1 / 5   He Xirui, 73, is a luthier who used to be a carpenter before becoming a music professor in southwest China's Chongqing City. But despite his career switch, his passion for photography remains unchanged. /VCG Photo

2 / 5   Working with wood his whole life, He is famous for his handcrafted San-yuan violins and other traditional Chinese instruments, such as the Erhu and Pipa. Through trial and error in creating perfect instruments, He gained inspiration from cameras. /VCG Photo

3 / 5   When He bought a Nikon F4 Camera decades ago, he found the design, which helped the model win popularity, could also be applied to making violins. /VCG Photo

4 / 5   He said the camera even helped save his life when he scared off a pack of wolves using its flash during a trip to the woods in the late 1970s. /VCG Photo

5 / 5   To protect cameras and lenses from moisture, He keeps them in refrigerator. "Cameras and photography help me reflect on design concepts," the elderly man said. Although he is in the final stages of bone cancer, He confronts the future optimistically with his camera and instrument collections and passion. /VCG Photo