Alvin Kean Wong
"I talk a lot of rubbish and a lot of my subjects feed off my humour and energy."
Final edit
Title: Samurai Rockabilly
Featured: ID Magazine
Outtakes
Q&A
Give us some background on this project.
I had this interest to shoot Yamashita, a Japanese rockabilly – also a musician, actor, dancer and model. I was introduced to a guy who connected us then I bought a concert ticket and went along to photograph Yamashita and his performance group.
Robert Longo produced a series in the 80's titled "Men in the Cities", which depicted sharply dressed men and women writhing in contortion. Robert is an amazing artist and I would not even compare myself to him, but his pictures played a huge importance on the influence of this series that I produced.
Initially, I wanted to produce photographic portraits but Yamashita and his group have been photographed this way too many times. So, I took the Robert Longo reference to capture them in motion. Everything was not planned. It was very impromptu.
I didn't really know how it was going to turn out. During the shoot, it was about finding the right spontaneous moment and composition. I guess I took a leap of faith and, of course, my education in photography helped guide me.
Why was the final edit selected over the outtakes?
I would like to think it's because the images tell a story. I always try to tell a story and photography is a tool for me to express this about the people I meet.
Any cheeky moments during this project that you'd be willing to share?
We shot this series at a location that a ranger told me I wasn't allowed to photograph in. He asked us to leave so we told him we would leave in 5mins but ended up shooting for another 20mins. It was worth it.
What’s it like being on set with you?
I have a lot of energy. I move around a lot to find my composition. I talk a lot of rubbish and a lot of my subjects feed off my humour and energy.
Do you prefer a large or small team on set?
For personal projects, I always prefer smaller teams - the camera, myself, and the subject(s).
For larger jobs, I've worked with the same 5 people for the past 5 years. We started out assisting together. We travel, party, and holiday together. My team are my family. They support my growth and I support theirs. I get really attached to people, so when my pals grow to become photographers and directors, it's as if I lose a huge part of myself and it's hard to replace them. But I am happy for their growth and to see their amazing work, which continues to inspire me.
Describe your ideal project.
Trust. When the team trusts each other and gives their 100% that's when the images turn out best.
Express what your work means to you.
Photography is a means to document our generation. All of the photographs you take today will be valuable many years to come. It's not about the money. That memory and the moments in between can never be recreated.
Social media for artists… Give us your thoughts.
Instagram gives photography a platform and I think it's an amazing tool. It's just a bummer that people get pissed when you forget to tag them.
Do you have any suggestions to budding artists?
You can only get better. Assisting is the best way to make a living. I know a lot of career assistants who make more money than a lot photographers. I think my assistant makes more money than me! There are no rules in photography. Never let anyone tell you what to do. Appreciate and study past photographs and photographers. Find your own calling. You know what you are best at.
Anything else you'd like to share about you or your work?
I am just a guy living my life taking pictures of interesting human beings.
Why do you think it's important for outtakes to be featured?
I should care more about promoting and I am the worst at logistics and writing to people to get my work out there. I just want to shoot and make pictures. But I hope this feature can help to promote me, ha!
What’s next for you?
I plan on travelling more to interesting places to produce more personal projects.
Share a quote you live by.
The past and future is not important if you enjoy every moment of the present.
How can people follow your work?