We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tung Lin Tsai. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tung Lin below.
Tung Lin, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
My photography journey began during my freshman year of college when I knew little about the craft. A black-and-white darkroom course captivated me so deeply that I decided to change my major to photography. Since then, I’ve been exploring various photographic processes, working with both digital and analog techniques.
Looking back, I realize that studying more photobooks would have significantly enhanced my development as a photo-based creator. Examining the historical context of photobooks not only deepens a photographer’s understanding of the medium’s evolution but also illuminates various photographic techniques. Interestingly, the limitations of these techniques often shaped photographers’ work in their respective eras. I believe the most crucial skill for any photographer or photo-based creator is the ability to truly see a picture, analyze how it was captured, and understand the intention behind it.
My photographic journey faced a significant challenge: a tendency to view images through a limited lens. For years, I focused exclusively on creating black-and-white photographs—a choice influenced by my colorblindness, which I still have today. However, by venturing into color photography, I unexpectedly improved my skills in composition and editing.
My photographic journey faced a significant challenge: a tendency to view images through a limited lens. For years, I focused exclusively on creating black-and-white photographs—a choice influenced by my colorblindness, which I still have today. However, by venturing into color photography, I unexpectedly improved my skills in composition and editing.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I grew up in Taipei, Taiwan, but spent little time there after finishing elementary school. Now, I’m a photographer studying and working in the United States. Film photography has been a significant part of my life for nearly a third of it—from my first experience with black-and-white darkroom techniques at California College of the Arts to my post-graduation job at a photo lab. There, I developed film, scanned negatives, and handled professional printing. This passion has shaped my career path. Currently, I’m furthering my education by pursuing a graduate degree in photography and printmaking at Boston University.
As a photographer and image-based artist, I explore the intersection of the mundane and photography. My work often features everyday objects—paper airplanes, plastic bags, office paper, and daily calendars—as metaphorical political symbols. These items serve a dual purpose, representing both political discourse and the daily realities of Taiwanese life.
Over the past year, my friends and I have been running a small self-publishing project called *Unpress*, focusing on experimental photobooks and publications. We’ve showcased our work at several photobook exhibitions, setting up stalls in Taipei, Boston, and New York. Looking ahead, we aim to expand our publishing scope, collaborate with a wider range of photographers, and reach a broader audience.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
If I were to mention the most impactful turning points in my photography learning journey, it would be my encounter with Joel Sternfeld’s photobook, “Stranger Passing,” a series of street portraits. These seemingly uniform images of passersby quietly conveyed a powerful visual tension.
This experience led me to a profound realization about the power of subtle changes. A photographer only needs to turn the lens 30 degrees to the right or adjust the frame’s exposure to create a completely different photograph. This insight helped me recognize that even slight adjustments could provide viewers with entirely different information from the same scene.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
As a photo-based artist, I’ve aimed to create a multifaceted platform. This platform not only provides a space for artistic creation but also serves as a forum for exploring identity, reflecting on theory, and examining the interplay between politics and culture. To realize this goal, I co-founded the publishing project Unpress with two fellow creators, Howsem Huang and Sinistra Pan.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://unpress.cc
- Instagram: tsaitungtung
Image Credits
Tung Lin Tsai