Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser
We and our trusted partners use technology such as cookies on our site to personalize content and ads, provide social media features, and analyze our traffic. You can read more about it and change your preferences here.
Agree
BoredPanda Add Post

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film
28points
User submission
255
1.4K
Photography6 years ago

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

1Kviews

Johnny Tang
Community member

The first thing you should know, is that these are pictures of me, but they’re not really about me. Instead these images combine surrealism, with philosophy, to build a portrait of how identities are formed. By cleverly juxtaposing contradicting forces, these images question which of our thoughts and actions are the ones that define us.

The images presented here are shot on analog film with the aid of an assistant, and a tripod. I direct all the shots, while the assistant pulls the trigger on my mark. I chose to work in this way, because I find the color of analog film to be nostalgic of a bygone era, which has been crucial for making the dreamlike world I present seem all the more familiar.

While many of the ideas presented in these images come from western philosophy, particularly existentialism and postmodernism. My inspiration for the visuals compositions usually comes from Asian sources, such as Chinese scroll paintings and Japanese manga. I find that working in this way, I am able to pay homage to both my cultural backgrounds, as an Asian and an American. This is another multi-faceted and dynamic fusion that my photos work to express; the two different cultural backgrounds that I inhabit come together to create something new, and something uniquely Asian American.

More info: johnnytangphoto.com

Yin Yang Whisper

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

This is how I feel when I’m trying to take my own advice.

Invictus

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Narcissus

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

This is how I feel when I’m on the internet.

The Stranger

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

School of Cambridge

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Painful Pleasures

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Pleasures of Pain

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

The Indecisive Battle

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Illusions of Progress

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Paradox of Choice

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

“Life can only be understood backward, but it must be lived forwards.” – Soren Kierkegaard.

Odysseus’ Rock

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Diligentia I

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Diligentia II

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

War and Peace

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

A Waking Dream

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Commodum

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Fortuna

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Grounded Ambitions

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Fearful Courage

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Migrant Shores

I Spent 5 Years Creating Clever, Cinematic, And Surreal Conceptual Portraits Using Analog Film

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

1Kviews

Share on Facebook
Johnny Tang
Johnny Tang
Author, Community member

Johnny Tang is a fine art photographer based in Brooklyn, NY who specializes in clever, cinematic and surreal conceptual portraits. He strives to create images that are both thought provoking and interesting to look at.

Johnny earned a BFA in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and currently assists photographers in New York as he develops his personal work.

Read more »
You May Like
Back to Homepage
More about Photography
Homepage
Trending
Photography
Homepage
Next in Photography
Popular on Bored Panda
What do you think ?
POST
Marcos Zamarripa
Marcos Zamarripa
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really great photos, now you inspired me to do something like that with my touch, one day I will take good photos as yours. Congratz I love'em!

0
0points
reply
POST
Marcos Zamarripa
Marcos Zamarripa
Community Member
6 years ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really great photos, now you inspired me to do something like that with my touch, one day I will take good photos as yours. Congratz I love'em!

0
0points
reply
Popular on Bored Panda
Popular on Bored Panda
User Submissions
Also on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda