"One picture is worth a thousand words" is an old Chinese saying and it applies aptly to the work of John Wang. Mr. Wang has published a book of his superb photographs, "The Photography of John Wang". It is a remarkable collection of color photographs using combinations of negatives to produce extraordinary results. Essentially, his work is done for top advertising agencies, but his photos have appeared in and won awards from prestigious photography magazines.

Born in Anwhei, China, one of two sons of a poor farmer, he focused on photography as a hobby while still very young. In 1949, he fled mainland China and followed the Nationalists to Taiwan. When he was 28 he went to Japan to learn book printing and eight years later came to the U.S., studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology, specializing in color separation techniques. After graduation he came to New York and started his own company, John Wang Studio, Inc., in 1967.

In the foreword of the book, Shih Tze-Chien of the University of Chinese Cultures, Taiwan, compares John Wang's work with that of Lang Ching-Shan, a master photographer whose talent is recognized around the world. He says,

"In China, my old friend, Lang Ching-Shan, has developed
a style of "Collective Photography,"......
He would combine the negatives of various subjects,
such as landscapes, people, flowers, birds, and animals
to produce one remarkable image.
His photographs are much like fine Chinese paintings....
Much like Mr. Lang, John Wang, an American photographer,
has established himself as an artist of similar discipline
and elegant style."

Armed with either a Nikon, Minolta or Hasselblad camera loaded with Kodachrome film, Mr. Wang has taken the 120 pictures included in the book Photography of John Wang.

In the section on "Special Effects," there appears a picture of what could be interpreted as an immense explosion. In reality it was taken in Maywood, using the red light on the local ambulance and reflections in its hood, surrounded by parts of Central Park. Here, the method of superimposing one negative upon another was used with extraordinary results.

Mr. Wang shoots only transparencies for his work, sometimes taking as many as 500 for one subject for an advertising agency. His work is done mainly for pharmaceutical and industrial commercials.

In some cases, this work makes great physical demands. For one picture of a duck hunter, taken at Jones Beach, he had to stand knee deep in water for several hours to get just the right mood and expression. At another time, he was required to take a picture from a cherry picker seven stories high, leaving him "just a bit shaky." Mr. Wang selects the models, scouts the locations, and completely pulls together all the components for a good commercial, making him one of the most sought after photographers for J. Walter Thompson, N.W. Ayer, Young and Rubicam, etc., top national advertising agencies.

In 1981 and 1983, he visited China on assignment for Pan American Airlines. Here, no special effects were used and his skill and talent come through in pictures that show his mastery of other photographic techniques and a fine eye for beauty. The brushwork of the Chinese artist seems to be guiding his lens. In this section on China there is a picture of his fomer school teacher, now 95, in front of Wang's family home where his sister and her children still live.

John Wang lives in Maywood with his wife, Cheng-Hua, his son, Jon Michael, 15, and daughter Jennifer Helen, 5. Cheng-Hua was the moving spirit in the publication of the book, having taken the negatives to a publisher in Taiwan where it was printed. She also arranged a photographic exhibition for him at the Chung-Cheng Art Gallery - Institute of Asian Studies, St. John's University, in Jamaica, Queens, from which she holds a master's degree in Asian History.

The book's editorial matter is written in both English and Chinese to allow for Chinese distribution. "The Photography of John Wang", is not just another book to grace the coffee table. It will lift your spirits and show you that there is more to photography than just clicking the shutter.

The following description is captured from the preface of the book to self-introduce of John Wang.

I grew up in mainland China, one of two sons of a poor farmer. This upbringing instilled in me the values of honesty, self-motivation, unselfishness, and dedication. Now, after thirty years of living in the United States, I am still very grateful to my parents for what they gave me.

Photography was my hobby as a boy growing up in China. When I was 28 years old, I went to Japan and studied book printing. Eight years later I came to the United States where I studied at the Rochester Institute of Technology, specializing in color separation techniques. After graduating from Rochester, I came to New York City and started my own company in 1966. Six month later, thanks to my friend Sal Morello, Robert A. Becker Inc., a large advertising agency, became aware of my work. Aa a result, I began a long association with them doing pharmaceutical photography. The agency is still one of my main clients.

As my work became more widely known, I received awards from Popular Photography magazine and from the Art Directors Club of New Jersey. More than twenty years later, my photography business continues to grow. I especially want to thank my wife Cheng-Hua for her support and encouragement in putting together this book. I also wish to thank Peter Dickson and Fred Martin for their assistance. This book represents my work to date as a photographer. As I continue to experiment and grow as a photographer, I look forward to creating new images and I always welcome hearing from you with your suggestions and ideas.