像价值。我惊叹，在非洲大陆“世界末端”的地方还有着这样一群“住在河岸边的人”，他们如此地亲近自然，敬畏祖先，虔诚地保留着自己民族特有的信仰、风俗和生活方式；我好奇，作为一名中国的企业家，一位非职业摄影师，刘志成先生是怎样跨越了地缘、文化与生活经历的巨大差异，把原始的红泥部落人群拍得这般平和自然、亲切生动？
这几年，总会有人不解地问我：“为什么越来越多的成功人士迷恋摄影，又往往比较快地取得卓越的成就？”这的确是个值得关注的摄影文化现象。问题难回答，亦不难回答。作为成功人士观察世界、愉悦性情、广交朋友的工具，我想象不出还有什么比相机更为合适。摄影器械的电子化使快门的启落更加简单，但取景框背后比拼的是一种综合实力。思想阅历、智慧修养的人生积淀以至于行为方式都在潜移默化地发挥作用。
刘志成先生与人交往谦逊、诚恳。他为自己的企业起名“恒坤”，乃是他经营理念、处世风格的外化凝聚。“恒”者，信念坚定，持之以恒；“坤”者，地袤广博，因容乃大。这“恒坤”的气度成就了他的企业，也成就了他的摄影。为了成为中国摄影家协会和英国皇家摄影学会的会员，祖国的山山水水、非洲的旷野草原都留下了他勤奋的足迹，也诞生了一幅幅精彩的摄影作品。
当他乘坐直升飞机在非洲上空尽情追逐着狂野奔放的野生动物时，偶然间，他的目光却被纳米比亚澳普沃地区辛巴族红泥人深深地抓住了……两年间，像是要完成一件重要的功课，他查阅少得可怜的资料，求教摄影名家，整天琢磨着以怎样的影像才能最客观自然地记录下红泥族真实的生存状态……三次前往拍摄，一次比一次有备而来，一次比一次满载而归。影像从纯粹追求光影、瞬间过度到并重内涵与文化。尽管刘志成先生反复说，他的这些影像感性远远大于理性，但《最后的辛巴》仍然是一部非常耐看的作品。作者对古老文明的敬意与膜拜，让我们深深感受到了世界文明的多元与深邃。感谢摄影，感谢刘志成先生的作品让我们的视野得以延伸，心灵得以涤荡。相信这部非洲辛巴族原始部落的视觉文本会因时光的流逝而愈发凸显价值、弥足珍贵。
I got to know entrepreneur Liu Zhicheng accidentally. However, his passion and infatuation for photography made us very close at once. Starting from photography, we found that we share many common interests and topics.
As a collection of photographs about Himba people’s life in Africa, Clan of the World Edge is a work full of legends and mysteries. Mr. Liu Zhicheng’s masterful photographic skills are obvious, and the anthropologic perspective and presentation of the primitive people contain even more photographic value. Opening the book, I cannot help marveling that at “the end of the world” in the continent of Africa should live such a group of “people settling on the banks of a river”. The Himba people are so close to nature, respectful to ancestors and sincere in keeping their belief, customs and life style. Considering that Mr. Liu Zhicheng is just a Chinese entrepreneur, not a professional photographer, I have to wonder how he could overcome the great gaps in geography, cultural backgrounds and life experience to record the natural, peaceful and vivid life of this primitive African tribe.
In recent years, I have been asked frequently: “Why are there more and more successful people crazy about photography? Why do they always make outstanding achievement in this field very fast?” This cultural phenomenon in photographic circle is attracting more and more attention. The answer to this question is both hard and easy. I think camera is the most suitable tool for successful people to observe the world, refine sentiments and make friends all around. The electrification of photographic equipments has made the skills easier to learn, but excellent photographers are competing with their comprehensive quality. Their life experience, wisdom, self-cultivation and behavioral style are all important in producing impressive photos.
Mr. Liu Zhicheng is a very modest and sincere man. He named his enterprise “Heng Kun”, which shows his business method and philosophy of life. “Heng” in Chinese means perseverance and firmness in mind. “Kun” means being large and magnanimous as the earth. Such personality and life philosophy make his enterprise a success and his photographic works outstanding. In order to become member of China Photographer Association and British Royal Photographic Society, he travels around both in China and the wild grassland of Africa. Naturally, his hard work has been rewarded with many superb photos.
While he was on board of a helicopter in Africa, chasing the wildly running animals, his eyes was deeply attracted by the Himba living at Opuwo in Namibia… During the past two years, as if trying to finish an important homework, he looked through the little hardly available documents, asked for the famous photographers, thinking over day and night to record the objective, natural and real life of the Himba with right photos… Three trips to Africa for shooting, he was better prepared from time to time, and came back with more and more fruitful results accordingly. His photos shifted swiftly from seeking purely for light and image to lay equal stress on both substance and culture.
Although Mr. Liu Zhicheng has stressed repeatedly that his pictures contain more sensibility than sense, Clan of the World Edge is a very worthwhile book in both aspects. In the book, the photographer and author has shown his respect and worship to the ancient culture, which enables the readers to feel the pluralistic and deep nature of human civilization. Thanks to photography and Mr. Liu Zhicheng’s works, our horizons are broadened and our souls are purified once more. I believe this visual presentation of Himba tribe will be more and more valuable and brilliant with the passage of time.
Li Qianguang
（文章来源：《最后的辛巴》）
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