Fashion Photographer Ryan Tandya Balances Vision With Spontaneity

Name:
Delsey Paris x VISUALPLEASURE
NEW HORIZONS - WORLD TOUR 2024
Indonesia Artist of the week - Ryan Tandya
Photography:
Ryan Tandya
Words:
Erica Nichols

Fashion photographer Ryan Tandya has been looking at his work with fresh eyes. Where he used to pour his energy into planning every detail of a shot, lately, the Jakarta-based artist has been leaning into the unplanned, finding joy in spontaneity, and balancing guidelines with unbridled creativity. Learn more about his process, be it shooting covers for Harper’s Bazaar and Elle or his own personal work, and what he created for our DELSEY collaboration.

How did you discover your interest in photography?

Ryan Tandya: I grew up doodling and drawing all the time, so I naturally aspired to be — and ended up working as — an illustrator. I realized that it wasn’t for me almost immediately and I thought about creating through other means, and I discovered that taking pictures just fulfills me creatively.

What do you love most about shooting fashion/editorial?

Getting to meet the most interesting, passionate people and also getting to see and admire the pieces up close.

Your work plays with vibrant colors, poses, and lighting. How do you make your selections?

I just go with my gut.

What projects excite you the most?

Projects like these where I get to challenge myself to be creative within constraints. Lately I’ve been trying to do motions and it has been very liberating and exhilarating. I absolutely don’t know what I’m doing and I really love the feeling of just Macgyvering the whole thing and seeing where it goes.

Whether it’s for a commercial or personal project, what is your creative process like?

I used to dedicate significant time and energy to meticulous planning, striving for perfection down to the minute details. I realized that it just adds stress to myself and those involved so I’ve been embracing a more laid-back approach, leaving room for spontaneity and welcoming the unexpected.

How do you balance client briefs with your own perspective?

Marrying the two can be quite a challenge, but I enjoy working within constraints. I get to exercise how far I could stretch my creative boundaries while also aiming to meet the brief’s objectives.

When you’re free to create something entirely your own — where does your mind take you?

Honestly, I would dive straight to planning. Inspiration finds me in all sorts of places and once it hits I let it develop in my thoughts. I also make a point to set some boundaries so I don’t get too carried away and ensure I stay focused and true to the vision.

When you need some inspiration, where do you find it?
For me inspiration isn’t confined to specific sources, and I don’t actively seek it out. Rather I let it spring to mind when it pleases. An epiphany from my recent travels, I realized that chaos can be more inspiring than order. There is a certain beauty in raw disarray, in things that are seemingly out of place like on bustling city streets, where disparate elements would clash and collide harmoniously.

“An epiphany from my recent travels, I realized that chaos can be more inspiring than order.”

How does travel influence your work and world view as an artist?

I’ve only started traveling in my mid 20s when I finally had the means, and it has a profound impact on my artistic perspective. Through my travels I learn to embrace the unfamiliar and to see things from different angles, and this encourages me to explore new themes and techniques that I might not have otherwise considered.

Talk to us about what you’re creating DELSEY.

The orange Rempart just really fills my head with ideas. Looking through its design and colors I just thought of all these shapes and lines that I want to portray, and after bouncing ideas off my longtime friend and stylist Rama we settled on a composition featuring a weight-lifting girl. We want the whole thing to look childish, comical, and fun; and we hope the juxtaposition of their apparent heaviness and their obvious lightness would add a little absurdity to the scene. With my sister as the model and another longtime friend and collaborator Gabriella making the custom pieces for the shoot, the whole thing just feels like a pleasant little family reunion.

What’s in your DELSEY:

1. A handheld steamer, I can’t stand wrinkled shirts.

2. A power extension cable, for convenience.

3. My Tamagotchi, for little bits of fun throughout the day.