Born in Taipei City, Li Ming-diao studied watercolor painting at Lingnan School of Arts in his early years. He is now the president of Steelmen Trading Company. He cofounded the Association of Landscape Photography in Taiwan, the Photographic Society of China, China’s Association of Fine Art and the Photographic Society of Taipei. He is also a member of the Japanese Photographic Society. In 1948, he held his solo exhibition in Taipei Zhongshan Hall and was the first photography solo exhibition after Taiwan’s restoration from Japanese occupation. In 1949, he wrote a column about photography in Taiwan Shin-shen Daily newspaper. In 1951, he founded the Art of Photography Monthly, the first photography magazine in Taiwan Province. Li tends to express the elegance of his subject matters with simple forms and symbolic approaches. His work makes us feel the harmony of people, objects and landscapes.

In the picture, three innocent shepherd boys take their lambs and stroll by the river, forming a carefree image. The composition is separated by the three kids. Without them, the picture would become a commonplace landscape. The kids’ movement brings the photo to life. With a certain deep meaning, the piece transports us back to the childhood long ago and allows us to hear our friends’ calling by the pond, the old trees and the small river. The childhood, however, is a time we can only dream about. This photo was shot by the Sindian River in 1947.

In the early years, the photography of Taiwan began with photo studios and started to develop. Meanwhile, many young adults went abroad to study photography in Japan. They were deeply influenced by Japanese photography. Later they became the foundation of Taiwanese photography, including Peng Ruei-lin, Chang Tsai, Deng Nan-guang, Lee Ming-diao and Lin Shou-yi. Lee’s pieces, such as Resting Shoulders (1948, Guang-fu Bridge of Taipei) and Reflection While Looking at the Wind (1948, Tamsui Seaside Resort), capture relations between subjects and background environment of frozen moments in the fleeting time. They carry the feelings of passing time and nostalgia. Shepherd Boys is one of those nostalgic pieces that remind us of the interesting incidents in our childhood.