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Posts Tagged ‘Wong’

Ben Von Wong used 4,100 pounds of E-waste to create these futuristic portraits

07 Mar

Photographer Benjamin Von Wong recently teamed up with computer maker Dell to try and make recycling “cool.” Together, they took 4,100 pounds of electronic waste and used it to build three futuristic scenes that show how e-waste can be used to power the future of tech instead of languishing in some landfill—in other words: how e-waste can serve as a bridge between the past to the future.

For the past several years, Von Wong has taken his talent for capturing and creating incredible scenes in-camera, and used it to help push for various causes in the world of conservation. That’s how he wound up photographing this model in shark infested waters, or capturing these images of ‘mermaids’ swimming in 10,000 plastic water bottles.

His latest project finds him continuing his quest for conservation and social responsibility, this time alongside computer company Dell.

As Ben explains in his blog post about the project, he got in touch with Dell after finding out that the company has the world’s largest global recycling program. But for all of their cool recycling tech—like, for example, ‘Closed Loop Recycling’ that reuses metals and plastic from old computers to build new ones—the company struggles to get people to recycle.

“After all, how do you convince people that recycling e-waste can be cool?” ask Von Wong. These photos, this project, is supposed to be the answer to that question… or at least the beginnings of a conversation.

Wistron GreenTech gave Ben 4,100 pounds of e-waste to use on this project—the approximate amount a single person will generate over the course of their lifetime—and together with 50 volunteers over the course of 10 days, they build three ‘epic’ sets using simple tools, glue, paint, and wood.

Using keyboards, laptops, and circuit boards, Ben worked together with David Jeter and used forced perspective to try and make the sets look larger than life.

Here are a few behind the scenes photos of the build process:

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And here is what all of that hard work produced. Ten days of building and shooting for just three epic hero shots:

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In Ben’s mind, however, the whole process was definitely worth it.

“It took only 4 hours to clean up 10 days of hard work,” he laments, “but the images will hopefully live on forever and empower every individual to tell their friends and family to Rethink electronic waste, Recycle them responsibly, so that responsible companies like Dell can Revive them as brand new computer parts.”

To read the whole story and see many more behind the scenes photos and details about things like lighting and set design, head over to Ben’s blog by clicking here.


All photographs by Benjamin Von Wong and used with permission.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Benjamin Von Wong takes aim at coal pollution with post-apocalyptic photo shoot

31 Jan
Shot on the Phase One IQ3, Schneider 35mm | ISO400, 35mm, f/8, 1/400 with Broncolor Move & Siros. Photo by Benjamin Von Wong

Benjamin Von Wong’s latest project doesn’t pull any punches. For this shoot, he collaborated with the Wasteland Warriors – a pair of artists who pay homage to a Mad Max-style post-apocalypse by creating custom clothing and props. Von Wong began planning the shoot months ago, hoping it would bring awareness to the impacts of global reliance on coal. When the political climate in the US shifted and then-President Elect Donal Trump called for a return to coal, it all seemed suddenly very timely.

Shot on the Phase One IQ3, Schneider 35mm | | ISO100, 35mm, f/6.3, 1/200 with Broncolor Move & Siros. Photo by Benjamin Von Wong

The concept envisions a future where oxygen is a precious commodity, controlled and traded by Mad Max-style soldiers. The backdrop is a mining museum in Germany called Ferropolis, and the dramatic setting is complemented by Wasteland Warrior’s custom props and elaborate costumes. 

Shot on the Phase One IQ3, Schneider 35mm | ISO800, 35mm, f/12, 1/640 with Broncolor Move & Siros. Photo by Benjamin Von Wong

Per usual, Von Wong provides plenty of behind-the-scenes information, including a post-apocalyptic lighting demo. For the shoot he used a Phase One IQ3 and Schneider 35mm lens. And yes, he did use smoke bombs on the set for effect. He acknowledges how this is somewhat at odds with his message, but ultimately decided it was the only way to achieve the right visual impact and paid a voluntary carbon emissions tax.

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In his blog post, Von Wong makes it clear that he doesn’t believe this truly the future for the US. 

‘To be fair, I don’t expect our country to ever become this polluted. That would be an unrealistic and improbable projection even if President Trump completes his promise to save jobs and bring back “clean coal.”

Yet despite that, coal still presents some very real risks if we ignore what science tells us and turn our backs on developing sustainable, renewable energy.

I think we can all agree that coal is a finite resource that will only carry us so far. Shouldn’t we focus on the future and not dig up the past?’

Does Von Wong’s message come through in his photos? Let us know what you think in the comments. 

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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PIX 2015: Benjamin Von Wong and the journey from ordinary to extraordinary

04 Dec

In his first year learning photography, Benjamin Von Wong created over 50,000 photographs, but none of them struck him as extraordinary. It wasn’t until he tried out a flash gun that he began to see new possibilities that could make his work stand out. Many more photos later, Benjamin Von Wong is well-known for imagery that blends practical effects, fantastic locations and post-processing into something surreal and extraordinary. Find out how he got his start and what inspires his elaborate shoots in his PIX 2015 talk.

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Being Madame Butterfly With Tina Wong

16 Jun

Tina Wong shares her latest work from her photo series "Madame Butterfly" as featured on Fashion Photography Blog (FashionPhotographyBlog.com)FashionPhotographyBlog.com was able to catch up with another of our past Photo of The Week winners, the fashion photographer, stylist and fashion editor, the triple threat talent that is Tina Wong. I was so glad to have her drop in to catch up and see what she has been up to since taking the winning photo from her “J’adore” series in her round of Photo of The Week.

It seemed that Tina had been making great strides with her career, as she revealed that, “There have been so many great experiences. The past few seasons I’ve been able to shoot at New York Fashion week, working on the 100-women print publication was a great experience as the photos were printed in a coffee table type magazine, I’ve been able to shoot for amazing clients in Miami and photos were used for large print advertisements.”

With all her successful achievements to date, where is Tina now at as a photographer? She shared that she has been “Shooting Fashion for 7 years now and I still have a way to go! I feel like with the saturated market for fashion photography, not only do you have to have talent and work very hard to master your craft but you need to know how to market yourself and get exposure with the various publications and clients. I work with a lot of smaller commercial clients and magazine editorials but feel like it’s time to take the next step but it will take proactive actions from my part to get there.”

So what has the difference been between shooting her winning photo and how she shoots now? Tina explained that “I feel like my style has matured through the years and my unique voice is emerging. It’s gone from bright lifestyle-like commercial photography to a quieter more romantic one. I call it quiet beautiful, when you look at someone and you try to admire them like a flower in a vase in an empty room, and then you see an unshielded unfiltered beauty. I know my equipment more and I know how to control my lighting more as well which is something that comes with time.”

Speaking of lighting, I asked if there has been any change to how the photographer set up her lights since taking her winning photo, Tina nodded and explained that “I think I’ve become a minimalist. I used to try more than 1 Profoto head to light the model and create different effects but I’m starting to like just 1 head or natural light with a reflector.”

While discussing her lighting preferences nowadays, Tina also shared with me one of her recent works from a series entitled “Madame Butterfly”. A truly beautifully crafted photograph, I was intrigued to uncover the story behind it. The photographer explained that the “Inspiration behind the butterfly photo was to try to capture how a rose looks like when a butterfly is on it… still and beautiful. I wanted a darker edgier undertone, not just pretty butterflies. Some of the photos on the series almost had her smoking a butterfly like a cigarette, also, I used the butterflies as her brows and whited out her entire face to create a more ghastly and eerie feel to it.” To shoot this photo the photographer used 1 Profoto head (Profoto Prohead Plus), a 5ft Octobox, 2 foam cores.

You can find out more about this shoot and contact Tina Wong’s via her website (www.tnastudios.com) or email at photography@tnastudios.com


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J’adore With Tina Wong

27 Apr

Tina Wong J'adoreTina Wong’s entry won out on our Facebook Photo Of The Week Competition. There were votes across the other finalists but it was her photo of youthful beauty that took the crown. We are proud to present Tina Wong as the winner of our Photo of The Week competition. As the winner of this week, Tina’s winning photo is being featured here on FashionPhotographyBlog.com. Not only that she will also appear on our social media sites as well. As part of the winner’s prize, I got a chance to speak to Tina to find out more about the story behind her as a fashion photographer and her winning photograph, entitled “J’adore”.

The talented New York based triple threat (she not only is a fashion photographer, but is also a stylist and Fashion Editor for a high end fashion print publication) started her journey in photography shooting weddings would you believe it? Tina explains, “I’ve shot wedding photography for 5 years before I went to fashion school. Before fashion school, it was about lighting and composition. A camera is just a very advanced paint brush, it’s a tool to capture a vision. After I attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, it just made sense to combine my love of fashion with photography.” Very wise words, indeed the camera is just an instrument in the hands of the artist and what a masterful artist she is as demonstrated in her winning photo. She seamlessly blended the lighting with the model’s make up with delicate pink hues so that the picture holds an almost painted quality.

When asked whether the photography techniques that she executed would apply to other areas of photography outside of fashion, she replied, “I would say yes, except for [one exception…] whatever area of photography, make sure you continue to expose yourself to the evolution of that field. If you’re a wedding photographer, read lots of wedding magazines, open your eye and expose yourself frequently to the field.” I totally agree with Tina’s statement, actually it almost sounds like something that I’ve said before; to be good at something one needs to completely immersed in what ever they are doing. That’s how you develop focus and skill.

I wanted to know what was the inspiration for this alluring photo. There must be a good story behind it so I had to ask, her reply was “I saw a Dior ad a few years back, the softness of the silk almost reminded me of velvety chocolate. The fabric bounced light so softly back on the model, that’s how the inspiration came. It’s soft, romantic, and almost dream-like… I believe a relaxed and fun environment creates the best photos. I like to elicit the mood with music and imagery to get the model to feel in character and to make a connection with him or her.”

The photo, J’adore, was part of a 6 page beauty story and apart from using fabric to reflect diffused lighting on to the model Tina Wong also used one profoto light and an octobox. You can find out more about this shoot and contact Tina Wong’s via her website (www.tnastudios.com) or email at photography@tnastudios.com

Currently, we have another round of Photo Of The Week running. To participate in the voting, make sure you “like” our Facebook page here and vote for your favorite photographers photo out of the finalists in the comments section of the post. The photo with the most vote’s by the end of the week at Sunday midnight will win Photo of the Week and win the great prizes on offer.

Since FashionPhotographyBlog.com is Google’s #1 site on fashion photography in the world, you might be interested in entering our Photo Of The Week competition. this could be your entry to some great exposure if you submit your photo and win. To find out more details on how to enter, make sure you join our mailing list. We will send you the entry details via your email.

As a reminder, voting ends at the end of the week so make sure you get voting on our Facebook page here. Tell us in the comments below, do you agree with how this week’s voting outcome? What is your critique on this photo? We want to here from you!


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Engineering a Dream: Benjamin Von Wong profile, part 2

15 Mar

Von_Wong.jpg

In part 1 of our interview with Montreal-based photographer Benjamin Von Wong we asked him about his transition from mining engineer to full-time photographer. In part 2, Von Wong talks about how some of his more famous images were created. Follow the links below to read the concluding part of our interview and take a look at more of Von Wong’s dramatic photographs. Learn more

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Engineering a Dream: Benjamin Von Wong profile, part 1

08 Mar

Benjamin_Von_Wong.jpeg

Benjamin Von Wong describes himself as a combination photographer, producer, artist, visual engineer and, perhaps more than anything, a storyteller. Few of the stories the Montreal-based shooter has to tell are not quite as fantastic as the one that describes his own ascent to fame in the photo world. In part 1, we talk to Ben about his rapid rise to fame and how he transitioned from his day job to a full-time photography career. Learn more

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fashion and fire blended the Von Wong way

03 Apr

DSC_3891-Edit-Edit-copy3.jpg

Benjamin Von Wong posted photos and a video from his impressive Paris photoshoot that combined fire, fireworks, and models into some dramatic imagery. ‘Since we were messing around with consumable effects,’ said VonWong in his blog, ‘each time we started a burn I had to be ready to constantly change up my camera settings to be able to compensate for the lighting conditions.’ (via FStoppers)

News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Buffet – Wong Fu x Harry Shum Jr.

19 Jan

Lucas gravely misunderstands what a “buffet” is. oops? Had a great time collaborating with Harry Shum Jr. (Glee, Step Up, LXD) on this series of sketches. Check him out! youtube.com Directed by: Wong Fu Productions Produced by: George Wang, Don Le Written by: Wong Fu Productions, Chris Dinh Concept by: Harry Shum Jr. Edited by Wong Fu Productions Featuring Harry Shum Jr. youtube.com Wong Fu Productions youtube.com Deborah Baker Jr. Director of Photography: Nate Fu Music by George Shaw: youtube.com Produced with George Wang Download the music: georgeshaw.bandcamp.com Sheet Music: georgeshawmusic.com Dawen – Vocals, Hand Percussion: www.youtube.com Alfa – Vocals, Guitar, Ukelele, Violin, Hand Percussion: www.alfa-music.com Nathan Park of Seriously – Bass, Hand Percussion seriouslytheband.com George Shaw – Percussion, Hand Percussion georgeshawmusic.com Special Thanks Endless Food and Fun, Huntington Beach, CA SUBSCRIBE: youtube.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com TWITTER: twitter.com OFFICIAL: wongfuproductions.com STORE areyouaniceguy.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

 

My Visit With DigitalRev, or, What’s Kai Wong Really Like?

01 Jan

Earlier this month as many of you know, I traveled to Hong Kong to be a guest on DigitalRev's Pro Tog, Cheap Camera series. (Full video and final pic edits below.)

Which meant I also got to hang out with the DR team, including Lok, Alamby, Theo—and of course show frontman/international sex symbol/Man of Mystery Kai Wong.

And you are probably wondering right now: what's Kai really like? Read more »
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