Category: PHOTO ESSAY

PHOTO ESSAY : WHEN I WAKE UP, I WILL DREAM OF BEING A CHILD AGAIN

TEXT & PHOTO: RATTHEE PHAISANCHOTSIRI

(For Thai, press here)  

This series of photographs was taken between 2010 and 2011 when I was living in Japan as a fresh graduate. Like many students of product design at the time, Japan was a dream destination for many to pursue their education. It was a time when the Minimalist movement was flourishing.

But the transition from adolescence to working age—the period we call “coming of age”—turned out to be a lot more complicated than I had imagined. It wasn’t easy to strike a balance between reality and fantasy, between being realistic and prejudice-free. My own coming of age was filled with too many questions. Circulating in my mind were thoughts about life and death, as my body grew weaker by the day. How could I endure this feeling when the time has come for me to start living my life in the way that society has already determined?

It has been over twelve years and the childhood dreams I once had are no longer lucid like they used to be. Looking back to those memories in an attempt to compare them to the present Im living in, in days when my age has progressed closer to the people in these pictures I took, in the time when technology has made all of our lives more convenient, but how we are living as human beings doesnt seem that different from those days in the past. We are still struggling with the happiness we find ourselves with each passing day.

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Ratthee Phaisanchotsiri is an industrial designer and one of the members of the Issaraphap Collective who splits his time between Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

rattheephaisanchotsiri.com
instagram.com/rattheephaisanchotsiri

PHOTO ESSAY : LATE WINTER RAIN

TEXT & PHOTO: CHANAPONG SRIWEERAPONG

(For Thai, press here)

A walk up to the summit of Phu Kradueng Mountain is a tough one and demands quite a lot of patience and strength. But whats waiting at the destination makes everything worth the effort. There, nature changes through seasons, and each season has its own unique beauty. 

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Chanapong Sriweerapong works as a video editor and photographer at interior design form, DUDE DECORATE. He loves art and nature. 

instagram.com/best.sri6

PHOTO ESSAY : STAY AT HOME 2020

TEXT & PHOTO: THANACHAI TANKVARALUK

(For Thai, press here)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a direct impact on people’s daily lives with new implemented rules, regulations, and measures to prevent the spread of the infectious disease. Under the New Normal way of life, people are required to make significant adjustments. This series of photographs is a documentation of memories and a reflection of the beauty and spirit hidden in the simplicity and ordinariness of life’s mundane stories, at a time where there is a significant shift in how humans live and a society evolves. Under entirely new circumstances and conditions, people are adapting to their new way of life. And before we know it, despite all the changes and disruptions, we have found some peace and happiness. We are currently more optimistic than ever that the pandemic will end and we will be able to resume our normal lives  in the near future. 

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Thanachai Tankvaraluk, who was born in Udon Thani, Thailand, earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication arts with a Journalism Major from Rangsit University. Currently, he is a business owner, but has always had a keen interest in everything around him, as well as an unwavering love and passion for travel and photography.

instagram.com/thanachai_diary
facebook.com/profile.php?id=100031795672130

PHOTO ESSAY : A LONELY JOURNEY

TEXT & PHOTO: SUPAKORN SOONTARARAK

(For Thai, press here)

We’ve heard the phrase ‘traveling is a journey of self-discovery’ so often that it’s almost become a catchphrase. But even so, we’ve seen it inspire countless individuals to pack their bags and explore the globe. On the other hand, if the statement were changed and alonewas added to the equation. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people had second thoughts or abandoned the idea out of fear of the word and what it implies. But this assertion made me question myself. After a period of reflection, I overcame my fear and my thoughts became clear. I established a goal that I hoped would enable me to discover more about who I am. I began planning my first solo trip and haven’t looked back since. My journey to self-discovery has revealed that solo travel has become an important and meaningful chapter of my life. I’ve learned more about myself simply by spending time alone. Traveling alone allows me to linger longer over something or a location, appreciating all the details, my surroundings, and my emotions on a deeper level. 

Upon observing architecture and design, I began recognizing the intention behind each work, how light and shadow affect a space at various times of the day, and the beauty that has been meticulously crafted and conveyed. It would not be incorrect to say that the famous quote is accurate. If I hadn’t been able to overcome my fear, I would have never had the courage to travel alone, and I certainly wouldn’t know myself as well as I do now. 

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Supakorn Soontararak used to be an architect. Now working full-time as a Senior Business Developer with a part-time job as an architectural photographer for SynSpaceStudio, he is the only Thai person ever to win the internationally renowned photography awards Arch2O by Architecture and Design Magazine in 2021 and Cyberpunk2077 World Photo Contest in 2020.

instagram.com/synspacestudio
facebook.com/synspacestudio

PHOTO ESSAY : BANGKOK-SCAPE

TEXT & PHOTO: DON AMATAYAKUL

(For Thai, press here)

This set of photographs captures the architecture of Bangkok through the use of cityscape/urban storytelling with each single frame intertwining the existence of built structures and the urban way of life. As a Bangkok native, the city and everything in its environment felt mundane and ordinary to me. They are merely things I see in my everyday life. But the charm and beauty of the city I have discovered through the lens of my camera inspire me to capture Bangkok in a different light.

Ever since I first became interested in photography, I have always been passionate about cityscape and architectural photography. I have always been drawn to the design aspect of the subjects, which is why most of the pictures on my Instagram account are buildings and views of the city.

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Don Amatayakul is a 4th-year, photography major student at the Faculty of Architecture King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. He is also working as a freelance photographer and running his own facebook and Instagram account named donamtykl where he shares his photographs of Bangkok.

instagram.com/donamtykl
facebook.com/donamtykl

PHOTO ESSAY : MATSU ISLANDS, 2022

TEXT & PHOTO: NAPAT CHARITBUTRA

(For Thai, press here)

A series of photographs documenting my journey to visit a Taiwanese friend on Matsu Islands, an archipelago of 36 islands and islets that’s about an 8-hour boat ride from Taiwan and less than 30 minutes away from China. The trip took place in the time when Thai medias news coverages on the Taiwan-China conflict were more frequent and intense than ever.

The observation points built on almost every cliff on the islands house old military bunkers overlooking rocky shores, endless aquatic mass and waves and herds of goats with windmills owned by China visible from a distance. Several military bases are still active while some have been turned into locally-run hostels and cafes. My Taiwanese friend told me how mountains on the island were heavily drilled into holes for the military to transport weapons in the case roadways were damaged. As I listened to the story, my eyes caught the sight of people, both locals and tourists, going on about their days, like any other ordinary day. Theyre used to this kind of life; the life trapped between the war in the past and the war that hasnt come.”

Looking at this set of photographs again when Im back in Thailand, the story and memories feel strangely distant, like something out of a Wikipedia page. The pictures are informative and dont tell anything much more than the islandsgeographical conditions. The feelings made me ask myself, What do I actually know about Taiwan?”

Most people spend their entire life trying to understand their own countries; their own roots and birthplaces. Spending merely nine months in Taiwan and the 9 days I spent traveling around Matsu Islands, I dont dare say that I know more about Taiwan than most Thai people. But it frustrates me every time I hear someone casually say, Taiwan and China are about to start a war, you know,and they somehow make war sound so nonchalant.

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Napat MaiCharitbutra is a writer and a post-graduate student who studied Creative Industries Design in Tainan, Taiwan.

instagram.com/maitinnakorn

PHOTO ESSAY : LIFEGUARD TOWERS MIAMI

TEXT & PHOTO: TOMMY KWAK

(For Thai, press here)

After the destruction of Hurricane Andrew on Miami Beach in 1992, the city of Miami commissioned a redesign of the lifeguard towers in vibrant fashion to uplift the spirits of the town. In the tradition of the Becher’s water tower series, this series of Tommy Kwak’s photographs methodically examines the 30+ iconic towers that have become symbols of South Florida’s revitalization. This award-winning series of photographs utilizes similar framing and long exposures to produce minimal sky and sea backdrops in order to highlight the traits of each tower, inviting the viewer to appreciate and compare the electric color palettes and eccentric forms. This body of work shows Tommy’s distinct approach recognizable by the composition of the pictures, sophisticated usage of the angles, and manipulation of light, shadow, and colors. Tommy’s style of photography celebrates a kind of ephemeral beauty, and at the same time transforms these entities into more graphic forms, bringing a fresh perspective on the lifeguard towers of Miami Beach.

Check out the entire project via

Kickstarter – Lifeguard Towers: Miami

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Tommy Kwak’s work explores the transience of landscapes and natural forms through ethereal large-format color photographs. His work has been exhibited internationally, most recently in commissions for Louis Vuitton at their locations in NYC, Seattle, and Cologne, Germany. He earned a BFA in Graphic Design from California College of the Arts in 2002 and completed photography courses at International Center of Photography from 2006 to 2008. In 2010 and 2016, Tommy participated in the SÍM Residency program in Reykjavík, Iceland, as well as the international arts festival, Villa Reykjavík. Tommy grew up outside of Chicago, lived and worked in Brooklyn, NY for 13 years, and now resides in Montclair, NJ. He has been a member of Fowler Arts Collective in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and SONYA (South of Navy Yard Artists).

Tommykwak.com

Instagram.com/tommykwak

Twitter.com/TommyKwakArt

Behance.net/tommykwak

PHOTO ESSAY : 365OHMANAWAT

TEXT & PHOTO: ANAWAT PETCHUDOMSINSUK

(For Thai, press here)

The feeling of never accomplishing anything substantial, of giving up what I started after a few days became the beginning of 365ohmanawat. By taking one still life photograph everyday for 365 consecutive days, this project is proof of my commitment to do something with the kind of consistency and determination that I had never done before. With my expertise as a professional photographer, the ideas and techniques incorporated to each image I captured are different from what I normally do.

Having to photograph products and food for advertising purposes, reality is deviated to render perfection. The longer I work, the more tedious it becomes. But that dullness motivates me to try doing something I have never done; to create something that is different from what we would usually see.

Some of the images may induce awkwardness. Some may give an opposite result to what a normal advertisement tends to deliver. But the experimental approach means that there is no limitation to what contents and techniques I could create and use.The photographs in this project are highly diverse, some may even upset people, some are objects and food found in our daily life, while some are the outcomes of my experimentation using techniques I saw in the media but never had a chance to try them out before.

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Anawat Petchudomsinsuk is a freelance food photographer who loves memes and cheekiness.

fb.com/FPCWL

instagram.com/ohm.anawat

ohm-anawat.com

PHOTO ESSAY : THE SUBTLE ACT OF RAW AND SOLID BY THICK AND THIN

TEXT: RATCHADAPORN HEMJINDA
PHOTO COURTESY OF THICK AND THIN

(For Thai, press here)

Wood is a naturally born creation, from hundreds of species of trees, branching out and towering in vast forest lands, through decades of changing seasons. The diversity of their origins and families make wood an unpredictable material with colors and grains that cannot be determined or recreated by humans. Most of the time, to fully bring out the identity and physical characteristics of wood into a human-made creation can be an incredible challenge that requires the skills of highly experienced artisans. Thick and Thin believes in the natural and inimitable beauty of wood. The brand’s inception stems from an intent to convey stories and values of wood through the design of wooden products that reflects the thinking method, life philosophy and human connections, as well as material sourcing processes and technical know-how of woodworking, all of which have been documented for the later generations to know and to learn from.

‘The Subtle Act of Raw and Solid’ depicts natural colors, grains and imperfections of wood as the charms and distinctive attributes that only wood can offer. The concept lays the ground for the way Think and Thin Studio operates, which begins as an experimental process of selecting a piece of wood and the most appropriate and specific techniques to create a strong structure of a design that embraces wood at its purest form.

Each piece of wood is cut and planed meticulously before everything is arranged and interlocked into a symmetric structure with an interesting intermingle of colors and grains. This is the story behind ‘TOUGH,’ the chair inspired by the magnificence and solidity of trees, simplified into a unique form that conveys strength and a sense of security. The piece is conceived from interconnected and complementing components, reflecting the tale of perseverance, patience and overcoming struggles. ’TIGHT’ is a bench with a minimalistic design. Ancient woodworking techniques are incorporated, putting together different pieces of wood without any use of nails or screws. The bench expresses a story of connection and unbreakable bonds, the seamlessness and unity that makes wood hold unique values and is more than just a simple material. These creations are a manifestation of new, infinite possibilities and discoveries that wood can bring when it is met with the right kind of creativity and design; something that has always been Thick and Thin’s conviction.

facebook.com/thickandthin.studio

PHOTO ESSAY : BETWEEN US

TEXT & PHOTO: KUNLANATH SORNSRIWICHAI

(For Thai, press here)

I’ve always thought about encouraging my daughter to develop new skills. I would teach her things at any given opportunity, and she would learn them. There’s no right or wrong, no rules, its just about doing what she wants to do. As long as it’s something good and it makes her happy, she can keep on doing it. That’s why she takes out the camera and always comes back with all kinds of stories.

“There’s always something interesting to be captured in things around you. Try looking around. Each person has their own view of the world. It will be fun.”

It’s been almost four months since that day. We’ve been having fun and we’re really happy.

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Kunlanath Sornsriwichai studied art education, works in design, hence the love for both art and design, and is fond of the peace and silence in Suan-Yen, Mae Taeng, Chiangmai.

facebook.com/kunlanathtua