Category: Personal

I was recently honored with the opportunity to be featured in my high school’s newsletter.  While writing about myself I really got to relive some of the best years of my life.

• Tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi! My name is Aron Schuftan and I graduated from ISK in 1993. I spent some of the most amazing years of my life in Kenya (1986-1993) and to this day still consider those years to be my best youth years. I currently live in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I moved here 6 years ago and am working as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist. However, I have recently taken a sabbatical from work to pursue my passion as a fine arts photographer.

• What was your most memorable moment about being an ISK student?

I can still smell the sweet dew-covered coffee fields on the way to school, still taste the samosas and bhajias from Mrs. Maini, still hear the echoes of the basketballs bouncing in the MPB and still, to this day, cover my food when walking out in the open to protect myself from the kites swooping down to grab my food. I remember listening, in fascination, to Dr. Hinz’ lectures in biology (whom I greatly credit for me becoming a doctor), Mr. Halverson’s billowing voice in the beautiful classroom bungalows, and the long sad bus rides back into town after RVA (once again) beat us.  But most vivid in my memory, are the late nights of rehearsing for plays with Mr. Pearson (Little Shop of Horrors, The Insect Play, The Boyfriend….) for whom I will forever be grateful for teaching me some of the most important life lessons that I still carry with me to this day.

• Congratulations on launching your photography website! What was the inspiration behind coming up with this phenomenal passion project?

My growing up in Kenya actually played a large part on why I started this project. Like so many of you Third Culture Kids, I am sure you always cringe when you hear the question “where are you from?”. This website is now a way to show people the many places that I am “from” and was designed to be almost like a diary of my life.  The images I show, accompanied with the stories I write, are a tribute to my life story through 6 continents and 45 countries….

Also, being an only-child I have always felt a weight of responsibility and duty to pass along my history and the history of my ancestors. I can remember avidly listening to the stories of my heritage, during family dinners, trying to commit them to memory and being so frustrated by only finding a handful of tattered old photos of eras gone by. I longed to be able to see what they saw, to help tell the stories; to make them more real; more visceral. The experience created in me an urge to document my own life, to immortalize my life to others, through the lens and the images I create. It is my hope that it can bring future generations closer to me. It was this desire that led me to take my first class in photography at Tulane University in New Orleans in the mid-1990’s where I was getting my degree in pre-medicine and sociology.

I developed my skills and found that I was able to tell stories with my pictures and it was a great way for me, a self-proclaimed introvert, to interact with people. It empowered and lifted me in a way a gambler must feel as he or she watches a ball tumbling on a roulette wheel.

My photography is a heartfelt diary of what I see, the moments I experienced, traveling to other countries and immersing myself in the culture, anywhere. As a “street photographer”, it is important to me to capture a moment, the feeling –without manipulating my subject or the environment. I try to be “a fly on the wall” and capture exactly what I see.  But at the same time, I try to capture the unusual or the ordinary, but in a new way.

For me, the art lies in the capture, not the later enhancement of an image. Photoshop has revolutionized photography, but being a purist, I shy away from post-production of my work. What you see is what I saw, unfiltered, raw and grabbing the energy of that exact moment. It is through my images, that my viewers can see and experience cultures, faraway lands and the emotions captured by my lens.

For me, not only is the image important, but also the title. I have always believed that the title of a photograph adds another dimension to the image. At times the title of the shot comes to me before I take the picture.

When possible, I always strive to find a title that makes my viewer think one-step beyond the image.

Currently, I am working as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist. Repeated I have been living in Vietnam since 2014, but have been coming to Vietnam since 1995 regularly since my parents moved here (and still live here). My mother is Vietnamese and my father was born and raised in Chile to German Jewish parents.  I spent my adolescence in Nairobi, Kenya, but have been fortunate to have lived all over the world including Cameroon, Spain, Puerto Rico, Chile and the US.

• Any parting shot you’d like to share with current ISK students?

Here I am, almost 30 years later, reliving in full Technicolor, the amazing time I had at ISK. Yes, I’m sure ISK has changed a lot (the coffee plantation is gone?!?!), but the spirit of growing up and getting educated in such an environment surely lives on.  Many of you will go back to your home countries after graduation and undoubtedly feel “different” from your peers. But do not worry, this difference will only set you apart in a good way, make you more unique, more interesting, and more ready to conquer the world.

I hope going through my photos, especially the section on Africa, brings a bit of a smile to those who, like me, were touched so deeply by Kenya, and to those still there, I hope my photos makes you appreciate what you still get to experience daily.

I hope you enjoy looking at my pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Once a Lion, always a Lion….

Best,

Aron

A recent question and answer I did with Mads Monsen from Magazine d’Art De Saigon…

Could you share a little bit about your background and what you do for a living?

“MUTT”- My friends have called me this my whole life and to be honest- I don’t mind. My mother is Vietnamese and my father was born and raised in Chile to German parents. I spent my adolescence in Nairobi, Kenya, but have been fortunate to have lived all over the world including Cameroon, Spain, Puerto Rico, Chile and the US.  To be honest, these various clashing of cultures have never made me feel like an outsider- if anything, it made me feel always accepted wherever I went which I feel has translated into my life and my art.

I am a 44 years old doctor, specializing as an Obstetrician and Gynecologist at Family Medical Practice and American International Hospital.
I have been living in Vietnam for 5 years now, but have been coming to Vietnam regularly (first time I came here was 1986) since my parents relocated to Saigon from Kenya in 1995.  Besides photography, I love to travel, play
soccer with the Saigon Raiders, Saigon’s oldest expat team and I recently began playing the “Handpan”, a relative new instrument for me.

 How would you describe your Instagram wall?

My wall is an honest diary of what I see in my day-to-day, from the many countries/places I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived in and visited. (@aron_schuftan_photography)

As a “street photographer”, it is important to me to capture a moment, a feeling –without manipulating my subject or environment. I try to be “a fly on the wall” and capture exactly what I see.  But at the same time, I try to capture the unusual or the ordinary but in a new way.

How did you start? What was your inspiration?

I started taking pictures at an early age to document my travels, but really started getting into it while in college in New Orleans, when I was gifted my father’s antique Zeiss Ikon camera… its been a love affair ever since.

What are your favorite elements to use in your visuals?

I love to find repeating patterns and use natural “frames” in my images.  I also try to use wide-angle lenses and incorporate “leading lines” into my shots. I find both to be great tools to pull the viewer in and to capture as much of the subject’s environment- which I believe makes a better visual story.

For me, not only is the image important, but also the title. Often I have the title of the shot before I even take the picture- in essence the title makes my image.  I think it stems from the first picture I ever saw that “moved” me. It was a black and white photograph of a pair of feet by Annie Leibowitz and the title was “Pele”.  As an image alone perhaps not so special but with the added title, a whole new meaning evolved- a portrait of arguably the world’s most famous feet.  Since then I always strive to find a title that makes my viewer think one-step beyond the image.

Do you see social media as a tool to inspire or the other way around?

I believe it’s a double-edged sword –yes, the mass, instant, dissemination of information and images can help and inspire, but at the same time, I do believe we have crossed the line: it has bred a new generation of completely self-absorbed narcissists and given fame (and a platform) to the ridiculous and menial.  I mean, really, do we care what Kim Kardashian ate for breakfast? But I guess I may be the wrong person to ask; I am not exactly the social media demographic. Then again, social media got me this article so I guess it can’t be all bad, can it 🙂 ?

Who is your Instagram for?

Mostly for family and friends, but I do secretly admit that I enjoy getting likes from strangers around the world.

What do you hope viewers get from your work?

I hope my images allow my viewers to see and experience new places, a new culture and feel an emotion. This desire has often lead to me to capture moments that some of my audience find displeasing (eg:  my series of photos from a dog meat market in Hanoi). But to be honest, I appreciate the positive praise as much as negative comments. For me, the fact that my images cause a strong emotion (good or bad) is what I strive for as an artist.

What is challenging about Instagram?

Not only as relates to Instagram, but to social media in general: it is hard to get noticed as an artist and have your work really appreciated.  Today EVERYONE is a photographer and people’s attention span is shrinking. Also, with the advent of Photoshop, the nature of photography has changed –now it doesn’t matter so much how good you are at capturing a moment, but rather how good of a graphic designer you are. Some would say it is the “evolution of photography”, or “it’s what we used to do in the dark room”. But for me, as a purist, I try to do no post production of my work (no cropping, no Photoshop), so I don’t buy it. I believe, the art is in the capture, not later in front of a computer. What you see in my pictures is what I saw, when I saw it.  But then again, as this is a hobby for me, I have the benefit of making that decision. I totally understand (and sympathize) with my professional photographer friends whose clients want a perfect image and they don’t care if you got it on your first shot or after 10 hrs manipulating it on a computer screen.

Looking back at when you started, how much has your style evolved and how?

As I look back through my photos I can see different phases that I went through. Abstract, architecture, fashion, nature- having only done photography as a hobby, I have had the freedom to take pictures of anything I want.  But I find that what currently inspires me is the people of Vietnam: I shoot mostly children and the elderly. I find “innocence” and  “wisdom” interesting subject matters.  In any case, I always try to incorporate visual elements in my shots that tell a story and are not just “pretty” pictures.

What are some of your favorite instagram accounts to follow? ?

I love National Geographic’s Instagram (and to be honest am jealous of it).  It would be my dream come true to work for them (if anyone can introduce me I would appreciate it!).  But I am also a big fan of Justin Mott’s work (@askmott) who was a fellow contestant/judge of mine in “Photo Face Off” –a photography reality show on History Channel that I was lucky to be a part of.

What can we expect to see on your Instagram in the future?

Hopefully more of the same, but better…

#AronSchuftanPhotography #NationalGeographic #StreetPhotography #Traveller #ThirdCultureKid

Welcome to my website and thank you so much for taking the time to browse through it.  It has been my dream for the last 10-15 years to set up a “real” website but, alas, a certain apathy took the best of me until now. My new year’s resolution of 2019 was that this was the year I was going to do it and, well, I cut it down to the wire, but I did it.

I have loved taking pictures for as long as I can remember and, somehow, in my heart, I think it is what I was meant to do since childhood.  So much is my love for and conviction about photography that, in September 2019, I decided to take a sabbatical (career change?) from being a doctor to focus entirely on my career as a photographer.  I have no idea where this road will take me, but I look forward to the challenges ahead.

I wanted to build this site really for two reasons: first of all, I wanted to share my images in a more formal manner with all of you, I have collected and classified thousands of pictures linked to my life as a photographer. Until now, no one has ever seen them.  The website gives me a formal platform to sell my work to many of you that have asked me over the years to do so.  Secondly, I wanted to create a diary-like place where I could document my life, particularly my travels. As I get older, more and more, I feel the weight of being an only child. Whatever I do not share dies with me…A rather morbid view, but one that holds true.  With such a rich cultural, familial and personal heritage I must not let that happen.  As such, much of what you see and read in this site will be very personal and dear to me. I do not expect it to resonate with all of you, but those that know me personally, or those that would like to know more about me, will be interested, I want to think.

I would be in debt if I did not acknowledge a long list of people that have been instrumental in my development as a person and a photographer.  Allow me to do so here…

First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents Aviva and Claudio (Mami and Papi).  They have always been supportive of what started as a hobby and even nurtured it in the early days when I was gifted my father’s antique Zeiss Ikon camera that he got at his bar mitzvah when he was 13 years old.  I would also like to acknowledge not only the countless hours that my father spent driving me around on the back of his motorbike to shoot photos in surrounding neighborhoods, but also the hundreds of hours he (and my mother) spent looking through thousands of photos and old time negative rolls giving me their always honest opinions.

To my first teacher, the renown, Mr. Trong Thanh. He took me under his wing when I was just a young man, learning this new art form. Despite not sharing a common spoken language, we were able to communicate through our photos and his tutelage certainly taught me lessons that resonate with me every time I pick up my camera even 30 years later.

I would like to thank Etienne Bossot from Pics of Asia, who refined those early skills learned and really took my photography to the next level especially during my recent ten-day photo-tour to Bangladesh. He taught me to “chase the light” and “separate your layers!”.

Nico Greeve, my dear friend that lit the proverbial “fire under my ass” for me to finally stop talking about a website and actually start setting one up. Thank you for this energizing and all your advice.

To Gregory Beale and Mike Gebremedhin, my buddies who, despite having busy family lives, always made time to answer my endless questions about camera gear. You are both right, fixed lenses are better…

To Lee Starnes, Fred Wissink, and Quinn Mattingly, fellow Vietnam photographers, thank you for all your advice and your frequent “how the hell do I make my new camera do this?” inputs.

To Mads Monsen, so great to finally meet you in Hanoi and thank you for your help with the direction this website should take.

To Justin Mott, my fellow “co-star” on History Channel’s “Photo-Face Off”, thank you for making that experience so fun and amazing and allowing me to have a glimpse of what it is like to be a celebrity photographer.

I would also like to thank Rachel Menell and Ron Tan, some of my oldest friends, for being my early supporters and my early muses.

Lagan Gill, Hugh Mellert and Diana Rodriguez my title masters, thank you so much, your inputs were so valuable!

To @sara_jjil, @jennyluu and @nyala_tours my number one instagram supporters, thank you for all the “likes”.

To Erik Hutchins and Anna Protasova, thank you for all the words of encouragement over the years. It really made the difference and kept me posting.

My immense thanks to my copy editors, Tien Nguyen and Rivka Lomarda, whom despite having English as a second language speak and write much better than I do.

To Mai Lam who, at the time of this writing, is a relatively new friend, but whose creative energy and inspiration is contagious and helped me cross the finish line.

To the Napit family, you adopted me, a total stranger in Nepal and showed me true kindness and love. Forever yours.

To Abhishek Kakran, for your hospitality in New Delhi. It left a lasting impression on me. I hope to one day return the favor.

To Rehan, although we have never met personally I have admired your work from afar.  Thank you for being an inspiration to me here in Vietnam by making photography a “fine art” and giving me a template to chase my dreams and also giving me an example of how to run this complicated business.

And last but not least, to Ste Bell, my web designer and friend. Thank you for tackling the huge project with me; a huge collaborative effort that I do think we both may have underestimated in the beginning.  Thank you for your real love and belief in my art. Thank you for allowing my dream to come to fruition. I am forever grateful for all your time, effort and patience.

Of course, I know that there have been many more that I have missed; I apologize. You know who you are and just know that I am so grateful for all that you have done.

Aron

Dan Eldon was a friend of mine. We both went to the same high school- the International School of Kenya in the 1980s-90s.  Even at such a young age Dan’s creative talents were so apparent.  After graduation, Dan became a war photographer in Somalia for Reuters and it was there that he was killed in action on July 12, 1993 at the age of 22. He was the first person I knew that had ever died. His photography moved and inspired me and is one of the main reasons that I am a photographer today. You are missed……

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Eldon

For me, as an artist, not only is the image important, but also the title. I have always believed that the title of a photograph is an added dimension to an image. Often I have the title of the shot before I even take the picture – in essence, the title makes my image. I think it stems from the first picture I ever saw that “moved” me.

It was a simple photograph of a pair of feet by Annie Leibovitz and the title was “Pele’s Feet”. The image alone is perhaps not so special but with the added title, a whole new meaning evolved – a portrait of arguably the world’s most famous feet. Since then I have always strived to find a title that makes my viewers think one-step beyond the image.