Dec. 01--In our second installment of "The People Behind the Places," we chat with R騡hn Croquevielle, an avid traveler and photographer. The photos he has shared with us have been some of our most memorable.
Croquevielle was born in France but moved to Vietnam after falling in love with the country during a 2007 visit. He runs a restaurant and a guesthouse in Hoi An in central Vietnam, but his love is photography. He has 40,000 photos of Vietnam to prove it.
Croquevielle is a fan of portraits. We featured a portrait he took of a local Cuzco, Peru, girl in Your Scene in 2011. His subject has been Vietnam since moving to Hoi An in 2011. One of his Vietnam photos was a contender for the cover of our annual reader photo issue in September.
Why do you travel?
I travel to discover new cultures and take photos. I'm not one to stay in a resort for 15 days, and I'm not a fan of museums. ... I like to meet people and discover places firsthand.
What led you to photography?
I think there's a photographer in every traveler. Everyone wants to capture moments and places and share them. Personally, I love capturing moments and collecting portraits of people I meet during my travels.
What inspires you?
People. I like contact. I like taking the pictures that others will not. And for that, you need time and to invest yourself. I love meeting ethnic minorities, especially in Asia. I love their colors, their lifestyle. I think it's important to immortalize their cultures before they disappear.
What's your most memorable photo?
The cover of my book. She is 76 years old but still works on her small boat on the Thu Bon River in the old town of Hoi An. We have become friends, and she is undoubtedly the reason for the success of my first book.
What's your best trip?
Without hesitation, my 15-day trip by motorbike through north Vietnam last year. I drove 2,200 kilometers and met ethnic minorities in the region. A highlight was the Ma Pi Leng Pass and the Happy Road. I was alone on the motorbike, free as a bird. I discovered many small hidden villages where people welcomed me as a member of the village. They offered me food, tea and even local specialties.
"The People Behind the Places" is an occasional series that profiles aspiring photographers and readers whose photography has caught our eye. If you're interested in sharing your work with us, visit our Flickr page. You can also email yourscene-travel@latimes.com.
