QT Luong

Luong was born in Paris of Vietnamese parents and graduated from École Polytechnique. He earned a Ph.D. in computer science at University of Paris-Sud in 1992. His thesis, in computer vision,Q.T. Luong (1992). Matrice fondamentale et auto-calibration en vision par ordinateur. PhD Thesis, University of Paris, Orsay. introduced the concepts of Fundamental matrix and camera auto-calibration. In 2008, together with Olivier Faugeras and Steve Maybank, he received the initial Koenderink Prize, for fundamental contributions in computer vision.{{cite web|url=http://eccv2008.inrialpes.fr/awards.html|title=ECCV 2008 - European Conference on Computer Vision|website=eccv2008.inrialpes.fr|access-date=23 December 2017}} Luong left his career as a research scientist at SRI International to become a full-time photographer in 2007.

While in school, Luong had developed an interest in photography as a means to capture his mountaineering outings.Souvenirs from High Places, A History of Mountaineering Photography by Joe Benson, The Mountaineers, pp 138-139, 1998 They would include climbs of difficult frozen waterfalls{{Cite web|url=http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12199720600/North-America-Canada-Various-Ice-Ascents|title=North America, Canada, Various Ice Ascents|date=1997|website=American Alpine Journal|access-date=2019-04-01}} and a solo ascent of Denali.{{cite web|url=http://www.hcn.org/issues/48.22/Treasured-Lands-National-Parks-Yosemite-Photos|title=An inside look at the national parks|website=hcn.org|date=13 December 2016|access-date=23 December 2017}}

After moving to California to work at UC Berkeley in 1993, influenced by the West Coast landscape photography tradition, he learned to use large format cameras, and in the process created the website largeformatphotography.info. His growing interest for large format photography and the exhilaration of discovering the diversity of the U.S. national parks inspired him to try to photograph each of them with a large format 5x7 film camera. He made his permanent home in California. By 2002 he had photographed all the (then) 57 national parks and was the first to do so.View Camera Magazine, Quang-Tuan Luong: The National Parks Project, by Kerry Thalmann, Sept-Oct 2003{{cite web|url=http://www.patriotledger.com/x1306273171/Photographer-captures-the-beauty-of-Americas-national-parks|title=Photographer captures the beauty of America's national parks|first=Jody|last=Feinberg|website=patriotledger.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}

He has since continued to work in the national parks in great depth using his uncommon wilderness skills,{{cite web|url=https://www.theactivetimes.com/expert-take-parks-qt-luong|title=An Expert Take on the Parks: QT Luong|date=3 August 2013|website=theactivetimes.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.outdoorphotographer.com/on-location/featured-stories/transient-as-the-light/|title=Transient As The Light - Outdoor Photographer|website=outdoorphotographer.com|access-date=23 December 2017}} creating a singularly comprehensive record of America's landscape. The New York Times wrote of him:{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/books/review/great-outdoors-landscapes-both-natural-and-created-by-human-hands.html|title=Great Outdoors: Landscapes, Both Natural and Created by Human Hands|first=Dominique|last=Browning|newspaper=The New York Times|date=1 December 2016|access-date=23 December 2017}}

No one has captured the vast beauty of America’s landscape as comprehensively

In 2013, he was the first to photograph all the 59 national parks.Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey through American's National Park, page 69 He continued that streak in 2018, when Gateway Arch was established as the 60th national park{{cite web|url=https://www.stlmag.com/design/photographer-who-captured-gateway-arch-national-park/|title=Renowned photographer travels to St. Louis to capture Gateway Arch National Park|date=12 March 2018|website=stlmag.com}} and again in 2019 when Indiana Dunes was established as the 61st national park{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-luong-dunes-photography-st-0221-story.html|title=Photographer stalls printing of book to get images of Indiana Dunes, America's newest national park|date=21 February 2019|website=chicagotribune.com/}}{{cite web|url=https://news.wttw.com/2019/03/05/national-park-photographer-completes-his-portfolio-visit-indiana-dunes|title=National Park Photographer Completes His Portfolio with Visit to Indiana Dunes|date=5 March 2019|website=wttw.com}} and White Sands was established as the 62nd national park.{{cite web|url=https://www.abqjournal.com/1404056|title=Photographer captures newest national park|date=24 December 2019|website=abqjournal.com}} As of 2019, Luong continues to use a large format film camera to photograph the national parks. He is the only person known to have photographed each of the U.S. national parks on film.{{cite web|url=https://wgntv.com/2019/02/27/photographer-completes-mission-to-capture-every-national-park-on-film-again/|title=Photographer completes mission to capture every national park on film (again)|date=27 February 2019|website=wgntv.com/}}

In 2009, Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan featured him as the only living artist in The National Parks: America’s Best Idea{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090927024924/http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 27, 2009|title=The National Parks: America's Best Idea: People - PBS|website=www.pbs.org|access-date=23 December 2017}} and used his photograph Yosemite, Winter Sunset for the series' cover. In 2016, the U.S. Postal Service used his photograph of the Little Missouri River winding through the badlands of North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park on a stamp celebrating the National Park Service’s Centennial,{{cite web|url=http://about.usps.com/news/national-releases/2016/pr16_031.htm|title=Theodore Roosevelt National Park part of centennial celebration|website=about.usps.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.metroactive.com/features/QT-Luong-San-Jose-Photographer-Tribute-to-Americas-National-Parks-Photography-Nature.html|title=QT Luong - San Jose Photographer - Tribute to Americas National Parks - Photography - Nature - Silicon Valley - Metroactive|website=www.metroactive.com|access-date=23 December 2017}} and in 2023 they featured three of his photographs in a series of postage stamps celebrating waterfalls.{{cite web | url=https://starexponent.com/news/national-parks-photographer-immortalizes-dark-hollow-falls-on-forever-stamp/article_f8a83328-0e9b-11ee-a548-bb756f5a396c.html | title=National Parks photographer immortalizes Dark Hollow Falls on Forever Stamp | date=19 June 2023 }}

In 2020, Luong received the Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks from the National Parks Conservation Association.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npca.org/resources/3286-awards-and-recognition|title = Awards and Recognition}}

In 2018, as a reaction to the review of national monuments via Executive Order 13792 and the subsequent reductions in size of Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, Luong embarked on a project to photograph all the 22 national monuments on land under review, resulting in the publication in 2021 of the book Our National Monuments: America's Hidden Gems.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailybulletin.com/2021/11/18/new-book-a-monument-to-preserved-wildlands-in-southern-california-and-beyond/|title=New book a 'monument' to preserved wildlands in Southern California and beyond - Daily Bulletin|website=dailybulletin.com/|date=18 November 2021 |access-date=18 December 2021}} The book was a winner of the National Outdoor Book Awards in 2022.{{cite web | url=http://www.noba-web.org/books22.htm | title=2022 Winners of the National Outdoor Book Awards }}

Luong organized the only exhibition featuring one large-format color photograph for each of the national parks.{{cite web|url=https://www.thebaycitybeacon.com/culture/like-an-asian-american-ansel-adams-abacus/article_bd6a143c-bf61-11e7-9a75-cfee045de76e.html|title=Like an Asian American Ansel Adams|first=Jay|last=Cheng|website=thebaycitybeacon.com|access-date=23 December 2017}} After debuting in 2010 at the National Heritage Museum{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2010/03/01/treasured_lands_exhibit_highlights_national_parks_photos_by_quang_tuan_luong/|title=This land is our land|newspaper=Boston.com|access-date=23 December 2017|via=The Boston Globe}}{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2010/03/26/in_treasured_lands_large_scale_photos_capture_the_national_parks_in_all_their_glory/|title=America the beautiful|first=Mark|last=Feeney|newspaper=Boston.com|date=26 March 2010|access-date=23 December 2017|via=The Boston Globe}}{{cite web|url=http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/x1514354542/Explore-U-S-National-Parks-through-National-Heritage-Museum-exhibit|title=Explore U.S. National Parks through National Heritage Museum exhibit|first=Chris|last=Bergeron|website=metrowestdailynews.com|access-date=23 December 2017}} it traveled across the country

{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2016/04/14/museum-science-exhibit-captures-national-parks-large-scale/dz8dGtBJXioN0OL9yA4RmN/story.html|title=Museum of Science exhibit captures US National Parks on a large scale - The Boston Globe|website=bostonglobe.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.centraljersey.com/news/windsor_hights_herald/picture-perfect-treasured-lands-photo-exhibit-featured-at-meadow-lakes/article_41188232-d9a3-11e6-a295-97986dd16317.html|title=Picture perfect: 'Treasured Lands' photo exhibit featured at Meadow Lakes|first=Mike|last=Morsch|website=centraljersey.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}

{{cite web|url=http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2264711/treasured-lands-photographs-of-national-parks-by-qt-luong-at|title=Treasured Lands: Photographs of National Parks by Q.T. Luong at Art Ark Gallery, San Jose - Artinfo|website=blouinartinfo.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.sfchronicle.com/art/article/Photographer-spent-years-cataloging-beauty-in-12359809.php|title=Photographer spent years cataloging beauty in national parks|website=sfchronicle.com|date=15 November 2017|access-date=23 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.modbee.com/entertainment/article196513829.html|title=Like photography? Why you'll find a lot of it all over Modesto in February|website=modbee.com}} and in 2019 started touring internationally in China at the Li Yuan Photographic Art Museum in Ningbo.{{cite web|url=https://h5.newaircloud.com/news_detail?newsid=7467154_yzxwl|title=他把美国国家公园拍了个遍，这个风光摄影展不可错过|website=鄞州曰報 (Yon Zhon Daily)}}

In 2016, to celebrate the National Park Service's Centennial, Luong published his major book Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey through America’s National Parks. It received positive reviews, with some considering it to be the best photography book about the national parks,{{cite web|url=http://independentpublisher.com/review.php?page=3605|title=Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America's National Parks|website=Independent Publisher - Book Review|access-date=23 December 2017}} and won several national book awards{{cite web|url=http://TreasuredLandsBook.com|title=Treasured Lands - A Photographic Odyssey through America's National Parks|website=treasuredlandsbook.com|access-date=23 December 2017}} including the Benjamin Franklin Award{{cite web|url=http://www.ibpa-online.org/news/335541/29th-Annual-IBPA-Benjamin-Franklin-Award-Winners.htm|title=29th Annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ Winners - Independent Book Publishers Association|website=www.ibpa-online.org|access-date=23 December 2017}} from the Independent Book Publishers Association, the Independent Publisher Book Awards,{{cite web|url=http://www.ippyawards.com/125/medalists/2017-medalists|title=2017 Medalists|first=IPPY|last=Awards|website=www.ippyawards.com|date=3 October 2017 |access-date=23 December 2017}} and the Nautilus Book Awards.{{cite web|url=http://nautilusbookawards.com/2016-silver-winners/|title=2016 Silver Winners – Nautilus Book Awards|website=nautilusbookawards.com|access-date=23 December 2017}}

• The Geometry of Multiple Images: The Laws That Govern the Formation of Multiple Images of a Scene and Some of Their Applications MIT Press 2001 {{ISBN|978-0262062206}}
• Spectacular Yosemite Universe 2011 {{ISBN|978-0789322241}}
• America's Fifty-Nine National Parks True North Editions 2016 {{ISBN|978-1943013036}}
• Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey through America's National Parks Cameron and Company 2016 {{ISBN|978-1944903008}}
• Our National Monuments: America's Hidden Gems Terra Galleria Press 2021 {{ISBN| 978-1733576079}}

• [http://www.terragalleria.com/ Main Website]
• [http://www.qtluong.com Project Portfolios]
• [http://www.treasuredlandsbook.com Treasured Lands Book]
• [http://www.treasuredlandsproject.com Treasured Lands Travel Exhibit]
• [http://www.ournationalmonuments.com Our National Monuments]

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Category:1964 births

Category:Living people

Category:École Polytechnique alumni

Category:Computer vision researchers

Category:American nature photographers

Category:Landscape photographers

Category:Photographers from California

Category:20th-century American photographers

Category:21st-century American photographers