Saigon Punk Chronicles : Soi Dau Lang Warm up

March 17, 2025 in music

Another chapter in the Chronicles. As the scene in Saigon keeps expanding, more venues are beginning to host punk and hardcore shows, and this was the first one at Cafe Stagiaires in District 2. With multiple floors, this venue is able to host a show while having a completely different vibe on the rooftop. Think open air laidback cocktail vibes, And then think about a DIY punk show blasting on the floor just beneath. Endlessly amusing to watch those different worlds collide. Definitely saw a few interesting looks as the suited, booted and cocktail dresses passed by kids losing their shit to breakdown after breakdown.

Travel Diary: Bangkok - Part 2

March 06, 2025 in travel

After waxing on perhaps excessively in Part 1 on the origins of my photography journey, I’ll keep it a bit more succinct here. Wandering through the streets of Bangkok with a fresh perspective after all those years stirred up feelings of familiarity right next those of utter novelty. That notion of confluence - the brackish waters of old mixing with new, juxtapositions of the traditional colliding with the ultra-modern, familiar scenes intermingling with the altogether novel, the mundane blending with the weird. These places have a gravitational pull, always drawing me in. Transitions and the interplay between two seemingly opposing forces, that dance between the odd couple… It’s where the most interesting things happen. Influences ebb and flow back and forth, reshaping each other into a new voice and aesthetic. A new noise.

A street scene in Bangkok, Thailand by travel photographer Lee Starnes

Travel Diary: Bangkok - Part 1

February 27, 2025 in travel

In 2007, I boarded a plane to Thailand, about to take my first plunge into living overseas. I was the walking, talking version of a clueless 20-something in search of purpose. After 34 hours in airports and wildly uncomfortable plane seats, I landed in Bangkok around midnight. The city hit me like a ton of bricks— the sounds, the smells, the chaos. Tuk-tuks zipping by, street food at every turn, and the heat. It was sensory overload in the best possible way. It was like a shot of adrenaline, and I felt alive in a way in way I had never experienced. Over the coming months, I went through every emotion — excitement, confusion, loneliness, wanderlust, the lot. Though after a month, I was convinced I’d never leave despite the absolute mine field of emotions I was going through. I felt like I was on the right path even though I had no idea what that path actually was.

Sri Lanka Workshop Recap: Part 2 - Colombo and Negombo

February 06, 2025

From the bustling streets of Colombo to the chaotic fish markets of Negombo, these two locations are a street photographers dream. Pockets of light, lively characters you meet in the streets, fish parts flying everywhere. It’s a rush. It’s hard to know where to point the camera and when to hit the shutter. Often times, travelers spend maybe a day in Colombo and head off to other areas of the country, but as a travel photographer, the capital city provides for some incredible photo opportunities. Colombo’s Pettah market is steeped in history and is overflowing with activity. It’s not difficult to get lost in the sea of vendors surrounding you as you stroll through the streets and back alleys. Negombo’s fish market is a myriad of textures, smells, and a literal murder of crows flying in for an easy meal. Finding a clear frame sometimes is a challenge to say the least in both of these situations. That being said, as with most photography, patience is your friend and chasing light is never going to point you in the wrong direction. As I said in part one, sometimes the light is less than stellar, so we need to dig deeper, look closer, listen more. It’s similar to how I personally think travel is the most rewarding. Not observing but interacting and taking a nose dive into the deep end. The difference between traveling and being a tourist. So this wraps this years Sri Lanka workshop with Pics of Asia and we’ve got more planned for next year. We just announced dates for next year soon so head on over to the link above and sign up! We’d love to have you for the next jaunt around of my favourite places on earth.

Sri Lanka Workshop Recap: Part 1: Central Highlands and the Southern Coast

February 04, 2025 in travel

Travel is a funny thing. Despite due diligence and research, trying to control all the variables is often like carrying water in a sieve - a lesson in futility. This is not to say throw caution completely to the wind, but rather understand going into it that things will inherently be different than any preconceived ideas regardless if you’ve been there before. So, with that being said, this trip to Sri Lanka was a lesson in laughing at the weather when it should have been far less...moody and often grumpy. Maybe it wasn’t grumpy, but it definitely wasn’t blue skies and gorgeous sunsets. So, when these things happen, a bit of a change in perspective is necessary. It allows us to start thinking in a mindset that’s not really so much about “perfect travel conditions” but rather looking at the conditions and making images that play to the strengths of each situation. So that golden light isn’t there….. so what. Are we going to sulk around and whinge about the shitty weather or do we start looking for pools of light, reflections from the rain, indoor markets, texture, beauty in the mundane and decisive moments. Perhaps we need to start thinking more about how to create compelling with what’s in front of us rather than what is traditionally seen as beautiful. This is definitely a do as I say, not necessarily as I did because there were more than a couple of occasions that shook my fist at the sky and groaned at another overcast sky. We’re all human, but it’s not the end of the day if things go differently than we thought. If it was, oh man, I’d have been witness to about a million apocalypses at this point in my life.

Frank Turner playing live in Saigon Vietnam by music photographer Lee Starnes

Saigon Punk Chronicles : Frank Turner, 7uppercuts & Papa Lam

December 02, 2024 in music

Another chapter in the Chronicles and what a chapter it was. The fine folks at Loud Minority and Noise Saigon put together an absolute banger of a show. Frank Turner boarded a plane in London, got off of the plane, and played a show a few hours later… If you didn’t know this, you’d have been well impressed by his performance and the energy in the room. Knowing this, it’s ever more impressive… What an absolute professional road dog.

a silhouette of a worker inside a coffee factory in the southern highlands of vietnam shot by travel photographer Lee Starnes

Tips and Tricks: Technical Perfection is Overrated.

November 25, 2024

Coffee factories are full of steam, dust, and typically…. DARKNESS. When the light pours in from the windows, you get this incredible atmosphere, but then you’re stuck with such a huge variance in light values that if you expose for your highlights, everything else is nearly black, but if you expose for your shadows, say hello to a millIon blown highlights. Usually when I’m teaching photography, I often encourage students to pick one and shoot to that limitation. Don’t try and satisfy both gods, because you’ll end up pissing them both off and end up with something pleasing neither. So what do you do? I’m not really in the camp of appeasing any gods, so I guess it’s a bit of dancing with the devil and doing whatever gets a compelling image or story. This is often tricky when it comes to photographers as we’re so obsessed with everything being technically “perfect,” that we get lost in the forest for the trees. Moment is always better than technical perfection, so never mind the noise, crank that iso, blow a few highlights and forget about everything you’ve been taught thats supposed to make a good photo. If it works, its not wrong, right?

The Duomo of Milan shot in black in white by travel photographer Lee Starnes

Travel Diary: Milan

November 12, 2024

The last chapter in my trip to Europe, Milan, nearly got skipped in favour of heading up near Lake Como. With all the travel before getting to Milan, the need to slow my roll superseded another destination so I parked it in Milan for a few days and explored the city. Coming from Florence, Milan has a distinctly different feel. It feels lived in rather than the open air museum quality Florence had. While not as traditionally “picturesque” as Florence, Milan’s got its fair share of beautiful architecture and from what i experienced, it certainly is a bit rougher around the edges. For some reason, I always end up gravitating towards areas with a bit of grit as most of the good stuff is always found in the areas that are a bit unpolished. Diamonds are overrated, anyways.