Deng Wei usually sets the focal length at 0.45 meter, the farthest, he says, a standard lens can go without distortion.

"Within that distance, I can best catch that glitter in their eyes and we can almost hear each other's hearts beating," said Deng.

"This does not allow anything to be concealed. It allows for direct communication."

Deng likes to shoot with natural light, which he believes allows him to capture his subjects at their best, or as Deng put it, "in their true being".

But Deng makes use of natural light in his own artistic way, usually placing the subject against a dark background, with rays of light illuminating certain details that reveal their personas.

Deng said he is still improving his artistry. "Each and every new portrait poses a new challenge for me and behind each photo lies a story," Deng said.

In many cases, Deng goes through two rolls of film, one color and one black and white, within 10 to 30 minutes.

"You've got to succeed with one shoot. There is no chance to make up for a missed one," Deng said recalling his encounter with Prime Minister of Israel Yizhak Rabin (1922-95) after he wrote him letters for almost four years asking for a brief photo time.

Deng still remembers the words the peace-loving statesman wrote for him in his diary: "The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace" in the afternoon of December 7, 1994.

But Deng can also spend a long time waiting for the right moment. Such an instance occurred three years ago when he spotted an old Tibetan lady while traveling among the Tibetan communities in Qinghai Province.

"I was deeply impressed by the old grandma the moment I saw her besides her tent at a local festival," Deng recalled.

The old lady was shy and hid herself in the tent for hours. Before sunset, she came out and offered Deng a cup of butter tea. Deng wanted to pay her with 100 yuan ($12.5) but she declined it and waved her hand pretending to be angry.

"At that moment, I was struck by her starry eyes and serene expression on the face," Deng said. "So I pushed the button of my camera at a distance of about 0.45 meter in front of her."

In a preface to Deng's new book Knocking Slightly on the Door, Ralph Jacobson, president of the Royal Photographic Society, writes: "He (Deng) not only is a portrait photographer who ranks amongst the best in the world, but his work embraces fine art photography, as well as photojournalism in color and monochrome."

"He is a gifted photographer who is able to reveal the character of his subjects by the complete mastery of the key techniques of composition, lighting and the right moment," he concludes.

(China Daily May 8, 2007)