Thappawut Prainyapariwat (Sun)

I’ve known Sun for more than a decade, from the period when he was organising some of the best parties in town under the Duck and Noodle name and was deeply involved in Bangkok nightlife. He later helped run Safe Room, one of the city’s clubs, before it closed in 2021.

Photography, however, had been developing in parallel since his university years. By the time of our portrait session, Sun was working with large-format cameras, wet plate and other analogue processes from his studio, Red Light Lab, hidden down an alley in the Bobae Market area. The space is filled with relics left behind by his wife's family, alongside several of Sun’s portraits on black aluminium plates. Many feature celebrities, particularly musicians and actresses, captured using wet collodion, a 175-year-old technique.

Sun first embraced the wet collodion process at a time when it was challenging to find resources or mentors in Thailand. After years of self-teaching and experimentation, he opened his studio, focusing on portraiture, though he still takes his camera out to shoot classic cars and landscapes when he can. He’s deeply passionate about his craft, believing that collodion or film, provided the final image is also hand-printed, possesses an aura digital photography can’t replicate. It’s not just about the colours or the “film look”, but the energy in the image: these physical prints are direct imprints of light, something digital screens and prints can’t truly reproduce.

Admittedly, I felt a bit intimidated walking into his studio, surrounded by vintage cameras, lenses and Sun’s extensive knowledge, especially since I’ve gone digital for practical reasons. But Sun’s mission is to preserve and encourage these analogue techniques, forging a kind of magic that risks disappearing if it isn’t upheld. He’s already planning to open a gallery exclusively devoted to analogue photography and handmade prints, hoping to develop a more serious interest in the craft in Thailand and ensure this legacy lives on for future generations.