Conversation with Singapore Photographer Russel Wong, Part 2
On his preparation process and fascination with light
Kagai life in Miyagawa-cho, Kyoto, Higashiyama ward, 2010, archival pigment print on photo rag. Image courtesy of Russel Wong.
In the first part of his interview with F&M, Singapore photographer Russel Wong spoke about his formative childhood researching for family vacations and performing magic, his start with photographs of runner Sebastian Coe, and working with the Singapore fashion community in the 1980s.
Here is the second part of the interview, where Russel talks about his preparation process, and his fascination with light.
Could you speak about how you work with lighting?
I love it. Most people pay attention mainly to what they call the highlight area, or the area that is lit. I pay as much attention to the shadow area. I look to Italian painters like Caravaggio and their use of chiarascuro lighting. I have always been attracted to that single source directional light, with no shadow detail. When you have directional light, you can feel the shape of it more compared to flat light, where there is light everywhere, because light is not apparent when there is more than one source.
No one moves lights for me to this day; I still like to fuss around with them in the studio. As for shooting outdoors, to be a good photographer, you have to know where the good light is in daylight. Sometimes, I have to wait a while.
Isabella Rossellini showing shadows with clean light. Image courtesy of Russel Wong.
How did you continue to hone your craft?
I went to Malibu, where I took test shots for models after school to build my book to get work, and this also helped me to pay rent. At some point, I was trying to get the headshots quicker because these landed me covers of magazines.
It sounds like your portrait photography practice began in these test shoots for fashion models! Is a good photograph a collaboration between you and the model?
I can only direct so much. I equate it to a dance. Sometimes I take the lead, and sometimes the model does, and we both improvise.
I hear you have a reputation of shooting fast. How do you do so?
Yes to the point where they just do not believe it. I shoot one roll and sometimes not even 12 frames and then it is on to the next outfit. The preparation is 90%; the idea is the most difficult, and the shooting is easy, because you are trained to do that. And when you visualise it, the next step for photographers is how am I going to light it? It is always like that. Okay, I will approach it technically. What kind of colors is saturated? Or is it going to pop? How will the clothes fit in? By the time I get on set, I can tell stylists what to do, and I can tell the model what to do. She needs to be on board. To do this, I make it a point to tell her the motivations of each shot, as I have seen good directors do.
Russel Wong with Zhang Ziyi for 'Hero' (2002). Image courtesy of Russel Wong.
Do you keep an archive of your work?
Oh yes I do it by myself. I have physical folders, a hard drive, and the 35mm slides. I am such a hoarder; I want to keep everything, even the outtakes.
And do you look back into your archive for inspiration?
I look back, sometimes to maintain it, such as to check if anything has become mouldy. Because I shoot for an assignment, there may be outtakes that look phenomenal but that I bypassed because I was looking for a certain look for a magazine. It is fun to rediscover shots I missed.
As you are looking at your archive, do you see an evolution of your techniques and style?
Yes. Very clearly. I was less adventurous when I started. I cared about what we call a good light, or clean light. But as I went further, I was willing to mess up the light a bit and not make it so perfect. On film sets, I unconsciously had a more cinematic look to my portraits, because I was looking at stuff that was cinematic, and also because the film set is not cleanly lit, and I start having that rougher edge to my shots.
What has kept you going?
It is a little jigsaw puzzle. I feel like I have been doing this for so long, I have figured many things out. I want to try things, because it is easier for me now than ever before. I can pick up a phone or shoot an email, and I can get hold of the person and we just work. I am hanging out with people like Jackie Chan and I do not take it for granted. Any chance I get, I am going to shoot them, not because they are famous, but because they are a part of pop culture.
There is a purpose there.
I want to document it. I mean, I do not need to love you when I shoot you. You might be the worst person. But you are part of that whole fabric of society. This is important visual documentation at this time.
Russel Wong with the cast of Crazy Rich Asians. Image courtesy of Russel Wong.
Do you edit your work?
I do the minimum, if any, in post-production, because I come from the era of negatives. It saves me a lot of time, because the last thing I want to do is spend time in front of a computer. After I shoot it, my job is done.
How did you get your steady work early in your career?
I was given the advice to not follow the money, and to instead work on my book, and the assignments will come. So all I did in my first years in LA was to consistently work my book shooting models and young actresses who were happy to work with me.
How have you created a thriving business from photography?
Business marketing is important. Now, you do not need to print flyers, which costs money. It has gotten easier with emails. But one thing that you cannot substitute is face-to-face engagement, which I spend so much time on. People think it is some secret, but I went to all the agencies and left my promotional card there. And of course I started out shooting the younger actresses and then by word of mouth, I received more work. I find if you meet people out of context, at clubs, or cafes or restaurants, it is easier to get the work. I am not a major clubbing guy, but I went regularly to the clubs in Los Angeles to meet potential clients.
What advice would you give to people who would like to pursue a career in fashion photography?
People ask me if they should do photography, and I think if that question needs to be asked, then you are not meant to do it. For me, there was no safety net, and it was the only thing I wanted to do.
More practically, the research is important and so is working on the craft, because it still boils down to your craft. I mean, I know a lot of people say that I am a great marketer. But if my craft is lousy, no one is going to hire me, no matter how good a friend I am. If you work on the craft, people will see and appreciate it.
Geiko Sayaka helping Maiko Satsuki with her kanzashi (hair ornaments), Kyoto, 2011, archival pigment print on photo rag. Collection of Russel Wong. Image courtesy of Russel Wong.
The white kimono collar worn by the geiko, Kyoto, 2011, archival pigment print on photo rag. Collection of Russel Wong. Image courtesy of Russel Wong.
Wong is holding an exhibition titled ‘Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto’ at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) in Singapore. The exhibition showcases the lifestyles of Edo-period Japan through 150 ukiyo-e prints and paintings while Wong’s black-and-white photographs depict present-day Kyoto. These two facets of the show illustrate the significance of past lifestyles and trends in modern society. ‘Life in Edo | Russel Wong in Kyoto’ will be on display at ACM until 19 September 2021.