Dalong Yang, Harper’s Bazaar Star Awards 2025’s Photographer of the Year

Photographer Dalong, Harper’s Bazaar Star Awards 2025’s Photographer of the Year

Having collaborated with Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam on numerous occasions, Dalong is not only the visionary behind many captivating images but also an artist who masterfully conveys emotion through light and color. For him, photography is more than a profession, it is a journey of self-discovery and exploration, where boundaries are meant to be transcended through sensitivity and an unwavering belief in beauty.

Exploring Art Through a Journey of Inner Dimensions

Dalong Yang’s path of self-discovery is a remarkable one – a journey that began with the supernatural experiences he had as a child. “When I was little, I can hear and see somethings that others could not,” he shares. To many, those memories might seem like a child’s imagination, but for Dalong, they were moments of awakening – experiences that expanded his perception of the world. He believes that behind every image and every ray of light exists another dimension, where emotions and energy flow together in seamless harmony.

Dalong shares, “This kind of experience made me start to believe there are other dimensions of the universe existing which are beyond the cognitive range of human beings. ” From that conviction, he has developed a creative style guided by intuition and emotion where light becomes more than just a tool, but a language through which he communicates.

What sets Dalong apart is that he doesn’t simply take photographs, he captures them with all his senses. When standing before a scene, he doesn’t seek to control it entirely through technique, but instead listens to the energy of the space itself. This sensitivity allows him to seize seemingly invisible moments, creating a rare depth in each of his images.

Dalong shares that those early supernatural experiences also taught him never to confine himself within boundaries. He believes that every frame holds the potential to unfold countless layers of meaning, depending on how the artist chooses to explore it.

A photoshoot with Dalong is never a mere recreation of reality; it is a conversation between the visible and the unseen, between the artist’s eye and the soul of the scene.

Dalong’s belief in “other dimensions” has shaped a visual language that is both symbolic and deeply emotional. His works radiate a sense of vitality and mystique – each photograph feels like a doorway into another realm, where reality and imagination seamlessly intertwine.

Freedom of creativity and the Balance Between Art and Commerce

Dalong is known for his rare ability to strike a delicate balance between artistic vision and commercial demand. For him, communication lies at the heart of every shoot only through genuine listening and collaboration can a team create something truly complete.

Dalong believes that every project is a dialogue between idea and reality, between personal aspiration and the client’s expectations. Whether shooting for major brands or fashion magazines, he always preserves his signature style – one defined by freedom, sophistication, and emotional depth.

Dalong’s philosophy is that a photographer should never try to define their own style because, as he says, “even if taking a photo of the same apple, each photographer’s result will be different.” This approach allows him to preserve an inner sense of freedom, so that each image is not only beautiful but also carries a fragment of the creator’s soul.

Dalong never tries to control everything, he lets emotion and energy lead the way. That surrender gives him complete creative freedom, and perhaps that’s why his photographs always evoke a sense of openness in space, in feeling, and in the way humans connect with the world around them.

The “supernatural” in Dalong doesn’t lie in the mystical, but in his ability to see the hidden beauty within the ordinary. Each frame is the result of a seamless fusion between emotion and technique.

That very foundation is what makes Dalong Yang truly distinctive – an artist who continually explores new “dimensions” of art, and the reason he has been honored at this year’s Harper’s Bazaar Star Awards.

Believing in the Present: The Ever-Forward Journey of a Heart Devoted to Art

Dalong chooses to live and create fully in the present moment. He believes that we cannot control the future or rewrite the past; all we can do is act wholeheartedly with what we have right now.

“I always tell others that we can neither change the past nor control what’s going to happen. I’m a person who only focus on the present moment.”

That mindset allows him to constantly reinvent himself, embracing technology, social media, and AI with optimism. Rather than seeing them as threats, Dalong views them as tools and opportunities for creativity to evolve in new directions.

Reflecting on the course of human history, he notes that every new invention has always been met with fear and doubt. Yet, in the end, we adapt, we move forward. That, to Dalong, is the true spirit of an artist – one who tells stories through light, captures emotion through imagery, and believes that creativity is an endless journey through the infinite realms of art.

Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam