Mountain Terraces of Dongchuan
China: Yunnan Province 2005
I think of Shangri La when I see this photo: the small plots of cropland cascading colors of red, yellow and green, ending in a ‘river’ of color flowing between the mountains. Shangri La implies a paradise, though, and the generations of farmers who built, planted, nurtured and harvested these terraces did not live a life of leisure. Theirs was and is a life of endless hard work.
In some areas the terraces are causing the mountains to crumble and the Chinese government has forbidden the planting of crops on those areas. What will the farmers do now?
With a landscape this beautiful, you don’t need advice. Just remember Cartier-Bresson and think GEOMETRY. Here we have repeated diagonal lines, leading to the ‘river’ which is another diagonal line. I didn’t include the sky because it was overcast. Eliminate gray or white sky when you shoot. Get the good stuff in your photo and leave the rest.