In the heart of Bangkok, Watcharawit Phudork, finds inspiration in the ordinary. His photographs trace the rhythm of daily life — spending precious time with friends, street vendors at work, and the quiet beauty of familiar streets. Through his lens, the city feels both personal and universal, a place where fleeting moments turn into lasting stories.
How much of your work is made with a commercial mindset, and how much is art for art’s sake?
Not at all. My goal is simply to capture what I see when I go outside. That’s why my work is so varied — it could be animals, food, or pictures of my friends and buildings scattered around Bangkok.
Where do you think the industry is going in terms of visuals? Are there trends you’re excited about — or tired of?
Right now, I’m interested in how people edit their photos, especially food photos. I wonder how they make them look so clean and appealing. I want to apply that to my street food photos. In terms of trends, I like how people are using direct flash on subjects, whether it’s food or portraits. I’m not great at using flash, but I want to get better someday.
What’s something outside of your medium that influences your creative approach — music, architecture, books, random things you see walking around?
I enjoy city walks. There’s plenty to explore, and you’re always inspired when walking in a centralized city like Bangkok if the weather isn’t too hot.
Visual stock media has evolved a lot over the years. What do you think makes an image feel fresh and relevant now?
I think food photos are always relevant. The style of portrait photos may change over time, but food photos have their own value because of what dishes are featured.
When you’re creating visuals for Stocksy, do you approach it differently than your personal or client projects?
I approach them with the same mindset. However, for Stocksy, I try to avoid complications, such as including logos, as much as possible. Bangkok is a chaotic city with branding everywhere, which makes it a bit challenging for me.
What is currently catching your eye in the Stocksy collection?
Food photos and portraits. The level and quality of both inspire me to improve my own skills, both in capturing the perfect moment and setting the right tone of the photos.
Do you have a favorite project or image in your collection? What’s the story?
This series from a graduation trip to Rayong with my high school friends. It holds sentimental value for me because only a few from my class went to college in Bangkok. This captures the moment before we went our separate ways, with some moving far away making it difficult to reunite.
If you could create anything, with no limits—budget, logistics, time—what would you make?
I’d love to put together a documentary about how deities from other cultures have changed in appearance and role when they came to Thailand, and why people believe in them. Shamanism was the primary religion in the area before Hinduism and Buddhism arrived. What’s unique about the Thai belief system is that it blends everything together. So, it’s common to see deities from Hinduism or Shamanism in Thai Buddhist temples.
Another project is a continuation of this series. It focused on a kite maker and kite flying. Beyond being toys, kites are tied to belief and used as offerings to bring good fortune — symbolized by high-flying kites. This time, I want to focus on the offerers and their hopes and faith.
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