Gong Cheng is a veteran sports photojournalist and visual artist whose creative journey began at the age of five with photography and painting. Trained in Graphic Design, Cheng possesses a deep foundation in visual aesthetics and composition. In 2000, he was among the earliest practitioners in China to research and promote User Experience (UX) and interactive design. Serving as an Interactive Designer and Chief Photographer at Sohu.com (NASDAQ: SOHU), one of China's top three internet giants, he pioneered the integration of visual design with digital product interaction logic, eventually bringing his design sensibility and UX methodology into his photographic work.
During a 19-year tenure at Sohu, Cheng led photography operations and covered hundreds of international sporting events, including four Summer and Winter Olympic Games, FIFA World Cups, and Formula One. Between 2005 and 2008, he was seconded to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) as an Official Photographer. Following the 2008 Games, he founded the Photography Channel and served as Director of Photography & Chief Editor, while also overseeing digital marketing initiatives, reporting directly to the Vice President.
Cheng has held multiple leadership roles across professional photography organizations in China and has served repeatedly as a juror for major national and international photography competitions. His photographic work has been exhibited at prominent festivals including Rencontres d'Arles, and he is the author of The Visual Logs of Chinese Rock & Roll, a limited-edition monograph chronicling the scene through his lens since 1996.
Based in Southern California, Cheng covers the NFL (Rams, Chargers), NBA (Lakers, Clippers), and MLB (Angels), as well as major PGA and LPGA tournaments. He is a photography instructor at Laguna College of Art and Design (LCAD). Beyond the lens, he curates exhibitions and fosters artistic exchange between China and the United States.
He believes emotional resonance lies at the core of any work of art.