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Keeping Creative in Uncertain Times - Quarantine Cuisine: Part 2

April 13, 2020 in food

As we’ve settled into this new “normal”, we’ve been confronted with some stark realizations - some of us need to learn to cook and restaurants will have to adapt in order to survive these tumultuous times. That said, my kitchen has become familiar again, my love for cooking has had a resurgence, and restaurants have adapted with new delivery concepts popping up and a higher focus on hospitality. While the current situation is a million miles from good, silver linings are what we have and staying positive and supporting each other is always good. This push to give better value, service and support from restaurants and patrons alike is a wonderful thing to witness, and I hope this bolsters the industry not only here in Saigon, but throughout the global F&B industry.

Keeping Creative in Uncertain Times: Quarantine Cuisine Part 1

March 31, 2020

As things have gotten increasingly weird over the past couple of weeks, budgets have contracted, priorities changed, and many creatives have seen their stream of work dwindle if not cease to exist. Times are not ideal by any stretch. That said, I hope we can all use this downtime to possibly learn something new, shoot a personal project, or catch up on our reading. Also, I’m not technically in quarantine, but I couldn’t help the rhyming title. Either way, let’s all stay home and chill, okay?

New Work: American Comfort Food at The Wagon Wheel.

March 13, 2020 in food

The guys at The Wagon Wheel recently tapped us to shoot their menu, and were we excited to create something awesome. As a southern boy at heart, this felt like a warm hug and a welcome homecoming. I recently had to cancel my trip back to the States given the Covid-19 situation, so this couldn’t have come at a better time! All this hits showed up - chicken fried steak, chicken and waffles, deviled eggs, and even a funnel cake to cap it off. We tried to keep it playful by shooting images before and after the first bite (or three). It took immense willpower not to devour everything on the plate before we got the shot! These guys are doing it right, and it’s exactly what we needed.

Saigon Punk Chronicles: Year End Party with Slaughter to Prevail.

January 13, 2020 in music

This year’s pre-Tet show lined up Russian heavy hitters Slaughter to Prevail and a whole host of regional support with Saigon’s Knife Sticking Head, Pick Supplier, District 105, and Infecated and Cambodia’s Doch Chkae all bringing the lunar year to a close with a bang.

Pedestrian and fruit seller walk in opposite direction in Hanoi. Shot be Lee Starnes, Vietnam photographer.

Keeping it Simple: One Lens, One Focal Length.

January 02, 2020

Happy New Year everyone! With the new year, its time to simplify, declutter, focus and enjoy the little things. So, I finally parted ways with my last adapted lens from my time with Canon. Since switching to Sony, I’ve used the Sigma 35 1.4 here and there, but never as much as with my Canon kit. Weight, slower autofocus, etc…It started just staring at me from the shelf. Paired with less than ideal alternatives, I kept it around because I love the 35mm focal length. So, when Sony came out with the 35 1.8, it was time to trade it in and go native. Not to worry, the Sigma went to a good home and is already living its best life.

Europe Photo Diary, Part 3: Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve

November 29, 2019 in travel

Part 3 and the final bit of the European jaunt back in May. We spent a couple of weeks meeting up with friends and family in Portugal heading to Lisbon, down to the Algarve and back up to Porto and the Douro Valley. First, I’m a bit smitten by Portugal, so it was challenging to pare the mountain of images down into something a bit more digestible, and even so, I’m not sure I did that. Great food, incredibly picturesque cities, rugged coastlines, wine country, what more can you ask?

Japan's Gutara Kyo takes the stage at We're Loud Fest Vietnam 2019. Shot by Lee Starnes, Saigon-based photographer.

Saigon Punk Chronicles : We’re Loud Fest: Vietnam

November 26, 2019 in music

Last weekend Slovenly Records’ We’re Loud Fest descended into Saigon featuring acts from all over the globe. From local hardcore heroes, District 105, to Switzerland’s The Monsters, We’re Loud Fest spanned 4 days and multiple venues in Saigon. Unfortunately, I only got to attend the Saturday matinee, but having an international punk fest come to Saigon is super rad to say the least.

Europe Photo Diary, Part 2: Paris and Champagne

October 22, 2019 in travel

These photos have been sitting on the back burner for a while due to an extremely busy summer of shooting, but alas, here are some snaps from our trip to Paris and Champagne to meet up with my good friend Matt and his new fiancee, Liz. We hadn’t seen each other in years, but felt like it wasn’t more than a day or so since our old shenanigans. Not so much for museums and the sort this time in Paris, we opted for the stroll, eat, drink wine, and repeat course of action.