TO:KY:OO
TO:KY:OO by Liam Wong, is another fantastic photo book I received for Christmas last year. Liam is a videogame designer and Art Director by trade and in this book, he successfully melds those skills with his photography producing over 250 pages of stunning, rich-color photography that will draw you into his world.
In addition to his beautiful photos, he also provides the stories behind some of his photos, photography hints, and insights into his thoughts, feelings, and inspiration behind his work, giving the reader a peak at the man behind the camera.
Videogames shaped the way I view the world through a lens. Photography has become a way for me to express myself, to share storied and moments captured.
— p 138
One night it rained, and the city came to life. I got lost in the beauty of Tokyo at night. I kept on taking picture after picture. It was like being in the cyberpunk world created by Syd Mead in Blade Runner.
— p 64
It wasn’t immediately obvious to me that my artistic background could cross over with my photography. As soon as I made that connection, I was filled with so many ideas and no longer felt limited by what I thought photography was supposed to be.
— p 96
This quote is the one I remember most when thinking about TO:KY:OO. I remember it, not because I have an artistic background, I don’t, but because it is a reminder to me that photography is an artistic medium.
Jole Grimes, a highly successful commercial advertising photographer, once said, “I stood up and said I’m no longer a photographer. I’m an artist with a set of tools.” Why? Because when he started making composites and applying other postprocessing techniques, his colleagues said his work was no longer photography.
The truth is, as a photographer, you are free to do what you like with your photos. In the world of photography, there are so many people trying to tell you what you can and cannot do, what you should and should not do, and it is all rubbish. Sure, there are a few exceptions, if someone is paying you to produce a specific piece of work for them, the person paying for the work calls the shots, and if you are a journalism photographer, you have a responsibility to truth in your photography. But when expressing yourself with photography, you are not bound by what others tell you photography is and must be.
However, just because you express yourself in your photography, there are no guarantees that anyone else will like it. You are free to create your art, and everyone else is free to like it or not. I, for one, am very glad to see into the world Liam has created. TO:KY:OO allows me to see a part of the world I have yet to see, and to see it through his eyes. I find it fascinating!
In addition to filling TO:KY:OO with large, beautiful full-spread photos, Liam also gives you two magnificent 60x11 inch 4-page spreads. And finally, as a parting gift, in the last 20 or so pages of TO:KY:OO, Liam leaves you with a glimpse into the creative process used when producing several of his photos.
* One or more links on this page are affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
