Van & Raveen | Day in a life | Melbourne

It was an unforgettable experience while traveling around Melbourne. I hoped that in no particular occasion of time in the next 10 years, Van & Raveen could sit back, open these photographs again and really get excited like their first time seeing these moments. If it could be like what I wish, I would feel so completed and accomplished with the value of photographs that I deliver to two of them. It will enhance my belief in what I am pursuing as a documentary photographer.

This is about an ordinary and usual weekend of Van & Raveen with their adorable cat, which names Cookie.

Van once told me about her desire of finding someone who could spend time with them and capture their little daily moments of their life. With experience in documentary photography, she felt that her husband & wife’ life had a lot of funny, common & interesting habits, especially their activities in the weekends. They would love to wake up early together to have breakfast, go to the supermarket, head in to the city for some free exhibitions, wander around Ikea showroom, exercise or watch a favorite movie at night… the lists were going on and on as long as all were done together.

 After sharing her daily life story and booking me for “day in a life” session, Van was so excited yet worried at the same time since she was afraid that if their usual life could be so interesting, like how she felt, and be worthy for reserving these moments with photograph. Would both of them feel awkward when there was someone interrupts their normal life environment? Or would the photographs be so interesting and meaningful so that years later they could still feel and remember what they had been through at that moment of time?

 It was not only their wonders, but it was also my concern. Indeed, it was not easy to stay in a client’s house from dawn to dusk. In this case I slept over Van’s house the day before and started the shoot since they woke up.

 Moreover, there were only two main subjects which are Van & Raveen and sometime with their cat, Cookie. The scenes were very calm, hard to exploit in a creative way and involved a lot of changing and unexpected moving. It required me to pay full attention to what was going on around and took risk in every decision I made when framing the subjects. There were time I just sit silently at the corner of the house, observing their behaviors, other time I slowly followed them from behind when they went for a walk or run quickly to the sweet spot and waited for them to come into my frames.

 Every photograph was a part of this ordinary story of life that I had carefully put them in order with purpose.

It was an unforgettable experience while traveling around Melbourne. I hoped that in no particular occasion of time in the next 10 years, Van & Raveen could sit back, open these photographs again and really get excited like their first time seeing these moments. If it could be like what I wish, I would feel so completed and accomplished with the value of photographs that I deliver to two of them. It will enhance my belief in what I am pursuing as a documentary photographer.

 Thank you Van & Raveen again for trusting in me and let me freely capturing in a way that I love and long for. Thank you for taking care of me during the time I stay in Melbourne.  Much appreciation and sincere.  

Full Slideshow here: link

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Cu Lon | Baby Baptism Ceremony | Vietnam

This experience to me was totally different from a wedding day. There were no decoration, no make up. Every thing happened in Quang‘s house was so ordinary, just like a daily life routine, no less or more. At that moment, I felt the empathy and love that spread in the warm and cozy house. Although the baptism ceremony was quick and not-so-many moments to capture, what I really love was the little caring details and love gestures from Quang, his wife and his family towards their child (Cu Lon) that attracted my attention, and it was truly connected to my feelings.

Quang Dam is a great architectural & wedding photographer, and also a great friend of mine. He always devotes his time & soul in each Architecture project he shoots, making the still objects alive, making the unusual become a nỏrm. With his sense of humor, any wedding couples he shoot, the atmospheres are always full of laugh, craziness and energetic scenes. It's very unique while delivering the true personalities of the wedding couples at the same time.

After finishing my two workshops in one day, I got a call from Quang and asked me if I could shoot his baby baptism ceremony the next morning. I was reluctant because the ceremony was only 15 minutes long with 30km drive to the location, and I was aware of my health conditions after 3 straight days lack of sleep and full rest. Then, Quang told me how was this baptism ceremony for his first child so important to him. That‘s why he wanted to find a photojournalistic photographer who could capture the meaningful event that means a lots to him. It was so touching and I decided to go for the shoot.

This experience to me was totally different from a wedding day. There were no decoration, no make up. Every thing happened in Quang‘s house was so ordinary, just like a daily life routine, no less or more. At that moment, I felt the empathy and love that spread in the warm and cozy house. Although the baptism ceremony was quick and not-so-many moments to capture, what I really love was the little caring details and love gestures from Quang, his wife and his family towards their child (Cu Lon) that attracted my attention, and it was truly connected to my feelings.

Full slideshow: https://khoi-le-studios-25356.smartslides.com/cu-lon-baptism

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ARIA'S FAMILY | Day in a life | Saigon

Với mỗi buổi chụp như vậy, các bạn sẽ không phải gồng mình lên biểu cảm, tạo dáng hay diễn xuất, không phải e dè lo sợ về việc mình có ăn ảnh hay không, góc mặt nào đẹp xấu…, bởi bạn chỉ cần là chính mình, làm những công việc bình thường vẫn hay làm, ở bất cứ không gian nào bạn cảm thấy quen thuộc hoặc thoải mái. Việc nắm bắt, ghi lại những khoảnh khắc rất đẹp kiểu đời thường ấy là do chính những photographers phóng sự chúng tôi đảm nhận. Không có nét đẹp nào trường tồn và có giá trị lâu được bằng chính nét đẹp của những khoảnh khắc bình dị, đáng yêu mà ngày thường không ai để ý quan sát, không ai giúp bạn lưu lại. 

"Day in the life" family sessions
Có lẽ trong cuộc đời của mỗi người, ai cũng chọn cho mình ít nhất 1 dịp trọng đại nào đó để được xúng xính quần áo đẹp, trang điểm lung linh, đi đến một studio để chụp một bộ ảnh kỷ niệm truyền thống đủ mặt cả gia đình. 
Bạn có biết, thực tế ngày nay, còn có một sự lựa chọn rất mới và rất khác để lưu lại những hình ảnh lưu niệm ấy: một cách thức đơn giản hơn, gần gũi hơn, thư giãn hơn, và đôi khi giá trị hình ảnh lưu lại cũng to lớn hơn rất nhiều so với một buổi chụp truyền thống chỉ ngồi tạo dáng và nhìn thẳng vào ống kính?! 
Khoi Le Studios muốn giới thiệu với các bạn “Day in the life" family sessions - phương thức chụp phóng sự/tư liệu gia đình mà rất nhiều các nhiếp ảnh gia hàng đầu trên thế giới đang hướng đến; cũng là phong cách chụp mà Khoile studios đang tiên phong và thử nghiệm ở Việt Nam.
Với mỗi buổi chụp như vậy, các bạn sẽ không phải gồng mình lên biểu cảm, tạo dáng hay diễn xuất, không phải e dè lo sợ về việc mình có ăn ảnh hay không, góc mặt nào đẹp xấu…, bởi bạn chỉ cần là chính mình, làm những công việc bình thường vẫn hay làm, ở bất cứ không gian nào bạn cảm thấy quen thuộc hoặc thoải mái. Việc nắm bắt, ghi lại những khoảnh khắc rất đẹp kiểu đời thường ấy là do chính những photographers phóng sự chúng tôi đảm nhận. Không có nét đẹp nào trường tồn và có giá trị lâu được bằng chính nét đẹp của những khoảnh khắc bình dị, đáng yêu mà ngày thường không ai để ý quan sát, không ai giúp bạn lưu lại. 
Bởi vậy, cách tiếp cận khá mới mẻ đối với việc chụp ảnh gia đình này sẽ giúp bạn thậm chí không cần phải chờ tới một dịp quan trọng mới rủ nhau đi chụp. 
Hãy cùng xem thử một ngày sinh hoạt thật bình thường của gia đình nhỏ Aria và cảm nhận những hạnh phúc thường ngày, những yêu thương nồng nàn mà họ dành cho nhau thông qua góc nhìn phóng sự của Khoile team nhé.
#khoilestudios
#dayinthelife
#familysessions
#familyphotojournalism

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