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Morgan Ommer is a photographer from a multicultural background, his mother is Vietnamese and his father is German
He was born and raised in Paris, France, and he likes to be called by the name Minh. With his father being a renowned photographer, Morgan tried to escape that shadow during his youth. He refused to study photography and later the course of time brought him back to the field, as if it were destiny, unavoidable.
Morgan sees himself as someone who enjoys change and moving around. He has lived in many places in Asia, starting with Hong Kong for about 15 years. During this time, while taking birthday photos for a friend, he surprised everyone with his pictures. His friend had to exclaim: “Don’t think about your father anymore. This is what you should be doing!” The sentence motivated Morgan, and from then on, he gradually embarked on his own journey in photography.
“Vietnam is an integral part of who I am.”
Morgan’s career is closely tied to many magazines such as Travel + Leisure, Time, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and some other local magazines. In the 90s, he tried his luck when he moved to Vietnam in search of career opportunities. Although his initial plan did not happen, luck smiled upon him. Morgan Ommer became a photographer for most fashion magazines in Vietnam at the time.
When he came to Vietnam, he did not intend to seek his roots, but living here, his love for the land and its people grew. He considers this place as a part of himself.
Morgan Ommer recalls feeling intrigued when he first visited Vietnam and witnessed a family of three riding on a Honda Dream in the rain: the father was smoking while driving, the mother was holding their child, and nobody was wearing a helmet (at that time, there was no regulation requiring helmets). He captured that moment with his camera from a street corner and named his work “Riding the Family Vehicle.”
Later, Morgan bought himself a Honda Dream and wrote the words “Family Vehicle” on it. He eagerly encourages everyone to go and experience the scenery and people in Vietnam, and maybe take their own pictures to enjoy the beauty of the country through photography.
Learning photography from every aspect of life
According to Morgan Ommer, his mother played a pivotal role in developing his aesthetic sense. From a very young age – around three or four years old – she introduced him to classic films such as “Gone with the Wind” and “Cleopatra”.
From then on, his inspiration for beauty was constantly nurtured through fields related to aesthetics such as poetry, painting, fashion, and philosophy.y. Additionally, he found inspiration in his everyday life, news, and from others working in the same field.
Morgan taught himself how to use a camera through reading, watching, traveling, observing, and taking many photos. To him, photography is inseparable from life. He begins almost every morning by walking around to take photos. Photos are a reflection of the way he expresses and communicates his inner thoughts. They represent all aspects of himself, including thoughts, emotions, and aesthetics that cannot be separated within him.
When discussing how fashion inspires him, Morgan notes that: the fashion shows in New York or Paris often influence the style of clothing worn by women at the Ben Thanh Market in Vietnam the following year. This demonstrates how fashion can have a significant impact on daily life, as can artistic trends.
Many colors may lead to distraction
Morgan loves taking photos, calling it a passion for capturing moments, colors, and lights in the world surrounding him. He considers this passion a serious job that is sometimes difficult but always necessary. Morgan’s photos often have a poetic and concise quality, blending boldness with dreamy romanticism.
One noticeable aspect of Morgan Ommer’s style is that his photos often feature only a few dominant colors. He believes that too many colors may cause the story to fade and distract the viewer, whereas simplifying the colors helps viewers gain a clearer understanding of expression and movement in the photo.
Morgan’s penchant for minimal color is evident in “Riding the Family Vehicle.” When asked if he would edit the photo in color, Morgan replied that it was unnecessary. The streets of Hanoi in winter have their own characteristic gray hue, and the moment of the family sitting on the Honda Dream conveyed the entire story without the need for additional colors. As Morgan explained, “Adding color wouldn’t have had any meaningful impact.”
In his color photography, Morgan often highlights only a few colors. For example, in the photo ‘Golden hour in Ho Tay,’ he captured a typical scene of old Hanoi with the iconic sepia-yellow-brown hues of traditional film. The photo features an elderly man riding a bicycle across the street while wearing a common hat from that time.
Regarding the ‘Thin green line’ photo (On top of the article), he explained: ‘I’m not really photographing the sky and the ocean. I’m photographing the colors in that picture.’ He also played with words cleverly when naming the photo, as both ‘Green’ and ‘Blue’ are translated as the same word ‘Xanh’ in Vietnamese.
Morgan commented that to some extent, the use of multiple colors can still be acceptable. However, the important thing is for the photographer to ensure that they do not get lost from the development and expression in their photo.
Photography is still about capturing the moment
Despite the advances in image technology that enable us to create or adjust images with countless sophisticated effects, Morgan firmly believes that photography, for him, is still about ‘capturing the moment.’
He stated that building an image with pixels is not necessarily his approach. He doesn’t manipulate the images except to get rid of dust, which is almost always the most common thing he does in post-processing. He tries not to alter the pixels but instead to capture a moment. For Morgan, the most important aspect of creating is still taking photos and always striving to capture the ideal details within the frame.
Morgan is always willing to spend a lot of time taking high-quality photos instead of relying on editing software. He asserts that technology allows us to create images and put anything we want in them, but that’s not his approach. Therefore, he always tries to take photos whenever he wakes up.
In particular, Morgan Ommer has a habit of taking photos with his phone – something that a few traditional photographers accept. However, Morgan Ommer sees it as a technological advancement and is willing to practice photography with it every day.
Interview video with Morgan Ommer
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