Daring young ski photographer bravely captures best action shots on slopes

A young skiing and snowboarding photographer has been working hard to perfect his skills in this emerging profession as he bids to capture the best action shots of the sport while striving for the best version of himself.

At a ski resort in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 20-year-old photographer Xiong Jiawei bravely follows a fellow snowboarder down the slopes while using a camera to record the highlights of his movement.

For many people, skiing itself is not an easy activity, let alone skiing down a mountain while filming with a camera at the same time, making Xiong's work all the more impressive.

Xiong was a snowboarding student in sports school and has chosen to pursue this profession out of his love for the sport. He said he wants to capture the thrilling and memorable moments of the high-speed slide on the snow lanes. But to be really good at it, he knows a lot of effort is required.

"When you are attentive to the camera screen and thinking about composing, you crossed into an ice block and lost balance. I would fall down sometimes too, like tumbling down from a very steep slope together with my camera. Compared with normal skiing or snowboarding, it's very different to glide on snow as a photographer since we need to carry a heavy bag, hold a stabilizer and a single-lens reflex camera. I myself tried over and over again to find the balance and figure out how to film better footage while skateboarding," he said.

Since starting out in the photography business, Xiong has worked for more than 200 clients each year, and has also met many excellent skiers and snowboarders, including 19-year-old Li Haolun.

"It was the first time that someone took such a video for me. I felt it was really good, since I couldn't see what I was like when I was snowboarding in the past," Li said.

Xiong says he is living his best life and hopes to keep on honing his skills while allowing others to fully enjoy their skiing experience.

"I think it's very good and cool to hold a camera to record such beautiful moments during skiing. In the future, I want to become an extreme sports photographer, be my bravest self, record the best footage with camera and live the life I love the most," he said.  

Daring young ski photographer bravely captures best action shots on slopes

Nigeria's fuel market is undergoing a rare shake-up as competition pushes prices lower, bringing relief to local consumers while raising concerns over business durability.

In the capital city of Abuja, the state oil firm Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has been selling petrol at about 815 naira per liter (about 0.57 U.S. dollars per liter), down from about 0.66 U.S. dollars per liter earlier in 2026. Other stations supplied by private giant Dangote are offering even lower prices, selling at around 750 naira (about 0.53 U.S. dollars) per liter.

For millions of Nigerians, the drop has been easing pressure on transport, food and daily living costs.

"I spend relatively lower on fuel and, by implication, transportation now than what it used to be," said Salifu Usman, a local resident in Abuja.

"We are happy with what we are seeing, because, of course, for a very long time, we are witnessing the crash down of price, even during festive period," said Jonathan Madaki, another resident.

The price cut has also allowed for higher profit margins for local small business operators, who have long relied on petrol-powered generators to cope with chronic power shortages.

Behind the price cuts is a growing battle for market share. The Nigeria-based Dangote Refinery, the largest in Africa, has boosted domestic supply and slashed its wholesale price to around 700 naira (about 0.49 U.S. dollars) per liter.

The move has forced importers and the state oil company to lower their own prices to stay competitive. But as margins shrink, analysts warn, what now appears to be a price war may not last.

"My own interpretation is that we are going to that stage where, especially those that, if it keeps coming down, I think those that bring in products may find it not so attractive again. So I don't actually see how sustainable this price war, if I may use that term, will be," said energy expert Paul Ogwu.

Nigeria petrol price cuts ease living costs, raise durability concerns