Tag: Photographer

PHOTO ESSAY : EVERYTHING JINGLE BELL


TEXT & PHOTO: BARRY MACDONALD 

(For Thai, press here) 

All living beings must adapt to survive. Throughout history, the cycles of nature have continually manifested change. But when the selection pressures come from our fellow humans, how do we adapt?

Christmas in England is our main holiday and celebration of the year. In the dark winter months it’s something to look forward to, a chance to spend time with family and loved ones. People celebrate, rest and reflect on the year that’s gone by, and the one that’s about to start.

I spent Christmas 2022 & 23 in Thailand, and was fascinated by how enthusiastic Thai people were about it. From giant shopping mall displays, to office Christmas parties and secret Santa’s between friends, so many of the traditions were embraced fully or altered to fit Thai culture. It was interesting to see Christmas interpreted through a different culture and I hope my project shows the spirit of Christmas in Thailand.

In Thailand the phrase ‘Everything jingle bell’ (pronounced ‘everything jinga bew’) means ‘a lot of things’ or ‘everything’. They use this because Jing rhymes with things, not because it’s related to Christmas. It’s used the whole year round, showing another way Thai’s adopt culture.

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Barry Macdonald (b. 1984) is a photographer from London, England. He started off shooting musicians and found out about the enjoyment of travelling from going on tour with bands around Europe and the USA. He progressed into shooting a hybrid of street and documentary. He is interested in sociology and tries to look at culture and human nature through his photography. He has lived in Bangkok since 2022.

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PHOTO ESSAY : TRANSFORMATION THEORY

TEXT & PHOTO: SIRAWIT KUWAWATTANANONT

(For Thai, press here

‘Gain in entropy always means loss of information and nothing more.’ – G. N. Lewis 1930

All living beings must adapt to survive. Throughout history, the cycles of nature have continually manifested change. But when the selection pressures come from our fellow humans, how do we adapt?

Everything humans create—whether to fulfill dreams, meet personal needs, satisfy others, or seek profit—inevitably struggles to remain unchanged over time. Change is inherent in all things. The dreams we sketch for the future seldom align perfectly with reality. Consequently, we begin to dismantle the old and construct the new, striving to bring forth an ideal future, even though we know the future remains perpetually unpredictable.

Conversely, many of humanity’s creations face countless forces aiming to bring them down. Yet no matter how deteriorated and decayed they become, we stubbornly protect and preserve the things we attached ourselves to. We do this regardless of how much of the future we sacrifice or how briefly we can hold onto it, simply to retain fragments that represent an ideal version of the past.

Information theory and the second law of thermodynamics teach us that entropy—or disorder—increases over time, making the prediction of future events progressively complex. To shape the future or enhance system efficiency, we must employ ever more powerful algorithms. Paradoxically, when a system becomes highly ordered, it conveys less information, and there are also systems where the more chaotic they are, the more incomprehensible they become. These two seemingly opposing extremes intriguingly lead us to the same point: a reduction in our ability to understand.

Transformation Theory is, therefore, an exploration of two locales—Chiang Mai and Bangkok—caught between the desire to cling to the past and the drive to advance into the future. By reconstructing fragments of photographs anew, this work poses the question: Does human development truly lead us to the ideals we envision?

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Sirawit Kuwawattananont  is a physics tutor who embarked on his journey eight years ago by photographing clouds and stars to educate his students. His passion for photography has since led him to curate exhibitions that convey stories lingering in his mind—encompassing photographic techniques, science, love, and the intricate relationships between society, humanity, and nature.

sirawitkittikorn.com
instagram.com/titi.kittikorn

PHOTO ESSAY : ORDINARY

TEXT & PHOTO: KROEKRIT NOPPHAGAO

(For Thai, press here

Every day I go out to take photos, I choose to look for the ordinary but with a special feeling. I connect nature and human creations through a street minimalist perspective, transforming what we usually see. By viewing the vast city from small angles, we may discover hidden beauty in the corners of buildings, alleys, or on the streets. Perhaps this beauty is not concealed; rather, we often overlook it ourselves.

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Kroekrit Nopphagao is a wedding photographer with an interest in street and contemporary photography.

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instagram.com/bell_kroekrit

PHOTO ESSAY : THE ARCHITECTURE STUDIO ATLAS

Marc Goodwin
Marc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc GoodwinMarc Goodwin

TEXT & PHOTO: MARC GOODWIN / ARCHMOSPHERES

(For Thai, press here

The Architecture Studio Atlas opens access, going behind closed doors to reveal the process and working practice of the studio today. Tracing a path that connects the dots between 20 European cities, plus Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Panama City, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo, these pictures focus on key practices of the studios ranging from niche startups to starchitects of today depicted in eye-catching and present enlightening, intriguing images of people and places at work. These range from the serious and sober to the more ludic. The Architecture Studio Atlas is a permanent open house making studios that are kept tightly under wraps available to the general public. It makes architecture more open, accessible, and equitable.

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Marc Goodwin is an architectural photographer, writer, teacher, and founder of Archmospheres. He was born in London and currently divides his time between Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia.  His doctoral thesis – architecture’s discursive space, photography – investigates the components of conventional architectural photography and opposes them to a system of atmospheres. Since completion of his doctorate he has been traveling the globe non-stop working for clients and producing the architecture studios atlas.

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instagram.com/archmospheres

PHOTO ESSAY : TOWARDS EVENING

TEXT & PHOTO: FEDERICO COVRE

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The images depict a collection of projects undertaken in various European countries over recent years, including Italy, France, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. All photographs were captured during the late hours of the day, just before nightfall. They showcase different environments where serenity, natural light, and particularly, architecture play prominent roles.
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Federico Covre (1977) is an architectural and landscape photographer based in Italy and Sweden. He seeks to achieve a balance between conceptual rigor and functionality across different fields of visual communication concerning architecture. He works to feature clean and elegant compositions that describe architecture within their environment, capture the beauty of the physical object, and even beyond.

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instagram.com/Federico.Covre

PHOTO ESSAY: SUKHUMVIT- THE THIRD ROAD

TEXT & PHOTO: ADAM BIRKAN

(For Thai, press here

‘Sukhumvit- The Third Road’ explores the hypothesis that Sukhumvit road is a microcosm of Bangkok, and perhaps society as a whole. Although the road spans from Bangkok to the border of Cambodia (As Highway 3), the section explored in this book focuses mainly on the 14km portion of the road situated within the legal boundaries of Bangkok, from its point of origin at Ploenchit BTS Station, in the heart of the city, to The Chang Erawan BTS Station in the south of the city, just a short distance past the cities legal boundary. The series of images within offer no answers; they simply reveal the breadth of life contained along one road in one city. What the viewer sees and understands is as much a reflection of themselves as it is a reflection of reality. The road, like all roads, is a physical embodiment of the human experience, where struggle and prosperity, industry and history, time and culture coalesce to create a living tapestry. All the while, the unstoppable forces of new generations and the immovable objects of old generations grind away at each other until the end of our time.

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Adam Birkan is a freelance photographer and visual storyteller. He has been named one of Magnum’s 30 Under 30 and PDN 30. He has a Bachelors of Science in Visual Communication from Ohio University and is currently based in Bangkok, focusing on long term, and short term projects. His personal work often takes a macro view of social and economic issues. His focus is on literal and metaphorical juxtaposition and finding subtle moments that, collected together, reveal a broad depiction of accelerated industries and economic disparity.

adambirkan.com
instagram.com/adambirkan

PHOTO ESSAY: GENESIS

TEXT & PHOTO: THANNOP AUTTAPUMSUWAN

(For Thai, press here

Have you ever traveled to a place so exquisitely arranged that you found yourself surrounded by stunning natural beauty, causing you to wonder if such splendor could have formed merely by chance? Do these elements arise naturally, or could it be possible that our world was designed and created by someone?

“IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH”

As a child, I often pondered how our world came into existence. Growing older, I encountered numerous scientific theories explaining the origins of our planet, yet none could definitively prove their accuracy.

But there exists a book, the best-selling book in the world, translated into many languages—the Bible. Comprising 66 books, its first is titled ‘Genesis.’

Genesis 1:1 writes, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This verse speaks of God’s creation of the world in six days. Through studying and understanding each verse, this photo essay was born.

‘Genesis’: The Creation of Our World by God

It emerged… it exists… it fades away.

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Thannop Auttapumsuwan graduated from Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Architecture. He works as an architectural photographer and explores personal projects with black and white film cameras and darkroom processes.

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instagram.com/whydoyoulovefilm

PHOTO ESSAY : SPECTRUM OF SOLITUDE: A TAPESTRY OF URBAN LIFE

TEXT & PHOTO: CHEVAN LIKITBANNAKON 

(For Thai, press here

In “Spectrum of Solitude,” a captivating series of photographs, the lens delves into the intricate dynamics of urban existence, capturing moments of connection, introspection, and cultural immersion amidst the backdrop of parks, museums, and bustling streets. Each image is a brushstroke in the larger canvas of urban life, revealing the nuanced interplay between solitude and companionship, culture and art.

The series opens with scenes of people basking in the warmth of companionship, laughing, and sharing stories in the verdant embrace of city parks or cozy cafes. Friends and lovers alike find solace in each other’s company. Their joy is palpable against the backdrop of urban landscapes. Yet, interspersed among these moments of camaraderie are glimpses of solitary figures lost in thought amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. These solitary moments offer a poignant counterpoint to the vibrant energy of communal gatherings, inviting viewers to contemplate the beauty of introspection and self-discovery.

As the series unfolds, cultural immersion takes center stage, with photographs capturing the diverse tapestry of traditions and expressions that define urban landscapes. From the hushed halls of museums, where art and history intertwine, to the vibrant streets pulsating with the rhythms of different cultures, each image is a testament to the richness of human experience found within the city’s embrace.

“Spectrum of Solitude” is more than just a collection of photographs; it is a visual symphony that celebrates the multifaceted nature of urban life. Through the lens of street photography, viewers are invited to explore the delicate balance between connection and solitude, culture and art, discovering beauty in the everyday moments that shape our urban experiences.

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With a background in filmmaking, Chevan Likitbannakon is a Thai-Egyptian passionate visual storyteller, particularly through the visual arts – painting, photography, music videos, and filmmaking. There are fleeting moments where I glimpse the essence of the subject(s) I capture. That is the story I tell. And I become part of that story by being behind the camera and documenting that particular moment. It could be a feeling, or a thought, or a look, that is revealed in the captured moment – one that was perhaps previously unseen. 

chevan.myportfolio.com