INFO – Tommy Wu Photography

Photo: Alan Reade

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Born in Vietnam and raised in Orange County, California, Tommy Wu is a self-taught photographer currently based in Los Angeles. Although Tommy’s training was in engineering, his creative right brain is what propels his photographic commissions and projects. Drawing from his experience as a gay Asian man, his photographic projects tend to explore memory, identity, and self-discovery.

Tommy has been an active member of Diversify Photo, a community of BIPOC photographers and creatives dedicated to building community, since 2020. During the pandemic in 2020, Tommy was invited to present two decades’ worth of his Pride Parade photos on the panel SF Pride 2020 – 50 Years, sponsored by California state senator Scott Wiener and curated by Joseph Abbati. Tommy’s work has appeared in A&U, The Advocate, Out Magazine, and HuffPost, among many other publications.

In 2019, Tommy created a personal project Be Visible, Be Counted to amplify the voices of underrepresented LGBTQ+ communities in response to the Trump Administration’s attempt to erase LGBTQ+ population in the Census.

Shows & Awards

2020: Featured photographer, SF Pride 2020 – 50 Years project, presented by State Senator Scott Wiener
2019: Be Visible, Be Counted project featured in Queer As Art gallery show, Photonic Playground gallery, Santa Ana, California
2015: Photographic feature Let’s Strip Like Magic Mike published in Out Magazine
2014: Photographic article “Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, Early November 2014” published in HuffPost
2013: Photo appeared in American Photographic Artists Off The Clock juried show, Helms Design Center, Culver City, California
2012: First Place, Photo District News (PDN) Magazine, Street Scene category

Clients

A&U Magazine
ACLU Missouri
The Advocate
Big Fig Mattress
California Nurses Association
DORIAN Magazine
The Fashionisto Magazine
Fossa Apparel
Frontiers Magazine
Girls’ Life Magazine
Hotel Nikko San Francisco
HUF Magazine
HuffPost
Intuit Inc.
Karen Klein Fashion, Inc.
LAGLCC
Lemonlight
Ohlala Magazine
Out Magazine
Palm Springs Life Magazine
St. Louis Magazine
U.S. Bank

Contact

(213) 271 6259

We are in the countdown to another solar eclipse this morning and we are going from dawn to dusk and back again in the space of a few minutes. In 2017 we made an impromptu travel 850 miles overnight from L.A. to the "path of totality" for the solar eclipse in Culver, Oregon. These are the images I captured during the total eclipse.

Image 1: Total eclipse.
Image 2: The sky turns brighter as the sun is blocked and the moon darkens.
Image 3: People continue watching the sky after totality has taken place.

#eclipse #eclipse2017 #2017eclipse #culveroregon #centraloregon #eclipse2024 #2024eclipse #family #smalltown #agameoftones

We are in the countdown to another solar eclipse Monday morning. In 2017 we made an impromptu travel 850 miles overnight from L.A. to the "path of totality" for the solar eclipse in Culver, Oregon. People used eclipse glasses and improvised various devices to keep the glasses on their faces while using their front yards and rooves as stadium seats. These are the images I captured in the hour before the total eclipse.

#eclipse #eclipse2017 #2017eclipse #culveroregon #centraloregon #eclipse2024 #2024eclipse #family #smalltown #agameoftones

I was excited when @apollomoon999 agreed to sit for the Singlet series. When we met for the first time in my studio, I could sense that Apollo had the confidence and determination to achieve success in whatever he puts his mind to. We talked shop a bit as Apollo is experienced in the old methods of large format analog photography, and I was pleased with the way Apollo brought his own interpretation to the Singlet project.

Please check out the link in the bio to view the full versions of all the images.

#hairyman #singlet #maleathlete #creativelighting #fetishwear #gayfetish #gayerotic #gayvoyeur #transman

This Singlet photo series allows me to collaborate with various participants who embody their athleticism through a single piece of athletic fashion. Singlets were evidently invented in the 1920s and started becoming more ubiquitous in wrestling in the 1960s and 1970s, decades before they became an expression of playfully masculine identity in the queer world. And the design of the singlet has been reinvented and redefined by queer designers for self-expression and in some cases for practicality, such as with zippers for easy access.

Please check out the link in the bio to view the full versions of all the images.

#hairyman #singlet #maleathlete #creativelighting #fetishwear #gayfetish #gayerotic #gayvoyeur

Objectified Series: @leopcarney at an early age was aware of his homosexuality and that started him on a path of exploring gender too. "In Samoa there’s this thing called fa’afafine, which is a third gender, and I think in those capacities it was very freeing to know that gender is fluid."

If we lived in an ideal world, humans would be able to explore and express our sexual identities and gender identities without fear and judgment. Through religious or governmental oppression, often we so-called sexual minorities have to fight for our freedoms in being who we are. Fortunately, with hard work and learning the history of our forebears, we can empower ourself with knowledge and confidence.

Please check out the link in the bio to view the full versions of all the images and text.

#ObjectifiedSeries #AsianMenEmpowerment #AsianMen #SexyAsianMen #Asian #NudeMale #NudeAsianMen #MalePhotography #FineArtPhotography

Objectified Series: In his interview, @leopcarney reveals that his parents were right about education "because no one can take that away from you." From that foundation, he takes the time to learn about himself and his identity.

I was delighted that Leo was open to be in this project after our initial Zoom meeting. At the age of 28, he has done so much and he is looking forward to explore and learn more about himself as a queer Asian man. Not
only is Leo comfortable in front of the lens, but he is also able to convey that confidence effortlessly. This contrasts with how nervous I was with my own nude self-portraits for this series. One needs to take the first step and repeat again and again to achieve confidence.

Please check out the link in the bio to view the full versions of all the images and text.

#ObjectifiedSeries #AsianMenEmpowerment #AsianMen #SexyAsianMen #Asian #NudeMale #NudeAsianMen #MalePhotography #FineArtPhotography

Mo is relatively new to L.A. after moving from Colorado. He's making his transition to modeling and go-go dancing from his corporate day job. The day of the shoot I was somewhat nervous about this new concept, and the lighting design was only in my head and had yet to be tested with anyone. Nevertheless, I reminded myself that my best work comes from when I am on high alert and 110% "on." As it turned out, Mo was so easy to work with and so patient with me during the lighting changes that the session was a breeze.

Please check out the link in the bio to view the full versions of all the images.

#hairyman #singlet #maleathlete #creativelighting #fetishwear #gayfetish #gayerotic #gayvoyeur

My new photo series Singlet is launched! Each session will feature a slightly different visual concept to challenge myself. Thank you, Mo, for stepping up to be the first.

Please check out the link in the bio to view the full versions of all the images.

#hairyman #singlet #maleathlete #creativelighting #fetishwear #gayfetish #gayerotic #gayvoyeur

Objectified Series: First off, I want to express my gratitude for the support of the Objectified project from the participants and you the audience. My goal is simply to empower Asian men to embrace our own masculinity and vulnerability.

And now, on to our newest model in the series.

Sticking to a demanding gym routine means giving up events that don't align with those goals. But was @magicmingster ever tempted to blow off those early-morning hours in the gym when other people wanted him to stay out late and sleep in? Apparently not! "So I think that mentally, yes, I'm the one who forced myself to do things to get what I want. Physically, yes, training in the gym, and working out with a very fixed schedule. And also mentally I just put myself out there. It's me, if you don't like it, fuck off."

Having Ming in my studio again since our last meeting in 2017 for the Men Over 50 photo series, which my husband Alan & I created together through @tommyandalanphoto, was a reunion of heart and mind. Our paths may lead to different places, but we always seem to circle back to the subject of how to empower Asian men in the Western world. We each do our parts in sharing our stories: our experiences of being visible and counted.

Please check out the link in the bio to view the full versions of all the images and text.

#ObjectifiedSeries #AsianMenEmpowerment #AsianMen #SexyAsianMen #Asian #NudeMale #NudeAsianMen #MalePhotography #FineArtPhotography