As much of my life is lived at the intersection of multiple currents, my photography is the natural extention of this continuous churning and transformation. Born into a Confucian household in Taiwan, but growing up in Southern California, my youthful aspiration waxed between scholar gentry (poet, painter and calligrapher) and rocket scientist. Likewise, my esthetic sense spanned from the Taoist ink-washed landscapes, to the dazzling colors of Eliot Porter's photographs. Years later, as a practicing cardio-thoracic anesthesiologist, my life is steeped in the science of physiology, pharmacology and cutting edge medical technology. Yet, as the purveyor of "nothingness", the last guardian at the edge of the abyss, I muse philosophically from Descates to Sartre to Zen on a regular basis. What started as a part-time teen-age gig as a photographer's assistant, has gradually developed into a passion that best allows me to capture, and sometimes if I am lucky, to transcend that continuous churning within. While technical mastery remains a continual source of challenge and satisfaction, I've focused more of my energy on creating images that explore the intersecting margins of our complex social and natural landscapes. Be it at the margin of land and sea, or between the bustling western tourist and the Zen monk at the Wild Goose pagoda in Xi'an, this is where my pictures are found. I love the inherent energy and hope that's embedded in the crosscurrent. The more I travel, the more celebration and suffering I bear witness to, the more solace I find in these dynamic, ever-transforming vistas at the margins. It is my goal to share these wondrous feelings of awe and hope with the viewers of my photographs. Chuan Ren Chuan@crenphotography.com P.S. If you are interested in purchasing sign, limited edition prints from 16x24 and up, please contact me for futher detail. http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/photos/112629695_G7adj-Ti.jpg http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/ 2009-11-09T13:10:21Z Copyright 2009, the copyright holder of each photograph. Some portions copyright SmugMug. All rights reserved. SmugMug <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Summer-09-collection/10270414_n2Eg5">Summer 09 collection</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Summer-09-collection/10270414_n2Eg5" title="Summer 09 collection"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Summer-09-collection/Olympic-pen-3136paintr21824/708915335_c2RA4-Th.jpg" width="118" height="150" alt="Summer 09 collection" title="Summer 09 collection" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-11-09T13:10:21Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Summer-09-collection/10270414_n2Eg5 <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSummer09/8725497_BNz9b">VlaxSummer09</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSummer09/8725497_BNz9b" title="VlaxSummer09"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSummer09/200906281012r/576878844_YdQD2-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="VlaxSummer09" title="VlaxSummer09" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-07-01T15:55:22Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSummer09/8725497_BNz9b <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSpring09/8166241_YKfQb">VlaxSpring09</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSpring09/8166241_YKfQb" title="VlaxSpring09"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSpring09/valxspring09005/533082588_vcPRZ-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="VlaxSpring09" title="VlaxSpring09" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-05-10T07:04:52Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Vlax-09/VlaxSpring09/8166241_YKfQb <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/spring-09-collections/7985207_J2XVw">spring 09 collections</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/spring-09-collections/7985207_J2XVw" title="spring 09 collections"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/spring-09-collections/Mcway-Fall2/518927987_oxUwA-Th.jpg" width="150" height="104" alt="spring 09 collections" title="spring 09 collections" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-04-22T15:04:30Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/spring-09-collections/7985207_J2XVw <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMES-lacross/SMES-Lax-09-collection/7254019_26Jcr">SMES Lax 09 collection</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMES-lacross/SMES-Lax-09-collection/7254019_26Jcr" title="SMES Lax 09 collection"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMES-lacross/SMES-Lax-09-collection/MVI8187r/466205992_VKHXB-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="SMES Lax 09 collection" title="SMES Lax 09 collection" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2009-03-14T12:16:27Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMES-lacross/SMES-Lax-09-collection/7254019_26Jcr <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Weddings/DanShirleys-Wedding/4857911_6rzWR">Dan&Shirley's Wedding</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Weddings/DanShirleys-Wedding/4857911_6rzWR" title="Dan&Shirley's Wedding"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Weddings/DanShirleys-Wedding/DanShirleyWedSelRevsmmg001/289363098_rqweD-Th.jpg" width="150" height="120" alt="Dan&Shirley's Wedding" title="Dan&Shirley's Wedding" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-05-04T01:04:31Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Weddings/DanShirleys-Wedding/4857911_6rzWR <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Sayulita-Beach-Dogs/4846732_3q2zv">Sayulita Beach Dogs</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Sayulita-Beach-Dogs/4846732_3q2zv" title="Sayulita Beach Dogs"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Sayulita-Beach-Dogs/MG5378r1/288581995_467q2-Th-1.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Sayulita Beach Dogs" title="Sayulita Beach Dogs" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-05-02T08:53:05Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Sayulita-Beach-Dogs/4846732_3q2zv <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Mexico/Sayulita-Playa-Escondida/4486532_R23fG">Sayulita & Playa Escondida</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Mexico/Sayulita-Playa-Escondida/4486532_R23fG" title="Sayulita & Playa Escondida"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Mexico/Sayulita-Playa-Escondida/MG4635selr1prt510smmg/263933408_BnTF4-Th.jpg" width="150" height="75" alt="Sayulita & Playa Escondida" title="Sayulita & Playa Escondida" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-03-09T12:57:42Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Mexico/Sayulita-Playa-Escondida/4486532_R23fG <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMESLAX-White-vs-Newhart-3108/4464145_NdQJi">SMESLAX White vs Newhart 3108</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMESLAX-White-vs-Newhart-3108/4464145_NdQJi" title="SMESLAX White vs Newhart 3108"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMESLAX-White-vs-Newhart-3108/SMESLax3108200803010419rsm/262523950_LymEe-Th.jpg" width="100" height="150" alt="SMESLAX White vs Newhart 3108" title="SMESLAX White vs Newhart 3108" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2008-03-05T13:53:52Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/SMESLAX-White-vs-Newhart-3108/4464145_NdQJi <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Grand-TetonsYellowstone/3717988_FaHpj">Grand Tetons_Yellowstone</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Grand-TetonsYellowstone/3717988_FaHpj" title="Grand Tetons_Yellowstone"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Grand-TetonsYellowstone/MG1231r2prtbwsmsm/213251545_zhaxU-Th.jpg" width="99" height="150" alt="Grand Tetons_Yellowstone" title="Grand Tetons_Yellowstone" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2007-10-26T07:38:14Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Grand-TetonsYellowstone/3717988_FaHpj <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Summer-07-travel-Hong-Kong-VN/3496075_mh2BS">Summer 07 travel (Hong Kong, VN, Kauai)</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Summer-07-travel-Hong-Kong-VN/3496075_mh2BS" title="Summer 07 travel (Hong Kong, VN, Kauai)"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Summer-07-travel-Hong-Kong-VN/MG0076rev/197059022_Sazgm-Th.jpg" width="150" height="71" alt="Summer 07 travel (Hong Kong, VN, Kauai)" title="Summer 07 travel (Hong Kong, VN, Kauai)" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2007-09-17T12:16:09Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Summer-07-travel-Hong-Kong-VN/3496075_mh2BS <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Additional-VN-orphans/2696607_RXXGr">Additional VN orphans</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Additional-VN-orphans/2696607_RXXGr" title="Additional VN orphans"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Additional-VN-orphans/MG6495revsmsm/142820961_L6Vrz-Th.jpg" width="100" height="150" alt="Additional VN orphans" title="Additional VN orphans" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2007-04-10T13:51:15Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Additional-VN-orphans/2696607_RXXGr <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/VN-Orphans-Exhibit-at-The/2637849_FyDQ2">VN Orphans Exhibit at The Artery</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/VN-Orphans-Exhibit-at-The/2637849_FyDQ2" title="VN Orphans Exhibit at The Artery"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/VN-Orphans-Exhibit-at-The/vn-1-smsm/139342149_aTyZy-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="VN Orphans Exhibit at The Artery" title="VN Orphans Exhibit at The Artery" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2007-03-28T08:02:45Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/VN-Orphans-Exhibit-at-The/2637849_FyDQ2 <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/SobeCa/2308543_7uSSc">SobeCa</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/SobeCa/2308543_7uSSc" title="SobeCa"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/SobeCa/MG0003fianl/120674885_PFtpV-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="SobeCa" title="SobeCa" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2007-01-02T14:47:06Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Portfolio/SobeCa/2308543_7uSSc <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Hawaii/2170206_ev5Ao">Hawaii</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Hawaii/2170206_ev5Ao" title="Hawaii"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Hawaii/no-worry/112726512_bCpmC-Th.jpg" width="150" height="109" alt="Hawaii" title="Hawaii" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-26T11:15:41Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Hawaii/2170206_ev5Ao <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Sierra-Nevada/2171162_TATBj">Sierra Nevada</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Sierra-Nevada/2171162_TATBj" title="Sierra Nevada"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Sierra-Nevada/Merced-river/112768509_YmydS-Th.jpg" width="150" height="103" alt="Sierra Nevada" title="Sierra Nevada" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-25T08:48:44Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Sierra-Nevada/2171162_TATBj <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/California/2171083_mXW5h">California</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/California/2171083_mXW5h" title="California"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/California/sunset-in-NPHarbor/112764797_uEmb3-Th.jpg" width="150" height="99" alt="California" title="California" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-25T07:51:01Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/California/2171083_mXW5h <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Canada-and-NW/2170864_ybnoM">Canada and NW</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Canada-and-NW/2170864_ybnoM" title="Canada and NW"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Canada-and-NW/Johnston-Canyon-2/112751386_Z6EJS-Th.jpg" width="103" height="150" alt="Canada and NW" title="Canada and NW" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-25T06:49:29Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Canada-and-NW/2170864_ybnoM <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Asia/2170452_2YTKh">Asia</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Asia/2170452_2YTKh" title="Asia"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Asia/MG8348wkgbw/112733478_3xUFa-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Asia" title="Asia" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-25T06:15:23Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/Asia/2170452_2YTKh <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/South-West/2170084_3SSkL">South West</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/South-West/2170084_3SSkL" title="South West"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/South-West/redrock-canyon-vista/112715480_6WKGr-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="South West" title="South West" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-25T03:03:27Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Scenics/South-West/2170084_3SSkL <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Zen-Musing/2169960_wwqjn">Zen Musing</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Zen-Musing/2169960_wwqjn" title="Zen Musing"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Zen-Musing/Across-the-Threshold/112708927_sbgUh-Th.jpg" width="150" height="103" alt="Zen Musing" title="Zen Musing" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-25T02:32:19Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Zen-Musing/2169960_wwqjn <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Viet-Nam-and-Xinjiang-06/2168649_sNLUd">Viet Nam and Xinjiang 06</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Viet-Nam-and-Xinjiang-06/2168649_sNLUd" title="Viet Nam and Xinjiang 06"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Viet-Nam-and-Xinjiang-06/MG0027final/112636558_wkaXm-Th.jpg" width="150" height="100" alt="Viet Nam and Xinjiang 06" title="Viet Nam and Xinjiang 06" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-24T16:32:08Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Travel/Viet-Nam-and-Xinjiang-06/2168649_sNLUd <p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com">crenphotography</a> updated gallery '<a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Fall-Colors/2168353_eUBMp">Fall Colors</a>'</p><p><a href="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Fall-Colors/2168353_eUBMp" title="Fall Colors"><img src="http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Fall-Colors/Awaiting-Winter/112616268_ro9P3-Th.jpg" width="101" height="150" alt="Fall Colors" title="Fall Colors" style="border: 1px solid #000000;" /></a></p> 2006-11-24T14:04:18Z crenphotography http://crenphotography.smugmug.com http://crenphotography.smugmug.com/Theme/Fall-Colors/2168353_eUBMp