Gabriel Camelin - Video and Photography (2025)

18/11/2025

I first met David Jacobson a few years ago when he commissioned me to create a promotional video for Smalls, the bar he co-founded. While discussing the concept, he showed me portraits he had taken there, capturing patrons, DJs, and bartenders lost in conversation or glowing after a few drinks. Those images revealed something about him, but they did not prepare me for how trained his eye truly was. I knew he had decades of experience in the bar industry, but when I visited his home a few weeks ago, I discovered much more.
David Jacobson grew up in New York, raised by liberal parents involved in civil rights and who encouraged both art and music in his formative years. Those early experiences shaped his values and his taste for avant-garde music. After studying political science in California, he became disillusioned with the political climate and turned to film at USC. A censored student film and a back injury later pushed him towards photography.
He began as an assistant to major photographers, including Helmut Newton, Herb Ritts and Greg Gorman in Los Angeles. His portfolio soon included portraits of David Bowie, Dustin Hoffman, and Muhammad Ali. Eventually, the ego-driven culture drained him, and when his entire archive was stolen from a storage unit and burned, he stepped away from photography altogether.
During a documentary trip to Vietnam in 1990, David realised the potential of the city and launched the legendary Q Bar in Ho Chi Minh City, named one of the “world’s best bars” by Time magazine. After relocating with his wife, Phuong, in 1998, he opened Q Bar Bangkok in 1999. In 2014, he co-founded Smalls with Bruno Tanquerel, one of Bangkok’s most beloved bars, where art, jazz, and people effortlessly converged.
This is where we met again last week to finish our shoot. David retired last year but remains a regular there. Last month, I visited him for portraits at his home; we talked for so long that the light vanished before I could take a single photo, and I had to return the following week. His house, hidden in the heart of the city and overflowing with art and photographs, has a modern Jim Thompson-like spirit; in many ways, so does his life.

12/11/2025

A decade ago, during one of those packed nights at Jam, I first met Peng, who occasionally worked behind the bar. Back then, she was doing product photography for e-commerce to pay the bills, while exploring her own art through exhibitions. I invited her a few times to run workshops at my university, but we eventually lost touch after she moved to Vietnam. When I reached out for my project, I was shocked to learn she lived just one block away from me. I grabbed my bike and gear and was at her place in two minutes. Peng welcomed me with her partner Mo and their cat, Orpheus.
Born in Thailand, Peng moved to the UK when she was eight. Not speaking a word of English, art became her language. She went on to study photography at university, which eventually brought her back to Thailand, where she found work as a photographer. Returning felt strange; she now had a British accent but wasn’t fluent in Thai, a duality she has learned to embrace.
When we last talked, she had become fascinated by illustration and motion graphics, which led to her character Skylar, a flower-covered, baby-humanoid creature that reflects her search for balance between nature and technology, structure and freedom, softness and strength. Her growing obsession with the colour red now spills into her art, wardrobe, and even her cooking.
In recent years, Peng has been drawn to a slower rhythm of life and has decided to move down and start a new adventure, opening a creative hub in Krabi with her partner, a place where they feel a strong sense of community. Inspired by her late grandmother, who gathered the family around a long wooden table to make art while she prepared snacks, Peng hopes to recreate that same warmth in this new chapter.
We wrapped up the shoot in the bathtub; Peng stood under the shower fully dressed, laughing as the water drenched her, like a quiet baptism before her new beginning in Krabi.

04/11/2025

A few months ago, I met Ploy for the first time over coffee. We had only recently connected online, despite many mutual friends. Over brunch, she shared her story.
Born in Thailand, Ploy grew up as a third-culture kid. She moved to France as a child; French became her first language, and over time she lost fluency in Thai, something she later regretted. She had always dreamed of becoming a photographer, but family expectations steered her toward a “real job.”
She built a career in project management and marketing, then a trip to Southeast Asia reignited her creative spark. Back in Thailand in 2017, while still in marketing, she began freelancing on the side, shooting portraits and events.
Inspired by Steve McCurry and Sebastião Salgado, she turned to documentary photography, a field that connects people and stories. In 2019, she left her job to work full time and began consulting for UN Women and WHO.
A year later, she founded her studio, Rhizome, named after her grandmother (เหง้า in Thai), and expanded into portrait, product, and corporate work.
When I asked to take her portrait, she hesitated, since being in front of the lens is not her comfort zone. I promised we would take our time. A month later we met at Rhizome. Client calls interrupted the shoot, which gave me time to observe her world: her gear, her props, her calm focus.
I asked about family. Three years ago, Ploy became a mother, an experience that reshaped her gaze. She said motherhood deepened her empathy: “It changes how you see everything, especially children, family, and love. It’s an exchange; both of us are learning.” She added, “When we are parents, we are less likely to give up,” which matters when you juggle many roles, from doing the work you love to caring for the people you love.
A small neon sign in her studio reminds her that roots matter, and that they support us if we nurture them. On her website, Ploy writes that building meaningful connections is at the heart of her photography. Perhaps, in some way, we are not so different.

10/10/2025

Over a decade ago, I used to hang out around Toot Yung Gallery near the Democracy Monument. That’s where I first met Faye. At the time, she was immersed in fashion and running her own brand. She later transitioned into acting and performance, and over the years, we gradually lost touch.
I recently heard about her again, and when she opened the door, it felt like meeting a completely new person. A few years ago, she spent a year as a nun, an experience that helped her manage her ADHD. But her passion for performance grew stronger, and she eventually left the temple. She warned me her room was messy, a temporary shelter until she moved. Her two cats were hiding inside, and all her closets were wide open, as if she had nothing to hide. However, she later told me that the mirrors in the closets made her feel uncomfortable, so she left them open for her peace of mind.
We spent some time in her room discussing her career. Faye is still acting, but she has also embraced her work as an acting coach, helping other performers bring their characters to life. She explained how this requires time, often not enough, to allow actors to build the emotional depth and defences needed to fully inhabit a role.
We continued our conversation outside, first in her unique condominium, owned by a collector, where eclectic art pieces occupy every corner. Then we walked through her neighbourhood, past a soi that was once a street-food haven and is now largely deserted. As we stumbled into abandoned spaces beside millionaires’ houses, I continued taking her portrait, improvising a little mise-en-scène on the spot.
The Faye I met in her late twenties was a woman searching for purpose, almost burning the candle at both ends. From theatre to film, the Faye in front of me now seems to have found herself. She is not just an actress, but someone who guides others to understand and embody their craft.

07/10/2025

It was my opening night three years ago. A bit tipsy, I was saying hi to friends and strangers who had come to my show when Tada, my DJ for the evening, introduced me to Abdul, a tall and dazzlingly smiling Aussie wearing a baseball cap. I didn’t know who he was at the time, but his smile left a lasting impression.

While photographing Tada at his studio last February, he mentioned that Abdul was going to move in, too. A few months later, I contacted Abdul, and here we are! With that same big smile, he showed me around, introducing me to his team (he works on large-scale paintings), some of his old works, and works in progress.

Abdul Abdullah first visited Thailand in 2011 for research related to the Next Wave Festival. In 2023, he relocated here with his wife, a convenient base for both, as their practices span across Southeast Asia and beyond. He showed me early photographs with his brother, Abdul-Rahman Abdullah, also an artist. Coming from a family of creatives, his brothers and mother, an art teacher, had a huge influence on him.

His early work was highly political, challenging preconceptions about Australia and the stereotyping of young Muslim Australians. When he was stuck in the US at the outbreak Covid, the longest he had gone without seeing his family, he explored a softer side in his art, inspired by fantasy books and Animal Crossing, which he played during this period.

In his studio, Abdul showed me his process. He works from photographs that he manipulates until he gets the desired reference, which he and his team then translate into large-scale oil paintings. In one room stood a giant green cardboard car, a reference for a shoot the next day with models. I decided to finish the shoot by having Abdul sit inside it, while trying to maintain a serious expression, which was an impossible feat!

Abdul’s upcoming solo exhibition in March at Ames Yavuz Gallery in Sydney will be more politically charged. He’s also contributing to the Biennale of Sydney and Art Basel in Hong Kong, and will serve as a judge on the Australian reality show Portrait Artist of the Year, airing on ABC this November.

04/10/2025

Riding full speed between the trucks of Klong Toei toward Phra Khanong, I wondered who Clay really was. I had a vague idea she was involved in fashion or tattooing, but as usual, I save my research for after the shoot, focusing first on the human side of my subject.
She told me her space was small, but once she took me in, I saw it was well-curated. I immediately recognised works by some of my friends on the walls. Her cat, Onyx, who looks sassy on her IG, was unfelinely friendly.
Clay served me a soda with lemon—“I don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs”—and we began chatting. Chutima “Clay” Khaowmeesri is a Bangkok-based creative director and founder of 1101 Sincebirth. Like her tattoo-inspired project Black is the Only Colour, her house, cat, clothes, and bikes are all black. She adopted Onyx because no one else wanted him; a sad reality for black cats, now slowly changing thanks to the movie Flow.
I remembered seeing her on a custom bike a few years ago, which she had kept hidden from her family to avoid worrying them. When her dad discovered it, he didn’t scold her; he bought his own bike! Sadly, he passed away from cancer this year. While mourning, Clay took his bike and re-customised it for her. With no seat behind, it’s just her, a way to feel free, and a way to grieve, riding with the memory of her dad on sunny days.
Just outside her condo, we took a few shots before sunset. After some somtam, we parted ways; her, born to be wild, and me on the back of a GrabBike.

10/09/2025

On a Sunday morning, I headed toward Lat Phrao to meet Bee Pitiya Anantaprut . We’d known each other for years on Facebook, but had only met in person a few months ago when I saw her band, Srisawaard perform at Sonthaya, near Phra Athit Roard. At her house, she led me to one of her rooms, where she practices and stores her music equipment and after a quick introduction, we started shooting. In a rush to get to a video recording session with her band, we grabbed a few shots outside her gated community before hitting the road.

During the drive, she opened up about her journey: she started learning bass seriously six years ago and later formed a reggae band with fellow learners. For Srisawaard, she is not just the bassist but also a songwriter. While she works selling clothes online and plays bass for WhatFalse, Srisawaard is her passion project; she even designed the logo and T-shirts, celebrating her love for cats. The band’s name itself is a pun on the famous Korat cat.

Near the airport, she took me to a house-turned-studio called Sound Comedy. Surrounded by mixers and '90s decoration, I hadn’t expected a place like this. Soon enough, she introduced me to the rest of the band as they arrived. Between their setups, I managed to take a few portraits of Bee, and then a few of the whole band before they locked themselves in to start their recording session. On the ride home, I couldn’t help but think… maybe it’s time I learned bass.

09/09/2025

Here’s a small commission for Scott Wilson, a wonderful composer from Birmingham whom I met through Jean-David Caillouet and the PGVIM symposium he often performs at. Scott works in instrumental and electroacoustic music and is also a professor at the University of Birmingham. He frequently visits the region to give classes and workshops, as well as perform in various venues. Many thanks to Bangkok Kunsthalle for letting us use the venue and to Thapanat Ryan Ogaslert for helping us during the shoot.

01/09/2025

Last week, I took a late-afternoon taxi to meet Meen, a singer-songwriter performing under the name Nixsa. I had never met her in person before, and as usual, I felt a bit nervous on the way. But the moment I crossed the threshold of her home, I immediately felt in a good-vibe zone.

With a contagious smile, Meen first showed me around, where I met Jipi, her boyfriend, a musician and music producer. Their house is filled with musical instruments, many from Southeast Asia and India, which they both play. I was also greeted… and softly bitten, by her cat Sonic (no butt scratching allowed!). Meen took me upstairs and showed me a Hermit’s head, a symbol of teacher lineage for artists and performers. While we chatted in her small studio, she shared some of the cyanotypes she created for Moon Guru, one of her music video projects.

Through our conversation, Meen shared with me about her architecture degree and how she eventually transitioned to music, a passion that had captivated her since high school. Coming from Chiang Mai, her father was a Lanna language teacher, and she also learned traditional music, which she now incorporates into her compositions, even though Nixsa’s music is more contemporary. Before starting her solo career a few years ago, she played trumpet and violin for Hope the Flowers. She continues to support other musicians, but her work under Nixsa has been gaining recognition, especially with Uthaipia alongside CEA Brand the band, blending ambient/electronic textures with indigenous Thai folk influences in a live music video performance, as well as her performance at Wonderfruit last year.

After finishing upstairs, we peeked into Jipi’s studio, where he was busy with commercial projects. We continued our conversation there; they had recently collaborated at a Greasy Cafe concert, with Jipi directing the mini-stage and performing alongside Meen on multiple instruments. As a couple of musicians, they often collaborate, and their house interior reflects that: Meen and Jipi sometimes can’t even tell who decorated what! After I took my last shots of them, we went out for dinner to celebrate what felt like the beginning of a new friendship.

16/08/2025

🇬🇧 I finally spent some time with my brother after six years. Living in Ariège, Maxence is a musician, so summers are his busiest period, constantly on the road and playing in multiple bands. As a roadie, he even converted a work van into a house on wheels, where he stores his equipment and can sleep.
It was wonderful to see him again. Despite his tiredness, we had time to reconnect. He took me to a festival with his girlfriend Naëlle, where we caught an incredible performance by Bal Crade (a mix of punk, French traditional music, and pyrotechnics!)
Our lives couldn’t be more different, and it was refreshing to experience his world. I took his portrait in his current house, which he’ll be leaving for a new place this September. There, he has a studio he plans to upgrade, focusing more on production and potentially launching a solo project.
Thanks for everything, bro ;)

🇫🇷 J’ai enfin passé du temps avec mon frère après six ans. Vivant en Ariège, Maxence est musicien, donc l’été est sa période la plus chargée, toujours sur la route et jouant dans plusieurs groupes. En tant que roadie, il a même transformé une camionnette de travail en maison sur roues, où il range son matériel et peut dormir.
C’était un vrai plaisir de le revoir. Malgré sa fatigue, nous avons pu nous reconnecter. Il m’a emmené à un festival avec sa compagne Naëlle, où nous avons assisté à une performance incroyable de Bal Crade (un mélange de punk, de musique trad' et de pyrotechnie!)
Nos vies sont complètement différentes, et c’était enrichissant de découvrir son univers. J’ai pris son portrait dans sa maison actuelle, qu’il quittera pour un nouveau lieu en septembre. Il y a son studio qu’il prévoit d’améliorer, pour se concentrer davantage sur la production et potentiellement lancer un projet solo.
Merci pour tout, frérot ;)

06/08/2025

A few years before Covid, I loved hanging out at the now-defunct Soul Bar, a place with a great vibe in what’s now a more gentrified part of town. It was here that I first met My. As the lead singer of Supergoods, she performed there weekly, singing Soul and R&B, supported by a lively crowd. She founded the band with classmates from Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Music. Fast forward to 2025, Soul Bar is gone, but Supergoods is still going strong! They recently held a listening party for their upcoming album, and I had the chance to direct their first music video last month (a project currently in post-production).

Before the shoot, I wanted to learn more about My’s personality and brief her on the character she would portray in the video. I also saw that opportunity to include her in my portrait series. As with everyone I work with, I let them choose the location for the shoot. My picked her apartment, which she shares with her partner.

My graduated in 2014 with a degree in Jazz Studies. She’s not just a talented singer, she also teaches at Mahidol University and offers private vocal coaching. Her apartment was filled with vinyl records and plants, two of My’s favorite things. As we discussed the two characters she would play in the music video (a burned-out singer and an idealized fairytale pop star, we both realized that the concept of the video closely mirrored some of her own experience: balancing burnout and existential doubt with the desire to cheer someone on and show them that they can make it.

Making a living as a musician in Thailand isn’t easy, especially if you’re not playing covers or working in the underground scene. Despite that, I had the chance to meet or work with very talented people there, like My. Fortunately for her and her band, Supergoods talent might pay back. They had a great opportunity with this new album, which I was grateful to be part of it!

05/08/2025

I first met Oat Montien while working on a video installation in Patpong during the summer of 2022. He was doing a residency there, researching the district’s gay and sex-worker histories, which culminated in an exhibition of pastel and graphite works dedicated to the boys of Soi Twilight.

For the shoot, Oat invited us to Baik Baik, his restaurant and home, where he also opened Boddhisattava Gallery in 2020, a gallery focused exclusively on Southeast Asian LGBTQ+ artists. On that day, Oat was still mentally recovering from his participation in The Voice Pride 2025, where he performed in drag as Mimosa Jazz. After confronting a judge on set, his social media was flooded with threats and insults, which took a toll on his mental health.

Despite a busy year, with exhibitions at Bangkok Kunsthalle and preparations for the Bangkok Biennale, Oat made time for our shoot. After a lovely meal and some oracle cards, he showed us around, introducing us to two of his cats. In his wardrobe, he revealed the infamous Mimosa Jazz dress, which he wore during his opening performance, singing Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. In another room, he shared his studio, where he paints most of his subjects who visit. Nearby was an old spotlight, which Oat used for his models and once operated at his mother’s bar when he was a child. This object is more than a prop; it is part of Oat’s past, which is ever-present in his work, from his complex relationship with his father to his childhood experience helping his mother run a bar-brothel, a theme he explored last year in his exhibition at JWD Art Space. As we left, Oat was preparing a watch party for his team to celebrate his last The Voice performance. With that chapter closing, he was already turning his attention to new projects. The show must go on!

Kudos to Liz for supporting me during the shoot. Her conversation with Oat during the shoot inspired me, and also helped him open up more. It was a new experience for me as I am used to working alone, and it wouldn’t be the same without her.

Gabriel Camelin - Video and Photography

18/11/2025

12/11/2025

04/11/2025

10/10/2025

07/10/2025

04/10/2025

10/09/2025

09/09/2025

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