Yang Tsung Han
Interview with Yang Tsung Han
TeIFA 2019 Winner, Silver, Architecture/Industrial, “Tunnel at Night”
Yang Tsung Han is a Taiwanese-born photographer. He won Silver Prize in the Architecture Category of TeIFA with his series titled “Tunnel at Night”. Mr. Yang tells us that since his childhood, he used to go through a tunnel on his way home; which served as the inspiration for said series: “Ever since I was a child, there is a tunnel on my way home I always pass through. When I went through it, the time seemed to be slower than usual. The changes of colour and shimmering light inside the tunnel are like a path to travel through space and time.”
Q: What qualities should the ideal photographer have?
Yang Tsung Hang: For me, the ideal photographer should have various thinking models [a mental model is an explanation of how something works. It is a concept, framework, or worldview that you carry around in your mind to help you interpret the world and understand the relationship between things] and being able to explore and apply the past, present and future.
Q: What is the most difficult photo to capture?
Yang Tsung Hang: The future. I always think about how to shoot images that have never been explored.
Q: Are there any photographs that have changed your life?
Yang Tsung Hang: The physical photo I saw for the first time. I still remember that it was my father filming my young playful appearance.
Q: What is your photographic training, and what equipment do you use?
Yang Tsung Hang: The art-world context has taught me how to innovate. As long as I can produce images, it will be my tool.
Q: What do you think of digital photography?
Yang Tsung Hang: Digital photography can develop all the possibilities of innovation along with the development of contemporary technology and complete the things that can only be accomplished by painting.
Q: In an era where the consumption of audiovisual content is massive, what do you think is the future of photography?
Yang Tsung Hang: The future of photography is art. At the same time, it can be continuously connected with the Internet as a kind of human civilization activity.
Q: Is there any photographer that you would have liked to learn from?
Yang Tsung Hang: All contemporary visual images are my source of learning and inspiration.
Q: What themes guide your work and process?
Yang Tsung Hang: Entering the art market. How to overcome painting is the biggest issue that affects my creative thinking.
Many would think that tunnels are not a particularly interesting subject to photograph or observe, but just taking a look at Yang Tsun’s work would change your mind immediately. You will discover that tunnels can be a bounty of photographic opportunities. It can be a compositional element, a background, a place with great light for portraits and more. Next time you see one, take one moment to have a more critical look.
