STORIES
Food as Art
Not long ago I wanted to try some conceptual food photography. It was partly in response to the awards and contest season that comes around regularly and partly because I felt the desire to create something outside of the standard fare I was making for clients. I contacted the talented team of Chefs at the Park Hyatt Saigon to cook up some interesting creations and we would photograph them. Unlike previous work for the Hyatt I was not bound by corporate edict and could create the photos as I saw fit for each dish. It was a fun afternoon making art with the talented people at the hotel. These are the results.
Sofitel Phokeethra Phnom Penh – Heritage and Modernity
Sofitel Phokeethra Phnom Penh. A beautiful property in the heart of Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh. We were lucky enough to get to photograph it not long ago. Both the property and the people running it were and I’m sure still are, wonderful people.
The Expat Project
The Expat Project is a series of portraits I created to showcase the diversity and differences of long term expatriates. While the term bothers a few of the old guard it has evolved to mean something different over the years. Each person in the project has a unique story about who they are, where they come from, how they got here and how they got to where they are. I created a book with the resulting portraits that showcases these interesting people and their quotes that simply describe life overseas in their own eyes. There is an article or two written about it and you can find one here – http://vietcetera.com/fred-wissink-expats-in-vietnam/
Toyota TRD Pro – The Phan Brothers
The TRD Pro Challenge was and is to date. One of my most challenging assignments. But also the most fun and rewarding. The original team drove 3 Toyota trucks from Saigon to Hanoi through all the worst terrain they could find. It made for an excellent video which you can find right here – https://www.gullutube.pk/watch/nguQ4cETbXo My task was to follow along with the journalists sent to cover the drive from Hanoi to Saigon. It was an epic 10 day trek. But the real story that came out of the trip was the Phan brothers. The original offroaders of Vietnam. There are several links to the stories written about them in the media section of my site. If you are interested in their stories I suggest you hop over and have a look.
Saigon Super Sound – Recovering lost music
Jan Hagenkoetter is an interesting man. A music producer, DJ and now a music historian of sorts. I have known Jan for quite some time so when he came to me asking to make some portraits for an article about his latest project I was more than happy to work with him. Saigon Supersound was started to recover the music of the vibrant 60’s and 70’s in Saigon (Vietnam) You can read a lot more about Jan’s project at the links here. http://vietcetera.com/jan-hagenkotter-and-saigon-supersound-volume-1/ http://www.saigonsupersound.com/
The Sanctuary – Ho Tram
Not all jobs are the same. I do shoot a lot of architecture and design work but this was a little different. Not only was I asked to photograph the brand new villas at the beautifully designed Sanctuary Resort in Ho Tram, I was also asked to add to the decor. In each room I worked with the designer to add photographs of street scenes from around Vietnam. Done all in beautiful Black and White prints. The images offer a nice contrast to the subdued tones used by the designer to fill the spaces.
Eyes – An Experiment in Beauty and Shape
While having some fun in the home studio one night we came up with an interesting little concept.” Eyes are the window to the soul” so they say. So we thought, Why not focus there. Wrapping the cloth was used to accentuate and draw full focus to the eyes of the beautiful women who were kind enough to let us photograph them.
Experiments in Flight
Drone photography gives an incredible perspective on the world around us. I have been a photographer for the better part of a decade and I have never seen images that show this perspective better. It is incredible. The images posted here are all part of the learning curve I am on for doing more work with the drone.
Apo Whang Od – A story of a Tattooing Tradition
Apo Whang Od is a Philippine national treasure. A member of the Kalinga tribe in northern Luzon she is close to 100 years old and one of the last traditional tattoo artists in the Philippines. While there are others, out of respect for her they do not practice. She lives in the tiny village of Buscalan in northern Luzon. While her village is small, it has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for people in the tattoo community. I had the chance to visit her in 2014. This series is a set I photographed (and had some help being photographed as I was getting a tattoo by her) At the moment she is still tattooing and slowly passing her knowledge on to her grand niece Grace. No one knows how long she will continue working, But judging by how spry she was when I went to visit I can image she will be going for quite a while longer.
Bia Craft – The rise of a Craft Beer Empire
BiaCraft is a proper phenomenon in Ho Chi Minh City. The largest selection of Craft beer in Vietnam with over 30 taps of both local and internationally brewed craft beer. The project was about documenting the design, beer, and the food at the flagship location in Ho Chi Minh City. It was a great project to work on both for the people we got to work with and obviously the opportunity to taste the entire menu of food and beer. The design is classic wood interior with industrial accents. The beer and the food both are designed with complimenting each other in mind. Overall a great project with good people.
