In a world of ubiquitous mobile devices prepared to swiftly capture each passing moment, encountering a photographer committed to film cameras and the meticulous development of black and white photography in a darkroom is rare. Taiwanese photographer Chang Chih-huei shines as one such rarity.

A student of celebrated humanist photographer Yizhong Ruan, Chang chose the less-travelled path by dedicating his art to landscape photography. Immortalizing idyllic scenes exclusively in black and white photography, Chang’s work imparts a depth uncommon in coloured renderings. Through these landscapes, he delves into the intricate relationship between humanity and nature by deftly expressing his innermost thoughts and emotions.

Beyond the frame

Chang envisions photography as a harmonious collaboration between the subject (the presenter) and the human (the discoverer). He meticulously orchestrates shadows and textures in his images, playing with thoughtfully arranged exposures and refining details. “By rendering swans whiter and lake water darker, for example, I create a serene, melancholic atmosphere, resulting in an image that is as powerful as it’s deeply spiritual.”

The power of film

While Chang’s choice to eschew digital technology might label him as “old-fashioned” or “anti-tech,” his preference for film over digital photography arises from the latter’s inability to achieve the desired effects.

According to Chang, despite digital cameras’ advanced sensor technology, they still fall short of film’s dynamic range. “Film captures even the faintest traces of light and the intricate details of unexposed shadows, resulting in an exquisitely nuanced composition. Digital sensors often miss such subtleties,” he says. Just as a painter employs delicate brushstrokes for subtleties, Chang uses film to evoke an ethereal resonance.

Where magic materializes

Images come alive within the darkroom, which transforms into a sanctuary where latent images metamorphose into tangible art. Guiding and executing the final manual enlargement in the dim red light, Chang immerses photographic paper in the developing solution, resulting in evocative images: a resolute bamboo, misty ripples, a radiant moon, drifting clouds, and morning light amid mountain streams.

In these ostensibly commonplace black and white photography, Chang’s distinctive signature thrives. “The negative is like a composer’s score; the print is like the performance,” he says, quoting American photographer Ansel Adams. Similarly, each processing step brings Chang closer to realizing his artistic vision.

Nature’s wild beauty

While many landscape photographers meticulously plan the “perfect” location to shoot, Chang takes the opposite approach, embracing spontaneity. “Overthinking causes inspiration and scenery to disappear. It’s best not to overanalyze.”

Driven by intuition, Chang roams mountains and fields, capturing the fleeting images that catch his attention without dwelling on missed opportunities. “Mist drapes an ethereal veil while rain orchestrates a sensory symphony. If I miss spring’s vibrant blooms, a tapestry of colours still unfolds in the summer. For each sunrise I don’t get to capture, a stunning fiery sunset follows,” he says.

Chang recalls a line from a poem by Taiwanese poet Zhou Mengdie: “With green in your heart, you see grass when you step out.”

Transcending in black and white

According to Chang, black and white photography reveals the subtleties of moments—stripping images of colour unveils dramatic contrasts. It’s a focus on composition, form, and texture that yields deeply stirring images. Moreover, Chang’s black-and-white photography evokes a tranquillity unique to Eastern culture.

While not formally trained in calligraphy, ink painting, or Zen philosophy, Chang embodies their characteristic calm and simplicity in his works. “I don’t seek it consciously; I immerse myself in nature and approach it with a contemplative and reverent heart. It becomes a spiritual experience I share through film with those who view my work,” he says.

Window to the soul

Chang wields the camera as his medium of artistry. “The images I capture with my camera aren’t mere replicas of reality; they’re what my eyes see, what my heart feels, and what my life’s experiences and insights bring,” he says.

A friend once told him that photography can be categorized as a window or mirror, an analogy that profoundly impacted his work and creative process. When Chang first started photographing landscapes, the camera was like a window that framed the scenery. However, as his understanding of photography and life deepened, this window transformed into a mirror, reflecting not only the images he saw but also his inner self.

In Chang’s black and white photography collection, Spiritual · Tranquil Landscapes, he quotes French writer Albert Camus: “No matter how many million eyes have taken it in before me, to me, the landscape before me is like the first smile to break out of the earth.”