The incredible journey of Oat Vaiyaboon

For those of us who reside in rural areas, the sheer size of Australia’s biggest city can be overwhelming.

The beauty of the bridge, the water and the Opera House also ensures that even those from other big cities are taken by Sydney’s grandeur.

But on his arrival in Sydney, Oat Vaiyaboon had a very different view of Sydney.

Mr Vaiyaboon was born and raised in Bangkok, Thailand, a sprawling city of 14 million people.

His mother had spent part of her youth attending university in Canberra and was impressed enough to send her son down under to further his education.

So as a 14-year-old, Mr Vaiyaboon’s made the long journey alone to Sydney.

On arrival, he settled into life as a boarder at the all-boys St Josephs College in Hunters Hill.

It was a change of culture that took some adjusting to.

“Sydney seemed pretty quiet, there was a lot more going on in Bangkok,” Mr Vaiyaboon said.

“Bangkok was much bigger, more people and more traffic, it was very hectic.

“It was certainly tough moving to Sydney at a young age but I was lucky because I had 140 boys in my year level who were all in the same boat. We were all living away from home and I think experiencing that together helped us get used to it quicker and adjust.”

After completing year 12, Mr Vaiyaboon went to university, studying architecture. After university, he worked as a draftsman, spending the next decade adding his creative flair to the Sydney skyline.

Mr Vaiyaboon’s desire to expand his horizons meant he went back to university part-time, studying design, photography and digital media.

This re-ignited a passion for photography that had long existed.

“I had studied photography as a major in high school,” Mr Vaiyaboon said.

“Back then, you still used the old film that had to be developed. I loved that process, working in the dark room to create the image. It is now all digital and the tools are different but a lot about photography has stayed the same. We do use some different things to process the photo but we did that in the old film days as well, little things you learn along the way.”

Time at university studying the art of photography and an in-built passion for capturing life through the lens was a brilliant combination. In the ensuing years, Mr Vaiyaboon has created a stunning portfolio of photographs. This work continues to draw high praise from those who follow his facebook and instagram pages or his hangingpixels.com.au website.   

 “The thing I love most about photography is you can go out and not be committed to one thing, it’s about your own interpretation,” Mr Vaiyaboon.

“It is how you see the object you are photographing. I look at things and work out when and how to use the natural light, I’m still learning now. Some times you go out with your camera and come back and all the shots are terrible.”

While Sydney features prominently in his work, Mr Vaiyaboon’s venture to south-west Victoria has also provided great fodder. Images of the Grampians, the Yambuk Lake, Tower Hill, the Otways and just about every natural wonder in Port Fairy have caught the attention of his camera.

Mr Vaiyaboon’s connection to the south-west came through his father who moved to Australia close to 20 years ago. He set up Thai restaurants in Horsham, Colac and Portland. Mr Vaiyaboon and his wife Mandy came down to work at his father’s Portland business.

Originally from Sydney, Mandy was a make-up artist, working on the Rove television show, for  Nickelodeon and on the set of the feature film Australia. But the creativity of the make-up room and the camera were put aside as the Vaiyaboon’s went to work with great vigour in the kitchen.

“It was an intensive six-month training for us both at the Portland restaurant,” Mr Vaiyaboon said.

“My father had set-up Lemongrass restaurant in Port Fairy for us and the training in Portland had us ready to open it up and start the business. That was six years ago. We didn’t know a lot about Port Fairy, we had only driven through a few times on the way to Portland. But we picked it to open the restaurant because it is a bit different to other country towns, there is always someone around and something happening. It can get quiet in the winter but you just have to make sure you make the most of the busy times.”

These are busy times for the Vaiyaboon’s, two-year-old son Jay ensuring there is always something happening.

Mr Vaiyaboon continues to pursue his passion for photography, both with camera in his hand or attached to a drone.

He is a licensed drone operator, capturing spectacular shots from above.

“People are becoming more aware of what the drones can do, what great shots you can get from using them,” he said.

While Mr Vaiyaboon is carrying out some commercial work through his photography, it remains very much a labour of love.

“My mother-in-law asks me why I don’t like gardening, it’s not my thing” Mr Vaiyaboon said.

“For me, taking photos is very therapeutic, it is what I do to relax.

“I like to travel around and take photos, I will watch the weather and look for opportunities when it matches the landscape, like snow at the Grampians.

“And there are some days when I just look out the window and grab my camera and out I go.”