Bochun Cheng’s poetic vision behind the lens
In the loud, fast world of fashion photography, Bochun Cheng’s work feels more like a quiet poem. His camera doesn’t just freeze a moment. It builds a whole story. Light and shadow become his ink, a model’s pose becomes his language, and every frame holds a deep, silent kind of tension.
Born in Taipei and now based in New York, he’s reshaping fashion imagery with a cinematic eye and a sculptor’s precision.
To view Bochun Cheng’s work is to step into a silent film. He approaches composition with an architect’s rigor. He uses negative space and geometric lines to precisely delineate his subject’s emotional state.
His aesthetic is deeply influenced by his Master of Fine Arts background. It merges the introspection of Eastern philosophy with the experimental spirit of metropolitan New York. In his world, fashion is not just clothing. It is a medium for exploring identity, vulnerability, and the subtle, intimate dialogue between people and objects.
Fashion as identity and introspection
A signature style permeates his portfolio, from commercial collaborations to personal series: a sense of restrained power. The models’ bodies appear like classical sculptures, standing silently in surreal landscapes. Their gazes are not directed at the viewer, but turned inward, toward some dimension deep within.
Cheng excels at using dramatic, high-contrast light to carve his subjects out from their surroundings. It helps him create an atmosphere that is both detached and deeply compelling. The texture of skin, the drape of fabric, and even the dust in the air are all imbued with emotional weight under his lens.
“For me, photography is the process of transforming the intangible into the tangible,” Cheng shares. “I don’t chase superficial perfection; I search for a ‘psychological landscape.’ A photograph is only truly complete when the model’s inner world resonates with the scene I’ve constructed. It should be like a poem. You can’t explain it with a single word, but you can deeply feel its essence.”
Where fine art meets fashion
This unique ability to fuse commercial fashion with fine art has made him a formidable new force in the industry, sought after by global brands like SHEIN and MSI and featured in the pages of iconic magazines such as ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar. He is not just photographing apparel; he is guiding the viewer through a profound reflection on beauty, solitude, and existence.
In Bochun Cheng’s world, the power of a successful fashion photograph lies not in what it shows, but in what it makes you feel. He is not documenting trends. He is creating a visual language that withstands time.
Photo: Bochun Cheng.
Models: Chillseph, Du Wei, Mindy, HsiaoWei Hsiang.
Hair/Make up: Enyu Wu Stylist: Minjie Wu
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
