Cover photo by: Mete Tikka (https://www.instagram.com/meterminated/)
1. Tell our audience briefly who you are and what inspired you to take on photography?
I'm Tan Vuong (IG: @tannwashere) and through photography, I found a way to express emotions and experiences that I hadn't previously processed. It sounds cliché, but I can't begin to describe how much that realization blew my mind.
2. What’s your photographic process, what matters to you when you take a photograph and why?
I carry a camera with me almost all the time. I'm an opportunist who's always waiting for the right moment. The most important thing when taking a photo is to feel something—to find the emotional state of that moment. Images without that often feel "empty" to me. At the same time, I've noticed that when I share those images, even if they don't evoke anything in me or aren't especially meaningful to me, they can still create a strong reaction in others.
3. Describe the 'one that got away'—a photo you saw in your mind but couldn't
capture?
The parking lot in the center of Tornio was completely empty. A moment later, a large tractor and a white Tesla arrived at exactly the same time. The drivers got out, leaned against their vehicles, and lit their cigarettes. Shortly after, an old American classic car drove past blasting Swedish Euro pop. I had just run out of film right before the moment happened. I was reaching for my phone because I wanted to photograph the scene. But I believe everything happens for a reason, and I think that moment didn't need to be preserved in a photograph—it was enough to keep it as a memory.
4. Do you believe in a 'soulmate' camera? Which piece of gear feels like an extension of your body rather than a tool in your hand?
You develop a different relationship with every camera. Some connections become much
deeper than others. A while ago, I lent my Fuji X100F to a friend for a week, and it honestly felt like leaving your child with a babysitter for the first time.
I value my work just as much as I value my tools. At the moment, I wouldn't lend out my film cameras unless I was there myself.
5. Is there a specific photograph or body of work in history that changed the way you look through a viewfinder? How does its influence show up in your work today?
James Nachtwey's Memoria exhibition. One photograph can tell the whole story.
The Netflix series Chernobyl 1986. It's incredible how everything can change forever in such a short amount of time. That series remains one of the biggest influences on my photography. Every moment you capture could be the last one.
6. What is the most 'technically imperfect' photo you’ve ever taken that you still
absolutely love? What does that say about the importance of gear versus timing?
I don't think I've ever felt that I've taken a technically imperfect photograph. For me, the most important thing isn't the physical image—it's the moment. If I feel like I don't have the gear that's technically capable of creating the image I want, I often choose not to take the photo at all.
7. When you’re out shooting for yourself, do you find yourself looking for the light first, or the subject first?
Actually, neither. I look for the perfect shadow.
8. How do you deal with 'G.A.S.' (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)? Does owning more gear make you a better storyteller, or does it get in the way?
I try to own only the equipment I actually need. Although, because of my work, I do need a fairly extensive kit. But my answer is still no.
9. Have you ever had to explain the value of a dedicated camera to someone who thinks a smartphone is good enough to take photos with?
I've never found myself in that situation.
10. What is your 'comfort' film stock? The one you load when you just want to enjoy the process without worrying about the results?
There are several: Ultramax 400, Portra 800, 8Hundred, Delta 3200, and of course CineStill 800T.
11. Every photographer has their resources. Which ones do you recommend for learning more about photography (courses, books, documentaries, workshops)?
Everyone really does have their own way of learning. I realized that the more I tried to learn from outside sources—YouTube, courses, other people, and so on—the more frustrated I became because I simply didn't understand.
By far the best way for me to learn has been analyzing my own failures. It took me a long
time to come up with my own theory of what ISO, aperture, and shutter speed actually meant before things finally clicked through trial and error. I also learned the importance of light by studying shadow. None of what I'd seen or heard was wasted, though. Once those moments of understanding came, everything I'd already read, watched, and heard from different sources suddenly made sense.
12. What do you value in a camera, why do you select to use a specific one to take
photographs with?
I honestly can't say. The right camera simply feels right. It's difficult to explain.
13. If you could go back in time what would you like to photograph?
I have to say the boring answer: I wouldn't go back in time to photograph anything.
14. What part of the photographic process matters the most to you?
The "double moments": the moment I'm taking the photograph, and the moment I return to that exact moment looking at the photograph later. Not every image creates that feeling but the photographs that I truly succeeded in taking, they usually do.
15. If you had to shoot a high-stakes editorial on a single roll of film, which camera-and-lens combo from our current inventory would you trust, and why?
A Contax G1 with the 28mm lens loaded with Delta 3200, or the Fujifilm GA645 Zoom that I'm currently borrowing, also loaded with Delta 3200. The grit of Delta adds so much depth and emotion to an image, especially in editorial work. I'd choose the Contax because of its incredibly sharp lens, and the medium-format camera because the negatives are much better suited for larger prints.
16. Imagine you find a un-developed roll of film from 50 years ago that hasn't been seen by anyone yet. Before you develop the film, what do you hope is on that roll, and why is that the version of the world you want to preserve?
Photographs of my grandparents' everyday life during the Vietnam War.
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