Réhahn

Time is a vital ingredient in photography. For the French photographer Réhahn, producing his vibrant, intimate portraits isn’t just about composition and light, but about the time he spends with his subjects, whether he’s smoking cigars with locals in Cuba or sharing tea and a lengthy chat with tribal chiefs in Vietnam. “The secret of a great portrait is a great interaction,” he says.

The photographer, who now calls Vietnam home, is currently working on a major project, Precious Heritage. He aims to photograph all 54 of the country’s tribes, documenting their costumes and learning about their traditions. So far, he’s photographed 49, with more on the way in 2018. He runs a cultural museum, also called Precious Heritage, in Hoi An; this presents his photography alongside examples of the tribes’ costumes and artifacts.

Réhahn is a photographer who clearly puts his money where his mouth is when it comes to his relationships with his subjects, with many becoming friends or “like family”. He visits regularly or invites people to his home. As part of his work, he’s currently building a cultural museum for the Co Tu ethnic group in Vietnam’s Tay Giang district, close to the border with Laos, funded 100 per cent by his gallery sales. He also funds the education of several children