The passion of a "photographer"

(Baonghean) - I knew Nguyen Trong Sach a few years ago, when I intended to buy my first camera. A friend introduced him to me for advice, I immediately asked: Is he a photographer? My friend shook his head. His meaningful smile at that time made my intention to seek a teacher even stronger, determined to "find a teacher".

Born in 1979, from Dien Hoa (Dien Chau), Nguyen Trong Sach and his small family currently "reside" in a rented house at 98 Nguyen Viet Xuan Street (Hung Dung Ward, Vinh City). He is the nephew of poet Nguyen Trong Tao. When he was in his first year at Hanoi University of Architecture, he was crazy about those old film cameras.

He said: “Back then, my brother who was staying in the same room had a film camera sent to him by his father from Russia. The two of us were busy with it, and then I became addicted to it without realizing it.” He started to pay attention to all kinds of cameras and researched and discovered everything related to it. “Whenever I saw an old film camera, I would stick my nose in it, forgetting about time and everything that was happening around me, just wishing to own one of those cameras,” he laughed.

By 2007, his passion was really ignited. He started buying film cameras. He said that this type of camera has the ability to "seduce" players more than conventional digital cameras. Film cameras do not have Px (pixel) limits, which in the near future digital cameras cannot meet. In addition, film cameras also provide good light saturation (especially when shooting against the light) and soft, flexible colors.

What he appreciates most: Using a film camera is one of the factors that helps him practice patience in a life and work that is often full of pressure. When using a film camera, he can sit for hours, days to develop, edit, scan... "Shooting with a film camera is not like shooting with a digital camera in that you have to wait day after day, even month after month to shoot all the film in the camera, performing each step in order, to satisfy the longing for the moments and memories that I recorded in the previous period of time", Mr. Sach shared.

Being a freelance architect but busy because he "does" whatever is convenient for him. He designs websites, sells IT components, and takes photos for hire for those who request... However, whenever he has free time and a little extra income, he "crawls" into cameras. His collection of old film cameras "origins" sometimes from buying them from people who are using them but do not have the same passion as him, or through auctions on websites that buy and sell famous brands of the world from the US, Germany, Italy, England, Poland, Japan... He said that in the past, not many people played with old film cameras so the prices were cheap, so he also "acquired" for himself a quite unique collection of old film cameras. Those are the German “brothers” from the 1960s such as Rollei’s RolleiFlex 2.8, Leica’s Leica M3 or Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 533/16 of ZeissIkon. He has one or several of the leading Japanese camera brands such as Nikon, Canon, Norita, Minota, Yashica… He said: They are all the “offspring” of the world’s leading film camera manufacturers. I treasure them even more than myself.

Although he has not been addicted to old film cameras for long, he is one of the first people to be passionate about film cameras along with many other “players” across the country: from Saigon to Hanoi, neighboring provinces and in his hometown Nghe An. He takes advantage of every opportunity to collect knowledge and experience from members on forums and photography clubs.

Mr. Sach "takes care" of his favorite cameras.

In 2011, the Nghe An Photographic Association was established, he was one of the "guiding factors" of the association in its establishment as well as its later activities. The association is a "stop" for those who love the art of photography, some are passionate about cameras, some are passionate about taking photos, and also those who like to "make objects" in photos. Up to now, the association basically has about 20 core members. The association's regular meeting places are two coffee shops, Lan Tram (No. 15, An Duong Vuong Street) and Quynh Coffee (No. 38, Tran Quang Dieu Street). The two owners of these shops are also two members who are never absent from the association's creative trips.

Members come from many different districts, towns and cities in the province, all have their own stable jobs, different ages and they "gather" here because of a passion for photography. Depending on the nature of each person's work, the activities of the association are decided. Every year, his Nghe An Photography Association organizes quite a few charity trips, big trips are from 1 to 2 times/year, small trips are scattered from 3-4 times/year. Mr. Sach shared: "My association is not a charity association, we only combine creative trips with giving gifts to people in difficult circumstances in life. That comes from the heart of each person".

Although he "refused" to do charity work with his association, since its establishment, the meaningful gifts that the Nghe An Photographic Association has brought to the disadvantaged and lonely in Nghe An province are indispensable. Particularly for the creative trip called "Warmth of the Borderland" during the recent Quy Ty Tet, the Nghe An Photographic Association donated and called on individuals, organizations, and businesses to sponsor the people of Western Nghe An with an amount of up to more than 80 million VND along with gifts, clothes, warm blankets, etc.

Most recently, the situation of 25-year-old Nguyen Thanh Hien (village 8, Lang Son commune, Anh Son district) who suffered from a serious illness that forced her to be "attached" to a bed for 13 years, was reported in the newspaper, touching Mr. Sach's heart. Afterwards, he drove alone more than 100 kilometers to find Hien's house with the purpose of taking photos of her daily life and giving her a small gift to comfort and share. Realizing that Hien's optimism and love for life was stronger than anyone else's, Mr. Sach was determined to "do something" for her.

He called on his friends in the association, brothers and friends in Saigon and all over the country to join hands to support Hien, the most meaningful thing was to call on a Vietnamese doctor to come back to the country to examine Hien right at home. Mr. Sach honestly said: "Actually, I have no money, just worry about transportation, procedures, insurance, and call on brothers to support Hien. But now everything is fine, Hien has had surgery and healed, we plan to bring Hien back to Nghe An at the end of August." He also shared that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, the Nghe An Photography Association plans to organize a "Love Full Moon Night" for the children at the SOS Children's Village.

Photo of children in Nam Tip, Muong Tip (Ky Son commune) by Mr. Sach.

Associated with his passion are trips, real-life experiences and discoveries that he calls “miracles”. “Backpacking” trips to take pictures with members, participating in charity activities in many places such as Ha Giang, Lai Chau… In remote, isolated and poor lands, recording impressive scenes of life and life through his lens to see life as more meaningful. For him, the land of Western Nghe An is still the place that holds the most memories for him. “Those trips are really meaningful, being close to people in remote mountains and forests, those are also beautiful moments of life”, he shared.

I met him when I was just starting out with photography, and now I have been able to grasp the most basic things about photography techniques. And most importantly, I have learned from Mr. Sach and many of his friends the attitude of respect and love for the very ordinary but meaningful images of life.

Thien Thien