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Tell us about yourself
I am mostly a landscape photograph. I love doing travel photography but also there are a few areas where I live that I like to return and get a different picture of the same subjects. I am based in Northern California.
Why do you travel and photograph your journeys?
I was born in Cambodia, a small country in South East Asia. Later, after the end of the Vietnam war, my family and I found refuge in France where I grew up. Later I came to to the US for my study where I met my wife and settle in Long Beach, CA. America is such a great country and we love to take trips to visit National Parks and since I love taking pictures, it has become a habit to do photography trips and got expanded to overseass trips.
What is your favourite thing or item to photograph
My favorite thing to photograph is landscape and time to time wildlife.
What’s your go-to travel hack?
To carry my gears I use an f-stop bag that has different internal camera units and I can store my gears and clothing. Most importantly when I carry the bag, it is impossible for pick picketers to reach those gears. The only way to access the gears is to take off the bag. Always pay attention to your surroundings when traveling to unknown places and anticipate what can happen when people or cars approaching while you have your gears set up and taking pictures.
Got any gear you can’t travel without?
If I travel by car, most of the time I bring everything just in case I need something. However, when travel to places by planes we have to plan and bring just the gears that you need. The one essential items would have to be a battery bank, since you can use it to charge phone and camera.
What destination are you eager to go back to?
Iceland has to be the place I want to go back. I was lucky enough to visit it right before the pandemic started. Another place is Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
How do you stay safe when you’re travelling?
Most of the time I talk to the people who work at the hotels or hostels where we stay to know which part of town is safe. Once out shooting, I talk to other photographers, locals to get to know people and make everyone feel at ease and comfortable.
What’s the best way to experience a destination like a local?
Talk to the locals asking for suggestions where they themselves go to eat etc and usually you get the best place cheap and tasty.
What’s your favourite word in another language?
I try to learn to say hello, bye and thank you in the language where I visit.
When and where are you next travelling?
I will be returning to France to see my family incoming winter.
