Luong, born in Paris to Vietnamese parents, took up photography to document his mountaineering in the Alps. He came to the United States for what was intended as a short stay at U.C. Berkeley, chosen for its proximity to Yosemite, but extended solo travel in the national parks, including an ascent of Denali, led him to remain and pursue photography. In 2002, he became the first to photograph all fifty-eight U.S. National Parks then in existence with a 5×7-inch large-format camera, a project he continues in the same format as new parks are designated.
His photographs have been presented in numerous solo exhibitions, including at the Museum of Science in Boston and at the USA Pavilion at the Dubai World Expo, and reproduced in hundreds of publications worldwide. The New York Times has written of his work, “No one has captured the vast beauty of America’s landscape as comprehensively.” His book, Treasured Lands, now in its ninth printing, has received twelve national and international awards. Luong was the only living artist featured in Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan’s The National Parks: America’s Best Idea (2009). His honors include the Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award for Photography and the National Parks Conservation Association’s Robin W. Winks Award for Enhancing Public Understanding of National Parks, both recognizing early public lands work associated with nature celebration and conservation advocacy.