After a three-week cross country tour, Matca has returned to Hanoi to continue our Portfolio Review with the third session last Saturday, August 26th. This time, Matca has the opportunity to meet with three budding photographers Hien Dang, Linh DN and Le Huu Bao Phuc with potential series that are in their infancy. Here we will give specific feedbacks and suggestions on possible development directions for these ongoing projects. Portfolio Review #4 will be under way soon, please register here and stay tune for upcoming events on our Facebook page!
Hien Dang
Hien brings to our Portfolio Review #3 two projects that both underline her feminine sensitivity. One includes spontaneous travel photographs of little things on the road. The other is shot more intentionally, with the characters being her close friends and serves as a memory keeper before they part ways. The images focus on physical beauty, especially the bare back and shoulders. Hien used the space inside her own bedroom and the light from her desk lamp, a simple yet effective choice.
When considering the pictures one by one, some display a cozy atmosphere as well as a sense of intimacy between the photographer and the characters. “Supporting actors” like cats or the characters’ tattoos naturally go into the frame. However, when viewing as a whole, the series lacks consistency in lighting, color tone and the characters’ expressions.
Some specific feedbacks would be to first set the general tone for the whole series by considering using one light source or color tone. Beside directly shooting the characters, Hien can think of using shadows, or other objects that can evoke the physical body of the characters to have some comparisons. Use other backgrounds and props, or emphasise small body parts to enhance the diversity and comprehensiveness of the series. Regarding her approach, in some photos the characters actively posed, while in others Hien caught their spontaneous and more emotional moments. Matca thinks that consistently following the second approach will better suit Hien’s project.
Linh DN
The first impression we have on Linh’s project is a high level of visual consistency. All photographs have a night-like dark tone, embellished by some spots of light. Linh shares that she is captivated by the beauty of artificial light in contrast with quiet night scenes in which the appearance of man remains a fleeting trace.
It can be seen from the series a taste of cinematography, which is a great source of inspiration for Linh. The frames either resemble a poetic yet somewhat uneasy film set that invites the audience to imagine the stories behind. The fact that everyone eagerly discussed and made up plots from the pictures has already indicated the series’ success.
At present, Linh’s idea and vision of the project have been pretty solid. However, taking pictures by iPhone somewhat hinders her performance, especially in low light situations, so Linh should consider changing the equipment. In addition to seeking readily available pictures to shoot, Linh herself can get involved in making the image by using flash-lamp, for example. At the same time, in terms of editing and printing, Linh should also pay attention to color grading in order for the final products to have the best quality.
Le Huu Bao Phuc
As an art student, Phuc has always wanted to experiment a lot of materials and creative methods. He has many ideas and takes many visually diverse photos. However, Phuc is yet to understand how to express his idea through photography.
His first series captures the participants by strong colors and spiritual sense that leave them confused and curious about the story behind the frames. His original intention is to depict loneliness implicitly through the scenes he sees, which doesn’t really shine through and at the same time the series lacks connection and coherence. Our suggestions are that Phuc can shoot himself or choose a subject and a clear method to focus on. Phuc can also watch films with the theme of loneliness to learn about how to portray such feeling.
The next two series carry fairly complex topics, which is mocking religious reverence and expressing human’s sexual suppression. There are some single photos that are eye-catching and potential, but since the concept is lacking in consistency, the result comes out different from the original idea. Because a photographer needs to understand what he photographs, Matca recommend that Phuc do thorough research on both topics. With the project that aims to portray both the “wild” and the “inhumane” side of individuals, he need to get out of his comfort zone, even accepting the ugly parts to demonstrate the “wild” in people that he wants.
