A Galway-based Professor of Geography, who shares his landscape pictures online for free, says that he is overjoyed with the response he has received from people.
Originally from China, Prof Chaosheng Zhang moved to Galway over 20 years ago and teaches geographical information system at NUIG.
Five years ago, he invested in a quality digital camera and has been building his landscape photography catalogue since then.
"It's mainly because of my interest in natural background – lateral landscape is my academic background – so I really love nature and that's why I wanted to take nice photographs."
On his Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages, Prof Zhang shares various colourful photographs which were mostly taken around Galway and Connemara. Members of the public taking the plunge off Blackrock diving tower in the evening and water reflecting the Claddagh are just some of his many images.
"You can see all of my photos are very calm and peaceful, and that’s exactly what I like. A lot of my photos have very good reflection, and that’s one of my favourites,"he says.
In May of last year, Galway City Council awarded Prof Zhang the Arts, Culture, Heritage & Cúrsaí Award for his photography and capturing Galway "at its best" and sharing his images for free with people.
"Oh, I was quite surprised because I know so many artists in Galway … I think that’s a huge recognition and beyond my expectation," he says.
Arts, Culture, Heritage & Cúrsaí Gaeilge Award Winner:
— Galway City Council (@GalwayCityCo) May 26, 2021
Dr Chaosheng Zhang for his beautiful photography over the past 12 months capturing Galway at its best & for his kind and generous approach to sharing his creative talent for free with the people of Galway.@ZhangChaosheng pic.twitter.com/yet0G7gvYm
Prof Zhang says that most of the photographs are taken when he is out and about with his family, walking with his wife after dinner or bringing his children to school, so the majority of them are taken in Galway.
He says that the reaction to his posts on social media are very positive, and that they have been noticed by Irish people living abroad, making them miss home.
"Oh my God, I have made many people homesick. When you read comments, I see 'I want to go home now’. I think many of them are from America, I believe," Prof Zhang says.
Some of his photographs have even been shared by Irish embassies abroad and people have approached him, willing to pay for him for his work. However, he says that is not interested in selling the photographs and only asks for a courtesy when they are used in the public domain. When people print the pictures for private use in their homes, no courtesy is necessary.
"I hope that the pictures are used by as many people as possible – if they like it!
"Why not just give out the pictures for free and keep people happy?" he says. "I think when people get it [the pictures] for free, they feel very well. Also, I feel very well.
"Feeling very well is much better than getting a little bit of money."
