On university campuses, the female dormitory is one of the most mysterious and private places, at least for male students. Every day, female students walk out of the building with adorable makeup and different styles of outfits. What’s behind the “women only” sign?
大学校园里，女生宿舍是最具神秘色彩的私人领地之一，至少对男生来讲是如此。每天，从宿舍楼走出来的女生都化着靓丽妆容，身着各式服饰。“男生止步”的标识牌背后又有哪些故事呢？
Huang Yan, a 24-year-old graduate student from Guangxi University, shot a series of photos, revealing the everyday life of college girls in their dormitories. Her work won the bronze prize in the China 15th International Photographic Art Exhibition female category.
广西大学研究生、24岁的黄燕用一组照片揭开大学女生宿舍日常生活的神秘面纱。她凭借这组作品摘得中国第十五届国际摄影艺术展览“女性”主题类铜奖。

Fun photoshoots
乐在其中的摄影迷
Huang Yan has been interested in photography ever since she started university. Majoring in journalism, she has photography assignments every now and then. But in contrast to her peers, who think the photoshoots are boring and tiring, she finds them interesting and rewarding.
升入大学后，黄燕便对摄影产生了兴趣。主修新闻的她常常会有摄影作业。虽然身边的同伴们都觉得摄影无聊且累人，黄燕却不这样想。在她眼中，摄影是件趣味非凡且收获颇丰的事情。
“I like to photograph ordinary things and see how they are transformed into something extraordinary through my lens,” she says. Therefore, she sometimes works for hours on just one photo to get it the way she wants.
“我喜欢拍摄日常点滴，看着平凡的事物在镜头下变得不再平凡。”她说。因此，有时候她会花上数小时来拍摄一张照片，直到自己满意为止。
Her mother remembers one time when she was taking a photo of a wild flower. She squatted there for an entire afternoon, trying different angles and waiting for the right light to get the perfect shot.
她母亲说，有一次她为了拍一朵野花，整个下午都蹲在那里，尝试不同角度，等待最佳光线，只为拍一张完美照片。
Inspired by peers
受同伴的启发
Huang participated in the China 15th International Photographic Art Exhibition when she was in the second year of her postgraduate degree. “I’ve spent six years on campus, so I wanted to embody college girls and dormitory life in my female themed photoshoot,” she says.
研二时，黄燕参加了中国第十五届国际摄影艺术展览。“在这里度过了六年的校园生活，我想借这组女性主题的摄影作品来展现大学女生以及她们的宿舍生活。”她说道。
In her eyes, college girls are feminine, glamorous and unique, especially those who were born in the 1990s. “They’re willing to show themselves, therefore during the photoshoot, they seldom feel uncomfortable or restrained,” she says.
在她眼中，大学女生，尤其是90后女生，浑身散发着女性魅力、非凡而迷人。“她们乐于展现自我，所以在拍摄过程中，她们很少感到不自在或者放不开。”她说。
Such cooperative “models” encouraged Huang. In two months time, she took 1,600 photos. Her favorite photo is of a girl reading a novel on her cell phone. “She was curled up in a chair, the soft light shining on her smooth skin. I was drawn to the tranquil atmosphere and feminine character,” Huang says. So she started taking photos, from the right, the left, standing on a chair, trying to find the right angle. Finally, she captured the scene the way she wanted it.
“入镜模特”的高度配合让黄燕士气大振。在两个月的时间内，她一共拍摄了1600张照片。其中，她最喜欢的是一张某女孩用手机看小说的照片。“她蜷在椅子上，柔和的光线洒落在她光滑的皮肤上。安静的氛围以及女性的柔美都深深吸引着我。”黄燕说。为拍下这一镜头，她尝试从左侧、右侧、俯视（站在椅子上）等不同方位拍摄，力图找到最佳角度。最后才拍到了最理想的效果。
Making a statement
面对非议她如是说
Huang Yan’s work unexpectedly became an Internet hit after she won the bronze prize in the exhibition. Some criticized her for privacy invasion, but more praised her for capturing the essence of female dormitories.
在摄影展上赢得铜奖之后，黄燕的作品意外蹿红网络。有人指责她侵犯他人隐私，但更多的人称赞她拍出了女生宿舍最真实的一面。
“I’m glad they see my work this way,” Huang says. “My goal was to record the hallmarks of our time. In 20 years or even a century, people will be able to see what college life was like in our age through my photos.”
“她们这样看待我的作品让我感到很欣慰，”黄燕说。“我的目标是记录我们这个时代的印记。20年甚至100年后，人们能通过我的照片了解我们这个时代的大学生活是什么样的。”