照见：九儿摄影手记

Jiu'er, a young mother of three, was diagnosed with cancer. In the final journey of her life, she collaborated with photographer Wang Naigong to capture images of her daily life with her family and her struggle against death, with boundless resilience and deep affection. She left this "living towards death" attitude as a gift to her daughters.

The photographer not only photographed Jiu'er but also accompanied her, and even worked with her to manage her farewell to the world. In this process, the two women supported each other, faced their destiny together, and reflected each other, gaining insight into the meaning of life at the boundary between life and death.

After its publication, the "Jiu'er" series won a series of awards, including the 67th World Press Photo Contest (Hollandse) Asia Regional Long-Term Project Award, the 23rd Pingyao International Photography Festival Jury Grand Award, and was featured on the 11th China Photography Annual Ranking, touching a wide audience across borders and cultures.

"Illuminating: The Photography Journal of Jiu'er" collects 140 photographs from the "Jiu'er" series, with Wang Naigong documenting this slow and solemn photographic journey in a diary format. This book was completed by two women: Jiu'er with her life and will, and Wang Naigong with her photography, writing, and deep affection. This is a book about the passing of life, yet it hopes to illuminate the meaning of being alive.