Chin: You embarrass yourself, stop it.
Kevin: Once again thanks for sharing all your hard work, it’s such an inspiration for many of us noobs.
Matt: You’re a genius, your reply was priceless and your work is also brilliant.

Good luck with your future endeavors and assumptions – may they carry you far in life.

Kevin, keep up the wonderful work that, in my opinion, is always an inspiration. I enjoy both your issue-based documentary work as well as your lighter images. I recognize the value in creating more than one realm of imagery. Best Regards!

This is and always has been a personal blog. It was started for myself and it will end for myself. If you take some thing from it or do not, this is again your choice.

I have no idea where you live or what your background is, but unless you live in Vietnam, then you are assuming quite a bit about my life. I enthusiastically invite you to Vietnam … I even have a spare couch. I will take you to meet some of the prostitutes, mental illness patients and undertakers of the aborted baby cemeteries that I have been photographing.

But you will also have to meet the other people I am photographing that are not as “interesting”. The now famous actor who’s family fled the country during the war and is now back in Vietnam. He is arguably one of the first foreign Vietnamese to be pretty widely accepted by the people. Perhaps a sign of change, perhaps not. Or, I’ll take you to meet the son of the father of photography in Vietnam. He photographed Vietnam from the great depression during Japanese occupation to Ho Chi Minh himself during the war. The “father of photography” died earlier this year, but I feel very lucky to have met him while he was on his death bed. Or I will take you to meet Ong Nuoi. A mentally handicapped man who only wears army fatigues and takes care of several dogs, cats, chickens other birds. Or the woman that sells fried dough down the street. Or the little girl who sells flowers on the street. Or the student who’s learning about democracy. Or the boy who wants to be a police man. Or the cyclo driver who fought in the war. Or the homeless man who just wants to work. Or the other homeless man who just wants to get high. Or the people who live in the town of Ben Tre. Or the people who live in Sa Pa …

My point is that, I am trying to experience and photograph Vietnam in its entirety. Enjoy your Sunday Thomas … I’m going out to photograph.

Matt, you’ve raised some valid points, though I take issue with your characterization of “ad hominem editorializing”; to put my overall comments in context they were directed squarely at a comment he wrote (which has subsequently been removed) in one of his last blog entries, to paraphrase “I just ran out of things to say, to write about.” To me this is just an incredulous statement given the almost teutonic economic, political, social,environmental shifts occurring within Vietnam, South-east Asia, and Asia as a whole. And its symptomatic of someone whose either lost their passion, their focus, or the fires within have been doused – for whatever reason – temporary or not.

Furthermore, in no manner have I put forth a singular model and “hold all photography up against it as though (my) particular valuation is self-evident.” The dynamism of photographer is a mosaic, which at its most basic level defies such a “paradigm”. I simply cited Sinclair as an example of someone who contradicts most of Kevin’s arguments for why he takes leave of hard-hitting work and to seemingly orphans it without so much as a backward reference, or how it is just one part of the thematic jigsaw he’s assembling while in Asia.

And I completely fail to see how anyone could read into my comments that I’ve “implied that because a photographer solicits work that is financially viable, their entire body of work is somehow valid.” I felt your response was civil and constrained, and I cede your point on several issues, but that is not one them.

Personally Matt, I’ve enjoyed your work, especially reading the backstory on your Time project in Aurora, Colorado, which illuminates the stratagems that go into otherwise seemingly simplistic photo assignments.

As for Rich Joseph-Facun’s comments they are a sad, racist commentary on the myopic and stereotypical world view of most US-centric contributors who still view Asia largely through the prism of Mr. Magoo cartoons.

Sadly, when one takes the time, puts in the effort to challenge or constructively criticize in these forums rather than well-written responses like Matt’s many twitter-minded individuals prefer Mr. Facun’s modus.

And therein lies the rub, I now find myself straying farther and farther from my initial comments to address the rebuttals, which are valid and welcome, but, as Biden laments, lend a “kabuki dance”-like distraction to the forum.

To quote JFK “To whom much is given, much is expected”; in closing, my initial thrust was that while Kevin is unarguably supremely talented and been blessed with world class talent, it confounds me that he has seemingly been “lost” the last 6 months vis-a-vis the first 6 when he lit up his blog with endless inspiration both in writing as well as imagery.

I’m out.

Your initial comment drew a little bit of chatter on our own internal list which, regardless of the substance of your thoughts, is something that I personally appreciate. Your latest response, however, reminds me of that thing that Biden said during the VP debates. You know, the one-liner bit of advice he received as a young Senator. Paraphrased, it’s fair to question a person’s judgment; it’s not fair to question their motives. Politics aside, I kinda think this is one of those adages that has some real weight to it. Especially when it comes to your particular assumptions about Kevin’s ethic and motivations.

I find two things especially troubling about your approach. First is the tendency toward establishing some vague, unfounded paradigm and holding all of photography up against it as though your particular valuation is self-evident. Or, in plain English, you invent a ridiculous standard and then break the photographer over it. In this case, you actually imply that because a photographer solicits work that is financially viable, their entire body of work is somehow invalid. The only exception being, apparently, Stephanie Sinclair.

Frankly, your reasoning doesn’t really carry beyond good rhetoric.

Second, and, really, the most frustrating for me to read, is the way in which you’ve taken a long series of Kevin’s blog installments and treated each one as though it were an entire forest. At each of our weekly meetings we reserve time for a different photographer to share work and seek input and criticism on projects that they are currently shooting. We’ve all been watching Kevin’s Vietnam work develop during his stay abroad and have had the opportunity to see him shoot different threads of a common theme. Last week he shared a larger body of work –158 images –shot over his entire tenure in Vietnam. This sequence takes your so-called “cotton candy” subjects and weaves them together with the more sensational topics that you seem to favor. The resulting collection of imagery is cohesive, well-sequenced, thoughtful, nuanced and, most importantly, **unfinished**.

Of all of our photographers, Kevin’s commitment to producing this project has been the most intense, single-minded undertakings that I have had the privilege of watching. I’d invite you to withhold your judgment about his passion, tenacity, commitment (and the rest of your ad hominem editorializing) until he puts his final stamp on the Vietnam chapter.

First, let me say this is not meant as a personal assault, nor a broadside against your character. In fact just the opposite.

Second, the “internet cafe’ I referred to was the posting on June 8th of “Edge Asia’s new building” which certainly has the appearance of an internet venture.

For someone with so much talent, and such relative youth, I just find it a shame that there’s not a corresponding fire in the belly, so to speak, to really forge your vision and voice.

You’ve started some great projects then seemingly get distracted, or gravitate away towards more pop culture/cotton candy subjects: Vietnam film industry,beauty pageants,golf courses, russian snobs et al. and all but orphan your former projects: mental illness,sex slavery, abortions, etc. Who are you? What do you stand for as a photojournalist? What are your goals?

Should we, as casual readers, be privy to these personal values? Not necessarily, but the very nature of blogging invites strangers to partake of your “personal” journey and in doing so invites, whether solicited or not, these type of enquiries.

I understand the need to “make a living” and indulging corporate work, but the aforementioned photogs, especially Sinclair, the lateste to join VII, either had already secured their legacies prior to jumping into the commercial field; Sinclair is to be especially commended as she continues to defy the industry by establishing and reinventing editorial opportunities where many others claim there’s no money or resources to support such projects.

Her unyielding passion, tenacity, and unwavering commitment, regardless of its economic opportunity costs, is defining her youth and shaping her legacy;

You are certainly entitled to “enjoy life” ; but if what I’ve seen from your last 8 months worth of posts is any indication your legacy upon leaving Asia will be that of yet another idealistic young American who arrived with ambition and left in anonymity without so much as causing a ripple.

That would be shame.

I feel like I have said or done some thing to wrong you in the past. If so then I apologize. I am inspired by some of the photojournalists that you have mentioned but I have never claimed to be like them or even want to be like them. I only know how to be myself.

I don’t have the luxury of being independently wealthy so I need to work to survive. Editorial work in this part of the world is scarce and so I take on the occasional commercial job to help fund my projects. I have never photographed an internet cafe so I am not sure what you are referring to.

Even some of the VII photographers shoot commercial work:

http://www.viiphoto.com/corporateAd.php

Knight, Nachtwey and Stanmeyer all accept corporate work through the VII site. I personally do not know any photographer who doesn’t accept the occasional commercial job to help fund their visions.

Everest was a way for me to celebrate my birthday … nothing more. There was no larger social commentary that I was reaching for. Simply a dream of mine to see the mountain.

A friend of mine said some thing that has stuck with me the other day. “If you’re going to be a successful human, you need to give yourself permission to enjoy life.”

As far as Luceo, it is an honor to be associated with this group of photographers. It is not the duty of a photojournalist to be the voice of the voiceless. It is a commendable journey for sure, but that is simply one genre of the craft. Each photographer in Luceo has their own set of goals and aspirations for their photography which drives their passion. It helps drive me to continue working here.

I went silent on my old blog simply due to the fact I ran out of things to say for a time. Nothing more, nothing less. But I assure you I was photographing. Some of it I will blog about here and some of it I will save for myself. I have been working on a book that does include some of the overarching themes that you spoke about but in my own way.

Thank you for your comments.

Jay – Omre’s favorite line was, “Is that the best you got? Is that the best you got? I guess I’ll just have to kill you then.” Believe me it was humorous at 3500 meters.