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Photographer | Long Chin-san

  • Date:2016-08-19
Photographer | Long Chin-san

  • Chinese Name: 郎靜山
  • Born: Aug. 4, 1892
  • Died: April 13, 1995
  • Place of Birth: Huaiyin, Jiangsu Province
  • Did You Know That … ?
  • There is a memorial tablet on Taipei's Zhongshan North Road dedicated to the late maestro for his pioneering ventures in composite pictures and nude photography.


Master photographer Long Chin-san is considered one of the most prominent figures in the history of photography in the Taiwan Strait.


Long of Lanchi, Zhejiang Province heritage was born in Huaiyin, Jiangsu Province. He was steeped in the traditional Chinese arts of painting and calligraphy since childhood and came into contact with photography when he was in school.


He began working for Shanghai's "Shen Bao (申報)” and joined the "Eastern Times (時報)” in 1926 as one of China's first photojournalists. After the July 7th (Marco Polo Bridge) Incident in 1937, Long and his family moved to Sichuan Province. Since many domestic and foreign dignitaries flocked to Chongqing at that time, Long became acquainted with important people from all walks of life and photographed their historical profiles.


After relocating to Taiwan in 1949, Long became a profound artistic influence who helped shape the aesthetics of Taiwan. Historic figures from the fields of politics, government, military, business, culture, and other sectors of society all appeared in the multitude of personal portraits captured by Long's camera lens. The cultural image set by the master artist and his overall artistic influence are clearly visible.


During his photography career spanning over eight decades, Long created photography works with the beauty of Chinese ink wash paintings by perfectly blending Western photography skills with Chinese landscape aesthetics. For his lifelong dedication to carrying forward traditional Chinese culture through photography, he has been called the "Father of Asian Photography.”


He passed away in Taipei at the age of 103. He is succeeded by fifteen sons and daughters from his four marriages, all of whom carry the character "yu (毓)” - meaning "to rear” - as the starting character of their first name.


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