benvonwong

These Photos Show How Much Plastic Enters the Ocean Every 60 Seconds

Photographer Benjamin Von Wong recently came across a statistic that shocked him: "Every 60 seconds, the equivalent of a truckload of plastic enters the ocean." Wanting to make a difference, Von Wong decided to toss an actual truckload of plastic into the ocean to create photos showing the magnitude of the problem.

Photo Shoot Raises Awareness of Toxic Laundry Water

Benjamin Von Wong, a viral photographer turned environmentalist, has released a new project to raise awareness about "toxic laundry" that is full of plastic. An estimated 94% of American tap water contains invisible plastic fibers, and Von Wong felt compelled to do something about it.

Photographer Dangles Paralyzed Mom Off a Cliff for Epic Mother’s Day Shoot

Epic. I hate that word. But when it comes to Benjamin Von Wong's crazy photography stunts, it's really the one that fits best. So call it "amazing." Call it "awesome." Call it "adventurous" or "dangerous" or "heart-thumping." I think hanging a paralyzed mom and her son off a cliff for some cool photos is just plain epic.

Photographer Puts Mermaid on 10,000 Plastic Bottles to Raise Awareness

Over the past year or so, photographer Benjamin Von Wong has taken his talent for epic photo shoots and turned it towards trying to raise awareness for "boring" topics like climate change or wildlife conservation. His latest project continues this trend; this time, he's taking on plastic pollution.

Crazy Surreal Portraits Shot on Active Lava Flows in Hawaii

Photographer and creator of epic scenes Benjamin Von Wong has been quiet for a long time while he has, in his words, "been trying desperately to do the delicate dance of keeping my epic style while also doing good in this world." This surreal lava portrait photo shoot is his return to the game.

4 Steps to Taking Your Photos To The Next Level of Epic

Although my work ranges from dangling people off the edge of rooftops, to tying them down in underwater shipwrecks, to lighting them on fire—I recently discovered four steps in the process that have remained consistent year after year.

A Disney-Themed Photo Shoot in the World’s Largest Monastery Library

The Admont Abbey in Austria is one of the oldest monasteries in the world, and inside is the largest monastic library in the world. The grand library hall was built back in 1776 and contains roughly 70,000 books. 48 windows fill the chamber with gorgeous natural lighting.

Photographer Benjamin Von Wong was recently given access to the historic building and used the opportunity to do the first creative photo shoot ever held there.

Bali Underwater Shipwreck Fantasy Shoot Part 2: How It All Came Together

Montreal-based photographer Benjamin Von Wong's underwater fantasy fashion shoot in a Bali shipwreck has quickly become the most popular project he has ever released. And even though he shared some behind the scenes details when the series first debuted, he's back today with a much more detailed look at how exactly these now-viral photos came to be.

Behind the Scenes with Ben Von Wong for Adobe’s Creative Voices Campaign

During a chance meeting with Adobe last year at WPPI, photographer Benjamin Von Wong was asked if he’d like to take part in Adobe’s Creative Voices series, which features artists that truly take Adobe’s products to the next level and make incredible art. As an avid user of their products, Von Wong happily obliged and over the next year the rest fell into place.

Big Time Photographers Join Forces to Sell Prints and Raise Money for ‘Saving Eliza’

By now you're very familiar with the story of Eliza O'Neill and how the photo community has come together to try and spread the word and help fund her cure. But we're not done yet! Starting today, some big names in photography are teaming up with SmugMug to sell prints and help make sure this little girl lives on to see many more happy and healthy birthdays.

Saving Eliza: One Photographer Takes on Daunting Odds to Save a Little Girl’s Life

Raising 2.5 million dollars in a few months is a goal that would scare most people into submission. But it’s amazing what you can do when you have conviction and the power of a dedicated community behind you.

That’s what photographer Benjamin Von Wong had to offer when he was asked to help a dying 4-year-old girl: conviction, and the support of a photo community that time and again proves itself to be not just compassionate, but powerful when moved to action.

Saving Eliza: Working a Photographic Miracle (Part I)

Can you imagine photography saving a life? Or forget life, lives? Hundreds, thousands of lives saved... and the catalyst for it all a photo community dedicated to proving they can make a difference.

Over the next couple of weeks, the photographic community has the chance to work a bonafide miracle. A little girl in South Carolina is dying of a degenerative disease, and it’s in all of our power to help cure her. Together with Benjamin Von Wong, we’re going to embark on a journey to tell this little girl’s story to the world, and write in the happy ending ourselves...

BTS: What It’s Like Being on DigitalRev’s Cheap Camera Challenge

We've featured plenty of Pro Photographer Cheap Camera Challenges over the years, all of them informative, educational and entertaining to varying degrees. What we've never had before is the photographer's perspective. What's it like to be on the program? How does it go down? How much planning goes into it?

Thanks to Benjamin Von Wong and Silistudio we now have an answer to all of those questions and more.

Ben Von Wong Kicks off Inspirational Video Series from SmugMug in Style

If you feel the Internet is short on inspirational content for budding photographers, then the folks at SmugMug have got something awesome in store for you. It's called SmugMug Films, and starting with the Benjamin Von Wong video above, the series will give you a glimpse into the lives of some of the most extraordinary and inspirational photographers of our time.

BTS: Using Shutter Drag to Shoot Motion-Blurred Photos of Dancers

I was recently offered the opportunity to direct a filler piece by Filler Magazine that involved telling a beautiful love story through fashion and dance. I also shot a series of artistic still photographs in which I used shutter drag to add motion-blur to the images. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the shoot.

How to Shoot an Ocean Sunrise Portrait In an Ordinary Swimming Pool

Check out this album cover portrait photo of the Belgian indie pop band SX, shot by photographer Benjamin Von Wong. While it looks appears to show the band standing in the ocean with the sun rising (or setting) in the background, it was actually shot in a much more controlled environment: a swimming pool.

Indestructible Hard Drive Keeps Your Pics Safe from Car Washes, Fire and Football

It's unlikely you'll ever need to protect your digital photos from extreme elements (and if you have a 7D you know your camera will make it) but as the saying goes, it's better to be safe than sorry -- and apparently hard drives don't get much safer than the Slilicon Power A80. In a video that's equal parts fun and demonstration, photographer Benjamin Von Wong put the hard drive through a series of unrealistically harsh tests, making sure it still worked after each one.