Vietnam’s “Hidden Smiles” captured on camera by Réhahn

French-born photographer Réhahn is currently based in Vietnam where he is capturing the “Hidden Smiles” of Vietnamese people, who tend to cover their mouths when smiling for the camera.

A lot of people are fascinated by foreign cultures, but few are falling in love with them. One of these persons is a French photographer, who goes by the name of Réhahn, Who actually moved to Vietnam in 2011.

The artist fell in love with Vietnam during a trip to the country back in 2007. After spending some time among the Vietnamese people, the photographer has grown fond of their personalities and their amazing culture, so he relocated there in 2011.

This is not a decision that one takes lightly, but Réhahn feels he has made the right call. One of his ever-growing series involves portrait shots of people hiding a part of their face when you point a camera at them. They are referred to as “Hidden Smiles” and they consist of portrait photos of Vietnamese people covering their mouths when smiling.

The enchanting “Hidden Smiles” of Vietnamese people

You can fill your life with anger, sadness, and sorrow or you can choose to be warmer, kinder and eventually happier. Laughing and smiling are both contagious and the way to happiness.

Réhahn loves the culture of the Vietnamese people, who are equally modest and polite, so he has to respect it. The artist does not simply grab the camera and shoves it in people’s faces. Instead, he gets to know them and to become their friend. After that, he asks the permission to take their photo. This tactic is employed because the best part about travel and portrait photography is meeting new people.

The French photographer has captured thousands of photos in Vietnam, but he is planning to keep on shooting, as he wants to show the world his own view of this exotic country.

One thing is sticking out and it consists of the “Hidden Smiles”. It seems like Vietnamese people like to cover their mouths when someone is taking their picture. This is just one trait of their culture that you have to respect and which adds to the enchantment of this place.

More info about photographer Réhahn

He is living in a small town called Hoi An, but Réhahn has visited about one quarter of the country since 2007. Most of this exploration has been done courtesy of a motorbike, which has allowed the artist to discover the beauty of the places and the people.

Réhahn is one of the best portrait photographers out there and his work has been widely-acclaimed as well as recognized by major publications, such as National Geographic.

The artist has also released a photo book, called “Vietnam – Mosaic of Contrasts”, which consists of 145 photos from the country. More images and information about these “Hidden Smiles” can be found at Réhahn’s official website.