Travel Photographer Interviews: Ryan Libre

All photos courtesy of Ryan Libre

MATADOR’S EXPERT ON HOKKAIDO, Ryan Libre is a freelance photographer based out of Japan and Thailand. He has taken photos for 11 books and held solo exhibitions at the Fuji Film Salon, The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand, and the Nikon Salons in Tokyo and Osaka.

Ryan was recently awarded a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, along with Matador contributing editor Tim Patterson, to document the Kachin Independence Army in Myanmar.

Over the past few months, Ryan has also contributed to MatadorU’s upcoming Travel Photography Program. Matador Goods Editor Lola Akinmade and Matador contributing editor Paul Sullivan took some time out to ask Ryan a few questions:

How long have you been a professional photographer?

I would say five years, but the first year I didn’t make any money and the second year I needed a part time job, but by the third year I was pretty much supporting myself.

That is quite fast; give yourself several years of long days and late nights to make a full transition. As long as I do photography I’ll think of myself as an amateur. Amateur comes from the Latin for love, like Amor. 100 years ago, to call a photographer an amateur was a compliment. With our modern material world view, this wonderful word has been turned on its head.

What – or who – got your initial interest going in terms of photography?

Travel and wanting to show what I thought was “right & wrong”. Those interests evolved into what I now think of as making “a portrait of place” and photojournalism.

What were your first photographic experiments or experiences?

I lied about my experience to get into the intermediate photography class at my university, because I knew the basic class mostly taught about cameras and I wanted to learn about photography. My first projects were of the local homeless, who I was quite close with. My first major project was of Japan’s largest national park, Daisetsuzan.

I worked on it for two years before I showed it at the Fuji Film Gallery in Sapporo, Japan. I was the first person to shoot digital for a show there, the first foreigner to show there, and the first person under 30 to have a solo exhibition there.

How would you describe the work you do now…obviously there’s a strong reportage / photojournalistic element, but are you involved in the commercial world also? Any stock photography?

Editorial photography, for galleries, books, magazines, newspapers, and online. My “stock” photos are represented by On Asia; they sell to editorial outlets. When the opportunity to use my skills to help a business that I personally like arises, I usually do it. My commercial work has ranged from fashion photography and boutique hotels to a Thai cookbook and yoga photos. All of them I found interesting and rewarding, largely because I had total artistic freedom.

What three tips would you share for amateur photographers who are interested in pursuing your documentary style of photography?

1. Get close to your subjects, physically and emotionally.
2. Give your projects plenty of time.
3. Research.

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Ryan has contributed various articles and podcasts on travel photography here:

Studies in Travel Photography: Perspective, Timing, and Themes
Studies in Travel Photography: A podcast by Ryan Libre
Studies in Travel Photography 2: A podcast by Ryan Libre

To see more of Ryan’s work visit his site, www.ryanlibre.com and consider joining him for a photo workshop.