Crazing, being trendy and fashionista are actions that are often viewed with negative attitudes. But for 20-year-old Mac – Napat Rungraweewan, he sees that now it’s the phase where we should be able to passionately follow the trend we are interested in, put in our effort and perform it well as a part of learning in our lives. Who is Mac and where is he from? During highschool days he once featured on several news agencies wearing stylish freestyle outfits to his school, Bangkok Christian College. And thanks to his trendy look, he became comparatively a fashion icon for highschool students. He brought himself in front of cameras and under lighting for occasions of advertisement or fashion set shooting. Nevertheless, today, we get to sit down and talk to Mac, who is currently picking up behind-the-scene work and holding the camera himself, with his newly found passion “photography”

The Trend of Photography

As for Mac, he insisted that he actually likes to be in the trend, which can’t be denied that nowadays film cameras have become such a trend. He once mindlessly pressed the shutter button of his elder sister’s film camera and was scolded by her for wasting the film. When he became the one to release the shutter of his own camera, the time that he has to wait for the film to be developed makes him anticipate and get excited for it. That moment brings every single shot in the film back in his head, and motivates him to get serious about this trend of film photography.

“I have liked fashion since back in highschool. It might be that I like to be the center of attention, to be more unique than others. Teens would of course want to be unique. As I like to dress up, I don’t want to do just as others do, I want to do more than others. If I’m in this field I’ve got to be the best. So I pay attention to dressing myself and that puts me in the world of fashion. Later when I pick up photography I want to do the same as how I dress, going for the best, the most outstanding, so I study more and put more effort into it.” Mac explained his motivation into the field of photography and getting serious about it. This passion in following the trend got him into the period of experimenting, in which he discovered that the world of photography is more than just pressing the shutter button to get a photo. In the beginning when he started taking photos, Mac added that since he didn’t have a direct academic background of photography, the photos that came out weren’t not like what he had expected, or he didn’t even think before taking one. This became the turning point where he gradually started gaining experiences and collected references to help him understand photography better.

The Period of Experimenting

If photography is an experiment for Mac, what does he, as a researcher, use as a guinea pig? The answer is himself. When he get a job in modelling, he would get to observe the process of shooting and think about what he would do if he was the one who is responsible for the whole process. Self-portrait photography therefore became a part of his experiment and creative direction development. The time he spends on the way to his school from Ploenchit to Rangsit in approximately one hour turns into his time to sketch his planning of what style of portrait he would shoot, what elements need to be added if he wants to create an image this way. It is the only time when he could concentrate as he doesn’t have to associate with anyone. There was a time when he woke up with an idea for images that need to be developed in a darkroom for post-process, therefore he had to secretly build a darkroom in his house. Why secretly? You might be asking. It is because of the smell of chemical solutions that his family could not  bear and complain about it.

Mac wants to create different types of grains. “Like the photo with red stain, I was trying to create it during the film developing process at home, switching between hot and cold water. It was so hot that I got this grain, but when I tried to recreate it the grain didn’t appear the same. So I have to keep on trying.” However, since it is common that every experiment must come to a dead end, Mac shared with us about his blind spot and what he is still lacking, which is concept. “I struggle with it. I have consulted my senior who monitors my work and they said my work is still too shallow, not profound enough. To which I agreed, I haven’t done enough research yet. So when I shoot I tend to focus more on visuals, shoot a lot and consume art a lot. For now my work is not much developed yet in terms of concept.”

The Space of Privilege

‘It’s because of his face’ ‘It’s because he’s famous’ ‘He wouldn’t get the job if it wasn’t for his look’ are words Mac often heard. But he insisted that the work he creates should at least consist of some of his ability. Moreover the opportunities he gets allow him to be in the field he could experiment working in different positions. If he doesn’t seek chances to take photos and create work, he won’t get any photography job offers. Mac recalled when he was working as a runway model for a fashion show, he would bring his camera with him to take photos and try new equipment he got. He tries to make use of all the places he would be. He has friends also who like fashion and want him to shoot for them, trying new stuff together. In other words they are fashion comrades who support each other and offer him physical, emotional and financial support. They would even let him take photos of them and experiment as he likes in his private darkroom at home.

The Influencer Who Wants to Create

With his number of followers that is tempting for all the brands out there who want to promote their products, Mac is often chosen as a potential choice. He receives the offers to promote those products and take photos of them in his own style. He doesn’t want his photography for commercial brands to be the same as common product photography. He put effort into it because this is the chance he could fully showcase his ability. He accepts job offers whether it’s clothes or accessories because they would demand him to plan all shooting processes from choosing location, outfit style and shooting direction, and eventually he would get to see the final picture of him that he has in mind. And if you are asking Mac what he actually is now, a model or a photographer, he replied as a conclusion of this interview that “Basically I’m a student. Two things I’m picking up now are my hobbies. Now I’m on a journey to discover the place where I could fit in the most, the period to pursue my identity. I’m not yet that anticipating for the future, just doing my best here and now.”