2023 - Year One

Due to the culmination of unforeseen events, I found myself building a life in my hometown of Udon Thani, Thailand. A city that sprung up like an oasis amidst rice farms and jungle bush when the U.S.A.F decided it would be the perfect launching point for their craft during the Vietnam war. Having grown up between our city home in Udon Thani and our rural cottage in the Welsh Valley’s (my father being semi-retired), I saw this as an opportunity to finally realise my ambition of showing the world (through photography) my unique point of view - neither inside nor outside. A stranger of sorts, in their own home. I also bring the experience of seeing how modern society has unfolded in the West and the effects of rapid modernisation in Japan to empathise with a country coming to grips with its place in the modern world. in that sense the foundations of Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People have been laid long in advance.

What I initially struggled with was finding a cohesive narrative and overall message I wanted to say. Much of the first year was trial and error. There were many hurdles to overcome and glass ceilings to break through. I connected with some of the most inspirational people from photographers who came before, those who were creating at the very highest levels in the industry, to peers midway on their own journey such as myself. I made a wonderful set of Visual Interviews which was not only my first time collaborating but also my first attempt at producing educational content. From the advice I had been given I also found myself entering numerous photography competitions and open calls from galleries. Through this I continued to learn how to shape my work for an audience, though unsuccessful my submission for the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts became my new watermark. In terms of submissions, I ended that year creating a PDF Zine entitled 2566: Bangkok Now for my Angkor Fest submission which for a time I considered expanding upon, but my street photography work ended up finding another outlet. It became known to me that Fujifilm held a yearly challenge with grants admitted to top contenders. Around this time, I was getting issues with my gear I was using. My once trusty Fujifilm X-Pro3 was showing issues, as was the capabilities of my MacBook. Between myself and my partner Dao we decided to invest the majority of what little money we had into a new computer and a second camera, the X-T5. Dao also left her job to concentrate on client work. As such a grant to finance the still unnamed project became an enticing prospect. It forced me to sit down with my images, (now a far easier task with a very capable computer) and put together something that Fujifilm would consider investing in. The outcome was Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People.

The first year I religiously uploaded to Instagram with daily posts but even with the help of Fujifilm Thailand reposting my images consistently, I failed to grow a following on the platform. Along with my repeatedly unsuccessful submissions, this was a driving factor and large motivator for where I took my work next. On my Instagram I would hold mini “exhibitions” such as the two below. Again, this was a wonderful exercise in how to present to the viewer my thoughts and feelings. Not only am I proud of my photography but also my design work. I do not in any way measure my success or failure by the competitions I routinely entered nor by the lack of numbers on social media. I believe that the experience gained through doing the work, stood me in good stead with my future plans.

2024 - Year Two

Year two ushered in the first of two changes to my portfolio since my work on From Nippon with Love and from there things started taking a rapid turn. Having decided that I wanted to bring control back to DRobertsPhoto, bolstered by new equipment and a steady stream of client work. I decided that I would “scratch my own itch” using my website to showcase my work the way others denied me. Despite this, I was not deterred. Three people came into my life and gave me advice and inspiration that shaped my path forward as a photographer. Thank you to Samuel, for teaching me that you must educate those who may not fully understand. To Stuart, who taught me even the best have peaks and valleys and no matter what, to do the work. Finally to Oren, who taught me that you can do a lot with little and re-affirmed the most important part of photography is the story you wish to tell.

With that in mind I made the decision to leave the concept of a fully realised Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People behind, opting for a fluid and organic growth. I created the Thailand tab, and filled it with individual places and events, showing a Thailand behind the golden sands and palm trees. My Thailand. At this point I was still taking things as they came to me but the more I photographed, the more a narrative emerged. I was correct in my thoughts that this way of life was coming to an end. through the people I met and what I saw with my own two eyes it was obviously clear that the old and new lifestyles were juxtaposed and the fact that they currently co-exist does not mean that it is a sustainable way of living, with people living at both extremes and neither capable of finding middle ground. The major concerns of the people of Isaan whether they know it or not are the Mekong dams upriver in China, rapid industrialisation, pollutants, an aging society and an unskilled working majority. Having spent much of my life in the Welsh Valleys, themselves destroyed by the coal mines and steel mills, I see a repeating pattern. Be it decades later and halfway around the world. Whilst the rich and famous flock to Bangkok, touting the city’s embrace of modernity, the people of Isaan who provide the backbone of Thai society are left to deal with a harsh reality, all the while ridiculed for their agricultural lifestyle.

Meanwhile, I was able to see into the minds of the growing middle class through my work assisting Dao as a 2nd shooter. 2nd shooting fits me perfectly, not only allowing me to shoot candid as is my preference but allows me to observe the practices and mindset of people through various festivities, events, weddings, ordinations and more. Even with meyself being born here in Thailand and spending a large chunk of my life here I struggle to connect with those of the middle and even working class. I cannot help empathising with those at the lower levels of society most. I find myself often longing for such an honest life, yet I know that it is a fantasy, the reality of a life like that is not something anyone should strive for. Despite this, the social climbing Thai mindset of face and outwardly showing prosperity is not something I have inside of me. It’s not something I can connect with. Their enthusiasm to destroy the old in favour of the new with no real knowledge of the cost is something that sets me apart from them and is a gulf I do not think I will be able to cross. A such I began to wonder if there was a better path for me and my photography to take. With a good variation of images form the 18 months prior I set out to make a more lasting change to my portfolio, to reflect the work I wanted the world to see.

During all of this I was pitching my project hard, and it was not landing. I can only speculate as to why, but I presume to an international audience this was an invisible problem, far away. Here in Thailand no one wants to be the one to put the neck on the line. Those suffering from floods, drought and pm2.5 pollution, forced to work outdoors, they have no voice but the corporation’s bringing money where once there was so little, is not an enemy anyone wants. As many people benefit from the steady work and better quality of life that infrastructure brings, I also find that it is not my place to outwardly call any one way incorrect. I also think that the train has left the station on this and at best Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People will become a pivot point for future introspection. What surprised me however is the interest I gained in my photography - as in the act of photographing rather than my subject matter. After some back and forth on ideas, it was agreed that I would do two articles for Fujilove. Although I have experience working with media outlets and magazines (through my prior work in the UK) this was the first time that my articles would be featured due to their own merit. Although the structure of the magazine needed to be adhered to, I was given a lot of creative control and came out with two articles that I am very pleased with featuring in issues 97 and 99. This would not be the last time that year I would work with them.

Taking what I learned from my experience with Fujilove, I put it into my work delivering articles on my Thailand tab of the website and not long after that I began speaking to the team at Fuji X Passion. I had a lot of ideas left over from my brainstorming for Fujilove and aims of my work reaching a broader audience. With Samuel’s advice ringing in my ears, I opened up to the idea of explaining my world of photography to people and perhaps a slightly egotistical part of me relished on showing the depth of my knowledge. The initial conversations were nothing to do with cameras or equipment but my subject matter, something I have eagerly craved. Having ascertained that our ethos aligns, the conversation turned to what I could provide the readers of Fuji X Passion without re-hashing my work at Fujilove. Fujilove for me is very much established as its own thing, and I did not want to begin imitating that. We came up with a roadmap and I was given carte blanche over a monthly column with my only brief being keep it inspirational or educational. I saw this as an opportunity to explain the why, so long as I explained the how.

This takes me to where we are right now, 3/4 of the way through 2024 I came up with the concept for Manual Lenses for Nostalgic Imagery, at that time it was to be a singular article comparing recent releases of manual focus lenses from Artralab and Thypoch, however the interest for this content was there and my ability to get documentary images from in the field alongside anecdotal information on using them appealed to my editors and marketing teams alike. When offered to me, I seized the opportunity to provide a six-month series on the topic for Fujilove, to be published between January and June of 2025 - successfully pitching the concept to multiple lens manufacturers. I have even been able to provide imagery for Artralab, Laowa and Viltrox’s Instagram pages - an opportunity I never thought possible with a follower count currently less than 500 on the platform. The interest in what I am doing for both Fujilove, Fuji X Passion and the Fujifilm community has been overwhelmingly positive and hope the public reception will match expectations.

One of the highlights of 2024 was expanding on my concept for Visual Interviews - This time giving it a theme to coincide with my work and portrayal of Thailand. I relished in having full control over the design, aesthetics and presentation of the project compared to my work with the Fuji publications. I believe that the presentation is a key part of photography and whilst being a part of the wider community and having a platform to reach a larger audience are certainly very positive aspects to working with others, I find myself wanting to seize control over my own work again. Within something as subjective as design there is no real right way, but I do believe there is certain degrees of suitability, and no one is more suited to presenting my thoughts and ideas than myself. Both Oren and Stuart shared their experiences working here in Thailand and as mentioned before in “scratching my own itch” I found that in chasing what I wanted to see and know, had more depth and meaning than catering to the needs or wants of others (photographically speaking). It was also wonderful to collaborate with my peers and I would very much like to take my Visual Interviews further, given the right opportunity as I wouldn’t want to do it for the sake of it.

2025 - Year Three

With the first half of the year accounted for in terms of public facing work, I have taken what I have developed from an early stage in presenting my work to an audience, delivering articles and working with brands to culminate in my most ambitious project yet. Whilst I am currently not in a position to publicly announce the project - I can say that I have an astonishing amount of support and interest in its outcome. I hope to announce my next project once my series with Fujilove has culminated mid-year. My aims are to have the bulk of the project finished before then with only the final touches being needed. With this project I will be taking my love for design to the next level. Aside from the unannounced project, I hope for the last quarter of this year to go back to Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People and using what I have learned, put together an initial draft. There will be a lot more preparation needed for future work on the project with the scope and extent of my preparations and investigations reflecting both funding and future security available to me. In the meantime, I hope to work and collaborate with more people in the field of documentary photography and whilst there have been no concrete plans made, conversations have been had. Whilst I believe my current work within the photography and Fujifilm community has been beneficial for all involved and will continue to be so, I truly believe it is only because of my work on Soul of the Planet, Heart of the People and in sharing my very own hurdles and difficulties (as well as how I overcome them) that my articles provide real value. A such I am pleased with the synergy between my projects and wish to continue expanding upon foundations laid, with one building upon the other.