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Walking on lava for charity
How close can I safely get a model to molten lava? What if the ground breaks under our feet? Will our shoes melt or catch on fire? These were a few of the many questions I had for lava expert and photographer CJ Kale as I was planning my first ever photoshoot on the constantly changing lava flows on the Big […]
October 19, 2016
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Model Tied Down with Sharks to Create Surreal Shark Shepherd
Fiji is known to ecotourists around the world for its world-class shark dives. As a photographer looking to create meaningful work, this was the perfect opportunity for me to create a series of images that would promote their beauty while advocating for their protection. Sharks are almost always depicted as menacing and terrifying, yet it […]
January 18, 2016
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Dear Fans: I’m Taking A Sabbatical
Though I deeply enjoy sharing and teaching workshops, I have decided to take a break from them in the coming year. Photography is something that I have passionately and tirelessly worked on over the past couple years, and it has reached the point where I need to refocus on “Why” I do photography. Recent soul-searching […]
December 21, 2015
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Surreal Stormchasing Portraits
“Can you imagine how complicated it would be to plan a shoot whilst chasing a storm??” “Coordinating models, building sets & designing lighting – all without knowing where the shoot would take place, while storms zip by at who knows how many miles per hour? It would be an absolute nightmare and impossible to pull off without funding! We […]
November 11, 2015
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A Fantastical Maternity Photoshoot – For Charity
Giving back is something that I’ve always advocated, because I believe that it gives life both meaning and purpose. In the case of photography, I typically do that by means of teaching, writing these blog posts, and occasionally shipping myself into boxes to surprise sick fans. About a year ago, I did something different. I flew over […]
September 20, 2015
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42 Megapixels of Garbage
TLDR: The A7r-ii is an amazing camera, the lens that I had was defective. The 42MP A7r-ii has got to be one of the most anticipated camera systems in the history of cameras – and for good reason. Over the years, I’ve had the chance to play with all sorts of camera systems, from cheap Point & […]
August 24, 2015
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Final Workshop: Giving Away A Spot (incl Airfare)
Photography workshops are fantastic experiences – something about being on a set, as opposed to being stuck facing a computer screen – makes the experience that much more relatable. To me, being able to give back to the community while putting faces to the names that comment and email me has always been an absolutely […]
July 25, 2015
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Wacom's "Create More" Campaign ft. Von Wong
I have always hated sharing PSD files. Not because I’m scared someone will steal my secrets, but because I’ve always believed that it made people focus on reproducing an image, rather than creating something new. Wacom though, had a completely different vision: They believed that giving out tutorials and resources freely to other creatives would encourage and foster growth among […]
July 16, 2015
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Portrait of a Cormorant Fisherman 30m Underwater
A couple months ago, Ballantine‘s approached me with the most amazing assignment ever: “We love what you do and want to support you as part of our Stay True campaign. Is there anything you’d like to do that you’ve never done before?” To receive such complete freedom from a client is almost unheard of – […]
June 28, 2015
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When nothing goes as planned: Do it anyways
I like to do epic things, in exotic locations with amazing people – quite often on a zero budget, fuelled by nothing more than passion. As a result, things rarely… if ever, go 100% smoothly and according to plan. Over time, I have learnt that to be a good photographer you need to be an […]
May 21, 2015
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Hey Mom! I'm on Tee Vee!
In 2009, I told a friend: “Mark my words! Before the age of 30, I’m going to be in a reality TV show!” At the time, I was only being half serious, but in September at 27 years old, I received an email from asian reality show Supermodel Me asking if I would be interested […]
April 6, 2015
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Hellgirl and Hurricane Von Wong – A first person POV
You know that feeling when your stomach fills with concrete and the whole world slips a little left? That was my experience in September 2013 when I was unexpectedly laid off. Six months later, I would feel it fiftyfold—from the rooftop edge of a 40-story building. A habitual reader and career editor, I’m much more at […]
March 13, 2015
