Photographer's Profile

Deb Fong

United States

I have been photographing diverse subjects for 22 years. My work embodies my interest in exploring, reshaping, and sharing my perspectives on humanity, cultures, social injustices, and travel experiences that expand my understanding of the world. American by birth, I relocated to Hong Kong in 2013, to the Netherlands in 2016, and back home to NYC in 2019. I am especially drawn to dynamic motion, unique faces, intense color, textures, geometries and lines, and the interplay of light and shadow. While capturing specific expressions, moments, or elements that evoke the essence of place (or sometimes challenge perceptions of such), I seek to create rich, timeless images that still feel of-the-moment. I began my training with photographic composition and B&W printing classes. I have since taken classes specializing in photography and travel, studying with renowned photographers including Jay Maisel, David Alan Harvey, and Jill Enfield. I also studied technical skills at the International Center of Photography (ICP). Between 2020-21, I extensively photographed the Black Lives Matter (BLM) and Stop Asian Hate movements in NYC. Two portraits were selected for inclusion in prominent NYC exhibitions, ICP’s downtown re-opening exhibition, #ICPConcerned: Global Images for Global Crisis and Art on the Ave’s uptown exhibition, The Art of Healing. Three of my images were featured in Art on the Ave’s downtown exhibition, Resiliency. Two of my images were featured in Women Street Photographers' 2nd Virtual Exhibition and 4th Annual NYC Exhibition, respectively. A series was included in reports authored by Slover Linett, analyzing culture and community. In 2021, I was featured in pocstock’s AAPI Creators Spotlight. I am also a Semi-Finalist in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition 2022. Most recently, I was named a Finalist in the American Photography OPEN 2022 Competition. Several of my images were highlighted by National Geographic Your Shot as Editor’s Picks. Other images have been featured in various other magazine publications, photography platforms, and feeds, including competitions hosted by Getty Images and others, and Instagram itself. My work has been published in Harper’s Bazaar and various photography books, including volumes curated by ICP and Aperture.