What's your name and where do you live?

Hi! I’m Kevin Landwer-Johan and I live in Chaing Mai, Thailand.

Chiang Mai is a great base location for me. I primarily work with small non-profit organizations who are helping the underprivileged in this part of the world. They all have a story to tell, and a need to share these stories with the people who donate to and invest in their work – most of whom live in other countries.

A bit about myself: I purchased my first camera, a Nikkormat FTN (old school Nikon) with a 50mm f1.4 lens, from a friend in 1983. Quickly, I became very passionate, hungry to learn and compelled to shoot.

After hitchhiking across Canada and living in Europe for a while, I returned to New Zealand and landed a job in the photography department at a daily newspaper. From there, I worked as sole photographer for two community newspapers in Auckland and then for a small commercial photography business – this was my foundational education in photography.

I ran a successful professional photography business of my own in Waitakere city – winning the Best New Business Award in 1997. But, it wasn’t too long before I began winding this down in preparation to move to Chiang Mai, Thailand – where I have been based since 2002.

My work here has primarily been documentary focused, with somewhat of an attraction towards stock photography (and video) because it helps pay the bills.

Two major shifts in my work have been the transition from film to digital and the inception of video production. I love it all. I have embraced both these mediums and continue to develop and learn as a visual storyteller and artist.

In recent times, I have begun to experiment with more creative photography and video – just from a desire to make good art. Since my beginnings in photography, I’ve enjoyed producing montages.

Now, with the capacity to shoot photo still images and video with the same camera and through the same lens, I have begun to experiment with adding motion. I held my first solo exhibition of this work at Le Méridien Hotel in Chiang Mai in November 2014. Have a look at Fractured Dimensions here.

What's your most used camera?

My Nikon D800.

What software do you use to get the best out of your images?

Lightroom and Photoshop.

How long have you been interested in photography?

33 years.

Mind sharing your latest shot? We'd love to see it.

Please tell us a bit about the photo. What makes this one special for you?

We often go to this village, and I’ve built a relationship with this little girl (her name is Malu) and her mother and sister. Malu is also a budding photographer -- and loves to get her hands on our cameras, although the D800 is too big for her. Now, sometimes we take along my Lumix mirror-less for her to use.

What kind of photography interests you the most?

Documentary, portraiture and lifestyle.

What's your strongest skill?

Creating natural portraits.

Remember the first photo you ever shot? Tell us about it.

I shot a roll of film with my dad's old Zeiss Icon 120 camera. The subject was my brother's band playing an outdoor gig. I still have the film.

Where's your favourite place to shoot?

Baan Tong Luang, a village of various ethnic minority people near Chiang Mai

What are you favourite photography videos?

Steve McCurry shooting the last roll of Kodachrome.

What photographer(s) inspire you the most?

Irving Penn, Steve McCurry, and many many more

Do you follow any routine when you shoot photos?

No.

What's one question you'd like to ask the community & next member we interview?

Is the equipment or the craft of your photography more important to you?