WIT: A Space for Portrait Photography

What is the essence of portrait photography?
This has been a constant pondering for Dingji Photography over the past eleven years. With a focus on excellence and a pursuit of the highest standards, Dingji has established seven distinct professional portrait photography institutions in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou. Now, Dingji presents a new concept for its eighth establishment: a non-profit, dedicated space solely for exploring the art of portraiture.

“After hearing this concept from the founder of Dingji, as someone who has visited numerous art spaces, I was immediately moved. In a time filled with competition and uncertainty due to the pandemic (during the planning phase), Dingji persists in stubbornly ‘discussing art’—a practice that seems detached from commercial interests yet truly elevates the production of portrait photography to its utmost perfection. This is commendable,” expressed Luo Zhenhua from WIT Design.

However, the average customer expenditure is five to ten times higher than that of Dingji’s regular stores, and yet it continues to be widely loved.

01 Space
“The Portrait Steward in the Era of Cloud Computing”

However, is art really so distant from us?

It is well known that many of our country’s products have hardware that is on par with top Western brands, yet there is still a gap in terms of pricing. Perhaps what is lacking is a thorough understanding of art and design.

Speaking of portrait photography, during the years of my interaction with Dingji, I have never for a moment considered it to be just an ordinary photo studio. Dingji’s artistry is far from being exclusive to a select few. It has consistently and silently provided a photography service that withstands scrutiny, constantly pushing the boundaries of portrait art to its utmost perfection.

Within the exhibition hall’s corridors, a scene of mechanical aesthetics unfolds. It seems as if, in the fraction of a second captured by the mechanical shutter sound, guests are frozen and captured, while being processed and uploaded in real-time. Dingji’s artistic output is not akin to the portrait oil paintings of the 16th-century Renaissance, nor the slow development of images by cameras in the 19th century. Instead, it exists within a futuristic realm of silver and metallic textures, where capturing, storing, and online management are unrestricted by technology—never fading, never lost.

This eighth establishment, the Huanya Art Space, offers customers a glimpse into the future—a scenario where, in the era of cloud data, they not only serve as photographers for the guests but also act as their portrait stewards.

As the artistic portrait stewards, Dingji also provides large-scale interactive installations within the exhibition hall, showcasing the power of their advanced backend technologies.

If there were a “Heavenly Photo Studio,” it would most likely be curved in design.

The exhibition hall is curved in design—Architect Antoni Gaudí once said, “Straight lines belong to man, while curved lines belong to God.”
The exhibition hall will host regular photography exhibitions, with the aim of fostering the self-evolution of Dingji through the showcased works. Additionally, the art corridor is divided into sections by the shape of mechanical shutters, with each section documenting a story and scene captured by Dingji’s photography.

02 Value
Brand’s Autonomous Transformation

Portrait Consultant + Art Exploration + Homage to Future Imaging

Returning to the commercial space itself, after the pandemic, the project has gained a significant number of customers, achieving an average customer expenditure that is 5-10 times higher than that of its regular stores. This transformation has brought about a qualitative change in both the business and brand dimensions.

This is a contemporary imaging space that observes and explores the future, reaching people through intuitive design and receiving positive responses. Portrait photography is a combination of a portrait consultant, art exploration, and homage to future imaging within a service-oriented system.

03 Nature

“There was a touching story about a Dingji staff member that really moved me: A customer wanted to have their portrait taken during sunrise. When the customer arrived at the outdoor shooting location promptly at 6 a.m., the enthusiastic Dingji business team offered them tea, and the makeup team had already prepared all the necessary facilities outdoors. The photography team’s instructor, equipment, devices, and lighting were all perfectly set up in advance. The customer’s experience was further enhanced as they melted into the moment, accompanied by the warm rays of the rising sun.”

Returning to the commercial space itself, the project has consistently attracted a significant number of customers after the pandemic.

At that moment, it wasn’t just a groggy independent photographer welcoming the guests, but rather an entire professional business team working together systematically to pursue artistic outcomes. In the end, a series of personalized, custom-made artistic portraits with a sense of contemporary tension are produced.