Weerapong Chaipuck Iconic Landscape Photographer with Klassik Magazine International

Photo Interview:

Name: Weerapong Chaipuck

Age: 60 y.

Birthday: 3 April 1955

College: Prince of Songkhla university(M.D.); Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahodol university (specialty in General Radiology)

Would you tell us some things about yourself? Please include a few little known facts about you as well. I basically love drawing & painting since I was young and had won many from competitions in elementary & high schools. When I retired from my routine work I thought photography could had fulfilled my childhood dream so I started learning & practicing photography. For me, I express my photographic work as an art, not depict event or situation.

What offers the Thai culture? Weerapong, explain me the most important traditions? The importance of Thai culture is “Thainess”- what we know as generosity and easy forgiveness which still remain in rural area all over the country. Additionally we also have many interesting indigenous events throughout all year round for foreigners too.

Why you live in Bangkok? Actually I do not like Bangkok , the main reason is traffic jams, but I live there because I have to take care of my mother there.

Where do you live now? why? At a suburb area southern part of BKK., where my mother stay there.

Why do you help another people in Bangkok? Not just in Bangkok , I can help others anywhere if there are enough reasons to help. I just try to “pay it forward” as I experienced many memorable moments from kind-hearted people during my trips abroad.

Explain me some of these memorable moments? For example , at old quarter in Hanoi where I forgot my camera bag in a coffee shop and when I came back to find my bag the owner gladly came to me with my bag in her hand.

What we can meet in the streets of Bangkok? Bangkok is famous for photography of cityscape so we can meet & enjoy taking photographs of a lot of buildings & temples.

Describe your photographic style: my picture style is what viewers called dreamy landscape. My signature is that I always add smoke & beams into the scenes.

What has Bangkok taught you all these years? Be more patience for Traffic, LOL.

What messages has he given you so we can know more about that unknown Bangkok? In my opinion, provinces around BKK. are more interesting in terms of culture & historic parks , such as Ayuthaya , Kanjanaburi , Rachburi, Petchburi etc.

Vietnam, how would you describe it to me? I just travelled to Vietnam, where there are lots of interesting places and cultures too.

What did you see there? where have you been? how is people, experiences, food, surprises, things that you have discover there…

Sapa is the place I love , I have been there about 15 times within 10 years. Each time I went there, the sceneries are not the same ; sometimes with sea of fog, sometimes with green or yellow terraced fields, etc, as same as most people who always be kind to foreigners . Of course you can see the dark side also but just forget it and try to remember all the good things and keep it in your memories.

What are your thoughts about ” The Vietnam War”? What do you think? I think the big country should not interfere other countries. Let each country solve problem by it’s own people.

Some short questions now:

Colour: Blue

Book: many

Movie: Pay it foreward, Life is beautiful, Avatar

Food: Spicy Thai food.(vegetarian)

Quote: Everything happens for the best.

How long have been in photography? About 10 years

How did you start? As I like drawing & painting but had no time during my carrier, so photography can fulfill my dream after my early retirement.

How would you define yourself as an artist? I like to create pictures , not record pictures.

Where do you find inspiration? I can easily find inspirations from amazing pictures around the world.

Is Brainstorming not the only creative method use to create new concepts? As I am a landscape & life photographer, I do my work alone just like a drawing/painting artist does, my creativity of imagination cannot obtained by brainstorming. It is different from portrait or fashion photography, I think.

Please could you tell us about photography and digital technology? Digital technology make it easier for learning technique of photography and also easier for creativity.

What type of camera do you use most? I used Nikon D70s,D300,D7000 according to the time , now I use D800.

What is your favorite lens? No favorite lens for me , just use normal-range lens such as 17-55mm.(Dx) or 24-70mm.(Fx) more than others as other landscape photographers do.

What has been your most memorable assignment and why? My recent trip at Kawah Ijen in Indonesia, in spite of abundant smoke , we had to go down the crater until we reached the blue fire within 5-10 meters, a fatal experience!

What are your favourite three images you have shot recently? No favorite image recently, my all-time favorites are falling stars at Bromo (that makes me well-known world-widely), a picture of a kid eating food in a Hmong’s home at Sapa (“I am hungry”) because it was only a few seconds opportunity to get that image and the only rare time that I used built-in flash getting good foreground, the last one is a good action of a bald fisherman at Li river.

Which is the one that captivates you the most? why? My impressive place is Northern part of Vietnam, especially Sapa town because you can combine human culture & place to make an interesting story. Another place is Bromo in east Java, Indonesia ; because you can see the miracle & beauty of nature there.

During the year you conduct expeditions and photography workshops for professional photographers and nature & landscape lovers..do you know when will be the next expeditions and workshops? Right now I do a la carte program depending on the requirement of customer , for example customers choose some of my pictures that they would like to take the similar scenes, then we will discuss together to make the program for the trip. The best season for taking photo in Thailand is winter,around late October to early February.

In the workshops how many different nationalities can you find? Do people come to you from all over the world? How is the experience? I have to tell you that I am new for doing as an organizer, mostly they come as a group of 12-18 members where there is already a leader, so it is easily organized through the leader. If any photographic group or society would like to have an amazing experience in culture & landscape in Thailand so you can contact me via my facebook message ; FB.com/weerapong_c

How important is an awesome website for your business? As I said, amazing pictures from websites always inspire me.

What’s the most important quality a photographer needs to have? Only two things, enthusiasm and imagination.

Which of your projects has given you the most satisfaction? No specific, every time I travel always makes me excited and enthusiastic to explore the world.

Who are the photographer’s you admire the most? Hmm…. no specific , as landscape photography we pay all our attention to the object itself and nature plays most important role so any photographer who be there at the right time can obtain the optimal result of that object.

What about architects and designers? Hmm…. I have no knowledge about them so cannot make a comment or idea.

What are your next projects? I decide to perform a mentorship program for photography , I think it will serve my objective, you can earn your life with the job you like.

Define “Klassik Magazine International” for the audience? Laura Gomez and I we are friends same than Saravut Whanset, all of us work for a better world.

https://www.klassikmagazine.com/weerapong-chaipuck-3/