A culture has emerged in China where couples hire professional photographers to document their divorce process.
Local Chinese media, including the Hong Kong newspaper, reported this on the 24th.
A Shanghai photographer, Zuwei, received an order for 'divorce photography' at the end of last year. A couple requested to capture on camera their scenes of walking and talking together after departing from the local civil affairs bureau handling their divorce processes. The package price, which included a few videos and photos, was 1,800 yuan (about 360,000 won).
After Zuwei finished the shoot and posted the video online, orders from other divorcing couples began to come in.
He noted, 'Most of my clients are women, aged 30 to 35,' adding, 'Right now, I have far more clients looking for divorce photography than for wedding or proposal shoots.'
Another photographer, Xiao Zhao, attempted to deter divorce photography clients by raising his prices by 50%, but it proved useless. Some couples argued, 'Divorce is not an end but a new beginning, and when we look back on the path we’ve taken, we need traces to make it more dignified.'
There have been discussions about whether 'divorce photographers' encourage divorce.
In response, Zuwei said, 'Before accepting orders, I found that many people part amicably due to lack of family support or economic reasons.' He added, 'It is much harder to capture the expressions of sadness during the shoot than to take the happy moments of newlywed couples.'
He also mentioned, 'If clients come back to reunite, we offer them a 50% discount,' adding, 'Cancellations from divorce photography clients are even more welcome.'