The Lam Saeng Tree: Tales from the Mekong River with the Sprocket Rocket by Pluem-Supawich Weesapen

A love of nature and film photography converge in the work of Pluem-Supawich Weesapen (@spw.wsp ), a Thai artist fascinated by striking compositions and surreal colors. They recently turned to the panoramic Sprocket Rocket camera to tell the story of the Lam Saeng Tree. This unique tree grows in harmony with the cyclical ebb and flow of the Mekong River. The photo series not only captures the wonder of nature but also subtly reveals the marks of change, especially the environmental impact of dams on the Lam Saeng and the ecosystem of the Mekong.

For those drawn to stories of nature and the timeless charm of film photography, take a visual journey with Supawich through their photos and inspirations behind this thoughtful project.

Hi, welcome to Lomography Magazine! Could you please introduce yourself and tell us how you got started with photography?

Hi, my name is Pluem-Supawich Weesapen. I'm currently working as an artist, mainly focusing on painting. Lately, I’ve also been exploring and learning to work with other media.

I’ve always used photography as a way to document events and moments to look back on. But the point when I really started taking it more seriously and thinking more deeply about it was probably around the time Instagram first came out. It became this space to share images, and that made me more aware of composition, perspective, and how I frame what I see.

What drew you to the Lam Saeng tree, and why did you choose it to represent the story of the Mekong River?

I was first drawn to its elegant, curved shape, bending with the river’s current. Then I learned that it grows that way because it spends half the year submerged in water, and the other half on land, in sync with the rise and fall of the Mekong River. Since the Lam Saeng tree lives in such a specific environment, it’s heavily affected by environmental fluctuations, especially the irregular water levels caused by dams. That’s why it has become a clear indicator of the disturbances happening to the Mekong River, particularly the changing water levels (which can be seen in the increasing number of dying Lam Saeng trees).

Why did you choose to use the Sprocket Rocket camera and the unique films like LomoChrome Purple and LomoChrome Turquoise for this project?

Normally, in my painting work, I enjoy creating pieces with longer proportions and bright, unnatural colors. That's why I was interested in the format and the colors of these films.

I was interested in the Lam Saeng tree in the middle of the Mekong River because of the wide landscape of the river and the magical shape of the tree, along with the area around it that’s filled with crater-like rocks. I thought it would be interesting to capture this with a panoramic format and unusual film colors.

How does the panoramic format affect the way the story of the Lam Saeng tree and the Mekong River is told?

It captures the landscape and environment in a wide way. Viewing the image might require a bit of a sweep with the eyes, which I think fits well with the direction of the water flow and captures the feeling of the Lam Saeng tree’s shape as it leans along the water. At the same time, it also serves as a frame that challenges us to find vertical angles to capture it.

Do the colors from the LomoChrome films reflect the feelings or emotions of the river and the Lam Saeng tree the way you wanted? Was it what you expected?

The films I chose, the Turquoise and Purple, looked like the colors from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable. I didn’t really try to imagine how the colors would shift compared to real-life colors, and I didn’t have a specific vision in mind for how I wanted them to turn out. I just wanted to see what the subject would look like in an unusual, unfamiliar atmosphere, like looking at things with fresh eyes. When I saw the images, it really did feel strange, which was fun because I almost couldn’t recognize where it was. Even I had to take a moment to think about it when I first saw the photos.

You traveled to photograph during the low-water season in January 2025. Was there a particular moment or experience that changed the way you saw the Mekong River?

If I had gone during the high-water season, I might have only seen the tops of the trees. But because I went when the water was low, I got to see the full bodies of the Lam Saeng trees. I also saw bits of trash caught in the trunks carried there during the season when the trees are fully submerged. (There wasn’t a lot, but it gave a small glimpse into what it’s like when the tree is underwater.) Some trees had roots exposed above the soil, likely because the water stayed high longer than usual. In that area, there were quite a few dead Lam Saeng trees scattered around. Even though there aren’t many left and more may still die, they remain incredibly beautiful.

What do you hope viewers take away from this photo series?

The beauty and wonder of nature and something that has grown and lived in such a specific environment. Right now, it exists in a state that’s half-alive, half-dead. These Lam Saeng trees are among the silent victims of dam construction, which has disrupted the natural rhythm of rising and falling water and the surrounding ecosystem.

What do you think the future holds for the Mekong River and the Lam Saeng trees?

I haven’t studied it deeply enough to say for sure, but I’d guess that more of them might die due to increasing environmental instability. The dam construction plans are still moving forward, and it’s not just one dam, it’s ongoing and expanding.

How do you see this project developing in the future? And where can people follow your work?

I’m still sketching out ideas, since this photo series mainly came from a mix of travel and exploration, collecting images as an archive. There’s no clear plan yet. And because photography isn’t my main medium (I usually work with painting), it takes more time for me to think about how to present it.

You can follow my work on my website or Instagram.

Thank you to Supawich for sharing their photographs and stories from this project! To see more of their work be sure to follow them on Instagram.

written by aomschll on 2025-05-08 #gear #people #places #nature #documentary #thailand #environment #sprocket-rocket #lomochrome-purple #lomochrome-turquoise Share Article