Three world-class photographers leaned into the Tangerine dream for Chasing the Light , an exhibition comprised entirely of photographs taken on the iPhone 16 Pro, which opens in London, New York and Shanghai simultaneously today. Specifically, curator and former DoP for NYT Magazine Kathy Ryan teamed up with American Vogue contributor Ryan McGinley , the revelatory Chinese artist Chen Man , and inspired Ghanaian image-maker Prince Gyasi for the ambitious show. “When you’re working on a project like this, the whole point is for the artist to bring their thing and give them plenty of room to do what they do,” says Ryan.
“Every one of the artists made images that will stand the test of time in one single day. They each brought years of thinking and breathing and living their art [to Chasing the Light ].” Here, the trio lets Vogue in on their tips for getting the perfect shot in the great outdoors – no DSLR required.
Disrupt the colour plane Chen Man – who started out in graphic design on Macintosh back in 2003 – decamped to The Huntington for Chasing the Light , with dancers posing among the botanical gardens’ cacti, bamboo groves, and cherry blossom trees. Jumping out against the calming, natural hues of the landscape? The primary colours of the styling and the leather-bound books carried by each model. “I know [The Huntington] very well, and it was here that the dancers showcased the unique gardens from four different directions under a blazing sun.
.. The main challenge was the intense heat!” Man says.
Her own love of image-making was sparked by growing up near Tiananmen Square in Beijing and seeing “how many people were drawn in from around the world to take photos there”. Today, her creative practice is anchored by a fascination with the “diversity of colour and unity of the world”. “Despite the world’s differences, we continuously strive for connection, which is at the core of my creations.
” Travel as far as you need to go for the right light Ryan McGinley and his chosen “A-team” headed out to Glynwood Farms in Upstate New York to capture the eight photographs seen in Chasing the Light . “I called everyone up and was like, ‘OK, do you want to go Upstate and just be playful and congregate in nature with a group of non-binary and queer people?’ and they were like, ‘ Yes , that sounds amazing.’ I always think my energy comes from a queer rebellious spirit, and I think our group really embodied that.
” Beyond jumping at the chance to reconnect with nature, McGinley knew that the Hudson Valley landscape – and its golden light – guaranteed special images. “You get all of the elements – earth, water, air, fire – [at Glynwood],” says McGinley. “Being on the ground myself, I was able to really study the light and figure out a plan of where we were shooting throughout the day [to make the most of it, too].
” Put your own stamp on every shot In an age when you only need to plug “Yosemite” into Google to see El Capitan in close-up, the most powerful landscape photography goes beyond classic Ansel Adams vistas. Happily, shooting on an iPhone means you can leave most kit at home – but that doesn’t mean you should overlook set design, especially when capturing a landscape like Joughin Ranch in California. For his pink-sanded shots, Prince Gyasi – who started out posting his work on Instagram with the classic #ShotOniPhone tag – headed to a Northridge helipad (on “a very windy day”), shooting his all-Black cast embodying “togetherness and greatness”.
“I wanted to tell a story where [they’re] trying to fight the same mission and reach the same goal.” The end result? High-octane portraits that also showed off the Santa Susana Mountains in a whole new way. And to top it all off, “I didn’t even have to retouch the skin,” Gyasi grins.
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