Behind the leica lens - restoration hardware photoshoot breakdown

Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to shoot a special project for Restoration Hardware (RH) down in Saigon, Vietnam. It was a bit of a whirlwind—one day, I’m recovering from jet lag at home in Hanoi, and the next, I’m packing up my Leica gear and catching a flight to photograph one of RH’s marble artisans.

The Setup

After years of discussing the possibility, I finally connected with RH’s creative team for this shoot. The client? Vivek, an Indian marble artisan whose work in sourcing and crafting top-quality marble for RH is exceptional. The goal was to capture a compelling portrait of him and document his process, blending posed shots with a natural, documentary feel.

The Gear

I leaned into my trusty Leica kit for this one, choosing the SL2S for its versatility in low-light situations and pairing it with the 35mm, 50mm Leica M Summilux lenses and a 75mm Voigtlander lenses. To ensure I had flexibility, I also packed the Leica 24-90mm SL zoom—a rare choice for me but invaluable when working fast in dynamic settings.

The Challenge

The shoot took place at Vivek’s factory, a working marble space, so we had to be agile. I relied heavily on natural light, but we had a lighting kit on standby. The vibe was collaborative and fast-paced: RH’s team and I stayed connected via WhatsApp, sharing ideas and real-time feedback. It was intense but rewarding, with Vivek easing into the shoot and offering me genuine, candid expressions.

The Outcome

After hours of shooting—through marble dust and factory noise—I wrapped up with a series of portraits and documentary-style images that RH loved. Their response to the work was enthusiastic, and by the next day, the images were already in their layout. It’s assignments like these that remind me why I love balancing editorial storytelling with commercial projects; they’re high-paced, creatively challenging, and deeply rewarding.