As students of photography, Somboon Unpracha and Thanaboom Pobumrung were pitted against a relatively unknown bunch of budding photographers from Timor-Leste. However, it proved to be a lesson in collaboration because the inaugural photography workshop they attended would conclude with an online exhibition of their work.
The one-month workshop dealt with themes such as "Diary Of A Pandemic" in Timor-Leste and Thailand in which students from both countries took part. Meanwhile, "REKREATIF", a photography club where amateurs from Timor-Leste come together to share their passion, covered topics such as martial arts performance photography and how to cope with being human.
Six East Timorese and 18 fine arts students from Silpakorn University participated in the workshop.
The resulting online exhibition, which features around 200 stunning photos from both camps, is titled "7,610-kilometre Distance: Finally, We've Met One Another!" and is currently taking place after a successful offline event in late April.
After having the likes of top photography experts Dow Wasiksiri, Wannapong Surarochprajak, Ornin Ruangwattanasuk, Subkun Sarunpueti and Taweewit Kijtanasoonthorn mentor and lead workshops covering topics such as travel, fashion, culture and documentary photography, the students went out to explore the vicinity of Silpakorn University's Nakhon Pathom campus and Bangkok to capture their subject matter.
Each spent hours searching and interviewing before actually conducting a photoshoot.
Timor-Leste's Acacio Pinto captures the plight of local residents, many of whom who are poor and despondent. (Photo © Toeingam Guptabutra)
"My desire was to capture the hardship of Thai SME businesses that have been barely existing since the pandemic began," said Somboon, 23. "My theme was 'Vendors: Faith And Hope'. Prior to documenting their daily life, I spent time gaining their trust and understanding their life and business by chatting with them. In some instances, I had to come the next day to actually capture their candid moments.
"This type of photography is time-consuming and challenging because people usually shy away from the presence of a camera. The question was how can I take photos which seem to capture the essence of a subject I've just met? It is never easy but I am happy with the results of my hard work."
Thanaboom, 21, had his work cut out when he decided to focus on businesses that have been most impacted by Covid-19. After countless hours on the road, he remarked: "It was only when I was exploring the topic that I realised just how many establishments have been hit by the pandemic. Some that come to mind include gaming centres, grocery stores and community libraries.
"My theme was 'Fading'. One photo that was chosen for the exhibition was that of a shop selling used books. Even though I had just gotten to know the owner, he opened up to me about his business and the emotional stress of living through this pandemic.''
Tanapong Wongtayan gets creative by utilising natural light to tell an otherwise simple story. (Photo © Toeingam Guptabutra)
Prof Toeingam Guptabutra of Silpakorn University -- the brainchild behind the project -- who has worked with the two students in the past, said that after seeing the artists' potential as photographers, it was her desire to bridge the gap by offering them the know-how to take their passion to the next level. That is when the idea of a workshop and exhibition came to life, and was executed in early March.
"This has also benefited aspiring photographers from East Timor where there is a lot of raw talent in need of guidance and mentoring. This experience has equipped them with photography skills and concepts needed for their fine art and commercial art careers," said Toeingam.
Toeingam said Silpakorn University's Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts, The Royal Photography Society of Thailand and Japan Foundation Asia Center, all played a pivotal role in the success of the project.
One of the biggest impediments she faced in organising the photography workshop in Bangkok was Covid-19.
"The pandemic took us all by surprise. The East Timorese students were supposed to fly to Bangkok for the workshop and since we could not cancel the event, it was decided that we would have it online instead," said Toeingam.
Seen Aswadetmathakul documents a happy moment for a homeless man. (Photo © Toeingam Guptabutra)
"That in itself created a number of challenges but with the support of a talented and determined team, we managed to not just have a successful virtual workshop, which was held in February and March this year, but also have an online exhibition of the photos that were taken by both students. Their work will be up for sale."
In retrospect, Toeingam said one of the highlights of the workshop was the ability to get two street gangs who were on opposing sides to give a martial arts performance for photographer Nuu'udar Uma, who conducted a photoshoot on the theme "How Do You Cope With Being A human?".
"Street gangs are a social problem in Timor-Leste, so it was Kyoko Ebata -- a Japanese artist and mentor -- who wanted to see this documented because it speaks volumes about the failure of the education system of the country," said the project director, who teaches media and sound art. "Kyoko felt this gesture was a form of peacemaking effort between both gangs and when you see the resulting photos, this becomes apparent. The emotions these photos reveal are raw and genuine.
"I have a desire to work with these talented photographers in the future. They have so much talent and are thirsty to learn to improve their skills in photography. Through these photos, I hope one day Timor-Leste can become a country people will desire to visit and eventually, fingers crossed, become part of Asean."
Toeingam said due to the pandemic Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, was in lockdown during the online workshop. This made it next to impossible for the six participants, three of whom are journalists, to collect the quota of photos they had been assigned to send their workshop leaders.
Hipolito Da Silva Baptista explores the subject of street gang fights. (Photo © Toeingam Guptabutra)
She encapsulated the month-long experience by saying that it took blood, sweat and tears to document their work in the most candid manner. Both sets of students had their share of challenges to face before being able to put together what the audience sees online.
"What makes this photo exhibition special is just the number of obstacles everyone had to overcome. It was trial and error for most of the part and this makes the outcome all the more significant. It should tug on the heartstrings of the audience because there is a lot of emotion behind each photo. Relating to a story via photos takes more than the click of the camera. Photographers have to study their subject before they can put the plot of their story into one frame. As an amateur photographer, the work put in was all the more.
"Despite having a good knowledge of gender inequality in Timor-Leste, I was shocked by the number of homeless women documented on the streets. Acacio, who is a journalist, took some thought-provoking photos. One of them was of a woman who had become mentally ill after having lost her baby and was now living in an old used car on her own. Other photos also show women living on the streets with their children in the most precarious environment one would desire to be in during this pandemic.
"You see that there is an acute shortage of face masks. Either we see them without a mask or wearing one that should be discarded. This showed the reality of what East Timorese women face. While this is well-documented in print, we don't get to see it much in photos to visualise its severity. It was my desire from the start to offer a well-balanced side of Timor-Leste. That is why the audience gets to see degradation and the flip side which showcases its rich culture, traditions and people."
Now that the foundation has been laid, she hopes others with photography expertise will offer a helping hand.
"To help them reach their potential, they require further professional skills. This will help them to showcase their country's culture, traditions and lifestyle through their photos."
The exhibition can be viewed online at timorthaiphoto.com.
Basilio Gomes da Silva picks a candid moment between mother and daughter. (Photo © Christian Mulhauser)
