‘Flirtatious’ US$2,500 photo shoots for ‘lonely’ middle-aged women spark backlash in China

A Chinese photographer is facing fierce public backlash for charging middle-aged women inflated fees while allegedly subjecting them to sexually suggestive remarks during photo shoots. Known online as “Duan Gongzi,” 48-year-old army veteran Duan Xiaozhou has amassed nearly 400,000 followers on Douyin. At his Wuhan studio, he charges 16,800 yuan (US$2,500) for 36 unedited portraits. Duan promotes his sessions as empathetic exchanges intended to capture clients’ authentic selves. But...