Chau Pham, Hanoi. Chau Pham is a fine art painter and designer; he has a small studio inside his apartment, which he has occupied for 15 years. Occasionally he sells his paintings through a gallery. However, it is difficult to make a living from art alone, therefore he supplements his income by teaching art at a local school. © Astrid Schulz
Pham Hang Quan & Tean Quoi Viet, Hanoi. Pham Hang Quan (left) and Tean Quoi Viet (right) are having a break in the backyard of a tattoo parlour. Quan has been working as a tattoo artist for 3.5 years and Viet, a wedding photographer, is one of his clients. Both young men are juggling traditional values with the freedom of self-expression. For example, their tattoos are frowned upon by the older generation, but they don't care. © Astrid Schulz
Le Van Dong & Le Van An, Hoi An. Le Van Dong is 39 years old. He has been a fisherman all his life like his ancestors. He owns his own boat. Dong has to get up at 3 AM and will be at sea by 4:30. The best time for a good catch is just before sunrise.
Dong's 18 year old son Le Van An has worked with him for 2 years; he might take over his father's boat, however he is also thinking about going to university, like his older sister. © Astrid Schulz
Tran Thi Ngoc Hoa, Hue. Tran Thi Ngoc Hoa is 54 years old. She lives with her extended family of 3 generations in a traditional 3-room house inside the citadel of Hue. In 1999, Hue experienced a period of torrential rains that caused massive flooding. The water level in Hoa's house rose to 1.6m. The family was evacuated for three days, but after intensive cleaning for a further three days, life continued as usual. © Astrid Schulz
Le Dinh Hung, Hanoi. Le Dinh Hung is running his own motorbike repair workshop. He started his training when he was 13 and now he is 25. He knows everything about his subject and can build custom motorbikes on request. His free time is limited. After he finishes work, he spends the evening on Facebook. © Astrid Schulz
Nguyen Minh Ngoc, Hue. Nguyen Minh Ngoc is 22 years old. She is still a student, but she is also organizing summer camps for the education of young people. Participation is for free and over one thousand students aged 6–22 take part every year. In her free time, Ngoc loves to watch movies. Her favorite TV series is "Game of Thrones"; she has watched all 50 episodes on her laptop. © Astrid Schulz
Ta Tong Gian, Hanoi. Ta Tong Gian was a soldier when he was young, but when he returned from the war, he started drinking and failed to find a job. After a stroke, he is now half paralyzed and does not leave his bedroom at all. Sometimes he is taken out by his son in law but those highlights are rare. © Astrid Schulz
Pham Thuy Lien, Da Nang. Pham Thuy Lien is 24 years old; she is working for the government as a researcher and shares a flat with 2 female friends. Lien dreams to have a different career with more time for social life. She often takes work home and finishes her tasks at night. However, for 9 years she will be tied to working for the government, after receiving a scholarship for studying abroad. © Astrid Schulz
Nguyen Van Hue, Hue. Nguyen Van Hue has been part of a security team in the Citadel for 20 years. He stays for 24 hours on site until the next team arrives.
He claims that "nothing has ever happened" in all his years of service! Nonetheless, in 2015, the government installed an additional alarm system with hidden CCTV cameras in all the historical monuments of Hue. © Astrid Schulz
Tran Thi Hoa, Da Nang. Tran Thi Hoa is a pharmacy technician at the Hospital for Traditional Medicine. She is 23 years old and working in the boiling room, where special ingredients are prepared and cooked. Hoa's work is tiring as it is very hot in the room and she often works overtime. But she has to finish the process and cannot go home until this is done. © Astrid Schulz
This photographic series, which gives us insight into Vietnam’s swiftly changing contemporary society, was selected as a finalist in the LensCulture Exposure Awards 2015. Discover more inspiring work from all 31 of the winners and finalists.
