FROM “CẢM HIẾU ĐƯỜNG" TO "CAMR LAB"
On 14 March 1869, progressive scholar and Nguyễn Dynasty official Đặng Huy Trứ opened Cảm Hiếu Đường on Thanh Hà Street in Hà Nội. It is widely recognised as the first photography studio established by a Vietnamese, and its opening is remembered as an important beginning of Vietnamese photography.
More than 150 years later, its name became the starting point for ours.
C-A-M-R
Portrait of Đặng Huy Trứ, painted in Guangdong in 1865 by 李瑞岩 (Li Ruiyan; Vietnamese: Lý Thụy Nham).
From that small translation between language and technology, CAMR Lab found its name. We do not claim to continue the legacy of Cảm Hiếu Đường or compare ourselves with its historical importance. We are inspired by the progressive spirit behind it: the willingness to explore a new visual medium, introduce it to a wider community and use photography to preserve people, memories and stories. CAMR Lab is an independent analogue photography project with roots in Vietnam and a home in Australia. We explore unusual photographic films, forgotten materials, experimental processes and the stories that exist behind every roll. We are building a business, and the business must be sustainable. But selling film and making a profit are not the only reasons we are here. We want to make analogue photography more approachable, share useful knowledge honestly, support photographers and independent creators, and create products that encourage people to experiment rather than chase perfect results. We want to connect people through film—between different countries, generations, experiences and ways of seeing.