Talent puts dreams in focus

Born with a genetic disease that causes fragility, Lhakpa Dondrub, 22, lost count how many times he had broken or snapped bones. Brittle bone disease hindered his growth, leaving him about 1 meter in height, and confined him to a wheelchair, but it hasn't stopped him pursuing his dream to become a photographer.

"When I was a child, I liked to observe the change of light through a window. It was amazingly beautiful. After learning photography, I know it is all about light and how to catch it through the lens," says the man from Lhasa, the Tibet autonomous regions.

"What's more, my perspective is lower than others, and I hope to find the unique light in life from my view," he adds.

Born into a farming family in a village in Lhasa, Lhakpa Dondrub was adopted by relatives after his mother died when he was young. He was diagnosed with the condition, osteogenesis imperfecta, at the age of 5. The disease made going to school impossible for him and he had to study at home.

In 2017, Lhakpa Dondrub entered the Lhasa care center for people with physical challenges, where he found his passion for photography and video editing.

"As a young man, I have dreams and I want to raise myself through hard work," he says.

In 2021, he left the care center and found a job in a cultural company.

For Lhakpa Dondrub, photography is not only a means of making a living, but also a driving force and an expression of life. When he has time, he takes a camera to snap photos of animals and people along the ancient Barkhor Bazaar. Although he is confined to a wheelchair, he tries to go as far as he can.

He hopes that one day, he will be able to take photos on Beijing's Tian'anmen Square.