Shitao Wang (Tao)

With over 20 years of experience behind the camera, Tao has been shooting documentaries since the days of tape, while also working across commercials, television drama and feature films. He is known for his naturalistic approach to lighting and a strong instinct for shaping light around real environments.

At the heart of his work is a deep understanding of the director’s vision, not only the images they are looking for, but the story and emotion those images need to convey. He translates that vision precisely onto screen while always looking beyond the brief for unexpected moments, details and visual possibilities that enrich the story.

Tao is particularly skilled at working with vulnerable contributors and capturing intimate moments between people with sensitivity and discretion. He is equally attentive to the world around them, using environments, objects, light and visual details to convey subtle shifts in mood and emotion.

He believes that a good cinematographer must be a good gaffer at the same time. Lighting, lenses and composition are therefore never separate from storytelling, but work together to create images that are visually compelling and emotionally precise.

Away from work, Tao collects vintage cameras and lenses, and often puts them back to use in small films and personal experiments - simply for the pleasure of making images.

Tao's documentary credits include BBC Studios' One Cup, A Thousand Stories, Rendezvous with the Future, Discovery's Istanbul: Memories and the City, Mystical Tibet, CCTV's Amazing China and more. Commercial clients include Louis Vuitton, Audo, Coca-Cola, Air China amongst other global brands.