Richard Wong

Richard Wong was born and raised in Southern California. His photographic interests started during his childhood because when he was younger, his family would take trips to California’s Central Coast and to the Rockies and looking at landscape pictures really caught his eye. Richard began taking a serious interest into photography when he was in college because before then he had always thought that it was quite boring since the ideas of portrait session and wedding photography had always come to mind. Richard’s inspiration to take on photography as a lifestyle was from an Outdoor Photographer magazine his cousin had brought along on a road trip. He has spent the majority of his adult life dedicated to photography and everything had become full circle for him once Outdoor Photographer had asked him to write and illustrate an article for their magazine. He now lives in the San Fransisco Bay Area with his wife and two-year old daughter. 

Wong’s focus of photography was shaped from his childhood because of all the different trips him and his family would go on and taking pictures now reminds him of that because beings back happy fun-filled memories. He initially started taking photos for the creative side of it, to keep memories and share with loved one, but later on it became more intimate because he used photography as a way to express himself as he was struggling through college and coping with his father’s terminal illness. Richard’s intention for his pictures are rarely for beauty’s sake, but to relive youthful memories and feelings, that’s why his photography is California coast based. 

Since Richard has started his photography, he has made a big impact in media such as being published in all different types of media around the world. His fine art photography can be found in Sierra Heritage magazine, “The Best Way to Experience the Oregon Coast” article from Vogue, and many other publications. Richard also has had his fine art photography prints sold to private collectors, art consultants and various business owners. Richard says that “photography is equal parts art and therapy” because it displays beauty and relief. His art displays all the major parts of California’s coast such as Los Angeles, Balboa Island, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach, and Doheny State Beach.

Wong’s unique piece, “L.A. Skyline”, photographed in 2010,  shows the snowy Mount Baldy Peak in the background of the Los Angeles’ skyline at sunset. The way he photographed this was with a telephoto lens to get the background so clear because it is not a sight that is possible to be seen through the naked eye, but only through the lens of a camera. His next photo is of a man bodyboarding The Wedge in Newport Beach. This displays the everyday surfer of this southern California local spot that familiarizes him of his youth. The third picture is of the Milky Way seen from Joshua Tree National Park which is the closest National Park to Los Angeles, close to where Richard grew up. Joshua Tree is where he went to quite often when he was first attempting photography because he has spent much time there when he was a child with his family. Next is his photograph that was taken during travel, of the Huntington Beach Pier with a surfer riding into the pier at sunset. In this picture you can see tourists and locals taking part at this historical place in California. Richard’s last picture is of Salton Sea which is a man-mad irrigation disaster that is filled with urban decay and many abandoned objects. He went to Salton Sea and Slab City for the uniqueness of this area because it is a place where people who are “squatters, drifters, and drop outs of society” go and was very intrigues to photograph this area. Richard Wong has taken his time and decadency with his photography to go out and travel to the places he went to in his youth and shown the beauty of Southern California and what people of this area experience everyday.