Photojournalist Justin Mott recently took on a one-day assignment for The New York Times, documenting the journey of Freya, a transgender woman who moved to Vietnam with her partner due to safety concerns tied to the U.S. political climate. Mott's task was to capture moments of their life in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), including intimate portraits of the couple and shots that brought out the essence of their new environment. It's a delicate story that needed to be told visually with care, making it both personal and professional.
Coming to you from Justin Mott, this engaging video walks through his approach to handling this sensitive project. He discusses his planning process, explaining how he aimed to shoot portraits indoors and outdoors to get a balance of natural light and scenery. Mott scheduled the session in the afternoon to make the most of the golden hour but also allowed time for the challenging indoor lighting in Freya's apartment. His flexibility with timing and respect for his subjects helped create a comfortable environment, which is key for such an emotional subject.
He mentions turning off interior lights to use natural window light, which allowed him to focus on Freya and her partner's interactions without distractions. His advice on communicating with subjects—asking them to sit naturally or just “act as if I’m not here”—highlights the importance of making people feel at ease in front of the camera, especially in personal projects like this.
As the shoot moved outside, Mott focused on integrating the couple’s surroundings into the narrative, using the cityscape and local life as a backdrop. Freya and her partner interacted with locals, ordered food, and walked through their neighborhood, all while Mott documented the day as naturally as possible. His aim was to show not just the couple, but their new life in Vietnam. The changing light became a challenge, but Mott worked through it to capture both portraits and environmental shots that helped bring out the emotional undertones of the story. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Mott.
