She wanted to keep it real so I remained everything as raw as possible.

Shot at La Lune studio in April 2021.

When Thai Hoan first contacted me to ask for the portrait session, I felt that there was something very special about this woman. She told me this would be the second time she had her portrait taken by a photographer. The first time was 11 years ago. She knew something had changed radically for the last 5 years. “I wanted to see how these changes inside me appear through the eyes of a stranger". Immediately, there was an urge inside me wanting to know her thoroughly. I think part of it came from my natural interest as a filmmaker who always finds inspiration in people’s stories.

That morning when she came to my studio, unlike other sessions I had before, we had breakfast together. She brought me an instant hot chocolate bottle that I love. How sweet and caring she was I’m still thinking about. And naturally, we ended up as good friends after the shoot. We, sometimes, spend time together at her house, cooking Vietnamese food and sharing good laughs. Once again, my belief is reinforced that art can bring souls together.