Pingtan Island in Fujian Province gains fame as a stunning coastal destination renowned for the bioluminescent blue tears phenomenon and its unique cross-Straits cultural and geographical ties. A post-90s local photographer is redefining how this natural wonder is captured and shared with the world through creative lens work.

Chen Xuecheng, born in 1994, first connected with Pingtan's blue tears in 2020 through a video production business he ran with partners, which took on projects shooting the natural spectacle. What started as a work task soon became a passion. He spent countless late nights waiting by the sea for the perfect shot across Pingtan, even waiting three to four hours on rocky shores for an ideal angle. On one occasion, he chartered a boat to a small island off Pingtan's main island for a shoot, and successfully captured the blue tears in a stone weir alongside a glittering galaxy, a scene he had long envisioned.

Chen masters technical parameters but believes creativity matters most. "Equipment is just a tool. What truly defines the texture of a frame is the emotion and story the creator wants to express," he said. He also shared insights into shooting the blue tears, noting that a large aperture of F1.2 or above and good low-light capability are essential for striking shots when the bioluminescence is faint, and that shutter speed needs careful adjustment for an aesthetic look.

His dedication and creativity earned him first prize in the video category of the "Starry Sea, Romantic Pingtan" blue tears photography contest. His award-winning work, compiled from footage collected over one or two years, features a standout creative scene: a friend in a spacesuit walking through the blue tears-filled sea, turning the natural wonder into a vivid stage for storytelling instead of a cold backdrop. "This sea deserves a more amazing expression. I want to integrate creativity and let the blue tears tell their own stories," Chen said, adding that the contest acted as a creative switch to polish his raw footage into a complete work.

Chen always puts safety first when chasing the blue tears, a message he passes on to tourists visiting Pingtan for the phenomenon. He advises visitors to check official live streams and forecasts for the blue tears to time their trips for peak bioluminescence. For the future, he plans to shoot a scripted short film centered on the blue tears, hoping to make the natural wonder not only a visual feast but also a vessel for touching island stories.

(Photos provided by the interviewee)