Ploy Phutpheng

I first met Ploy over coffee a few months before our portrait session. We had only recently connected online despite having many mutual friends, and over brunch she shared her story.

Born in Thailand, Ploy grew up as a third-culture kid after moving 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 wanted to become a photographer, but family expectations steered her towards what felt like a more conventional career.

She worked in project management and marketing until a trip through Southeast Asia reignited her interest in photography. After returning to Thailand in 2017, she began freelancing alongside her day job, photographing portraits and events. Inspired by photographers such as Steve McCurry and Sebastião Salgado, she gradually moved towards documentary work. In 2019, she left her job to work full time and later began consulting for organisations including UN Women and WHO.

A year later she founded Rhizome Creative Studio, named after the Thai word เหง้า, a reference to roots and to her grandmother. The studio allowed her to move between documentary, portrait, product and corporate work.

When I asked to photograph her, Ploy hesitated. Being in front of the camera is not where she feels most comfortable, so I promised we would take our time. A month later we met at Rhizome. Client calls interrupted the shoot, giving me time to observe her world: her gear, props and the calm focus with which she moved through the studio.

We spoke about family too. Ploy had become a mother three years earlier, and she told me that motherhood had changed the way she sees people, especially children, family and love. “It’s an exchange; both of us are learning,” she said. She also told me, “When we are parents, we are less likely to give up,” a thought that stayed with me as we talked about balancing work, care and the things we choose to keep making.

A small neon sign in the studio reminds her that roots matter, and that they support us if we nurture them. On her website, Ploy writes that meaningful connections are at the heart of her photography. Perhaps, in some way, we are not so different.