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# Justin Mott

## Pages

### [Home](https://justinmott.com/)

**Published:** April 28, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

![A wildlife ranger rests against a rhino beneath a stormy sky.](/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JustinMott_Portfolio_001.jpg) ![A farmer in a conical hat walks the rows of a green tea field in Vietnam.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==) ![Two faces in near darkness, one catching a sliver of light.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==) ![A woman in white walks through shallow ocean water toward the sun.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==) ![A swimmer glides underwater in a resort pool framed by palms and a tall hotel.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==) ![A man in a suit stands before a hotel, framed by two conical hats.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==) ![A man stands among cut marble blocks in a stone workshop.](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==) 

Editorial & Commercial Photographer · Based in Vietnam

# Justin Mott: Editorial, Documentary & Commercial Photographer

 [View Work](/editorial/) [About →](/about/) 

 [ Scroll  ](#jm-hero-end) 

 Authentic Visual Storytelling

## Truth, *beautifully* told.

Editorial and commercial photography by a documentary photographer in Vietnam. Real stories, seen through an unbiased lens and held to the standard serious publications and brands rely on.

- [01. Editorial](#tab-01-editorial)
- [02. Lifestyle](#tab-02-lifestyle)
- [03. Portrait](#tab-03-portrait)

  ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003.jpg) 

 ![Person wearing a conical hat walks through orderly tea rows in a misty field, carrying a hoe over their shoulder.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal004-600x400.jpg "A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.")

 [A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal004.jpg) 

 ![Portrait of a woman wearing a red headwrap and traditional embroidered clothing, seen through a dark sheer fabric veil.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal005-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal005")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal005.jpg) 

 ![Person kneeling at the bow of a small boat on a river at dusk, wearing a headlamp that shines forward through the trees.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal006-1-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal006")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal006-1.jpg) 

 ![Mother in a yellow jacket cuddles a baby wrapped in red while a young boy stands nearby inside a makeshift shelter with colorful tarps and blankets nearby for warmth and shelter.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal007-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal007")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal007.jpg) 

 ![Colorful indoor room with green walls and blue partitions; clothes hang on lines around a purple curtain, behind which a shadowy hand is visible.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal008-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal008")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal008.jpg) 

 ![Phu Thi Hong Thuy, 48, in the recovery area of Nguyen Tri Phung Hospital in HCMC, Vietnam from her recent amputation surgery as a result of diabetes. Thuy is from the Mekong Delta region in Ca Mao Province, she was diagnosed with diabetes 1 year ago.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_029-600x400.jpg "Communism Reform Vietnam")

 [Communism Reform Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_029.jpg) 

 ![Silhouetted trio of soldiers with rifles standing on a hill at dusk against a blue gradient sky, horizon visible on the horizon edge.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal010-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal010.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006.jpg) 

 ![Soldier in camouflage gear sits on the ground at dusk, looking at a smartphone glowing in hand.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal012-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal012")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal012](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal012.jpg) 

[View More Editorial Work          ](/editorial/)

  ![Woman in white dress standing on a balcony of a modern building overlooking a calm sea and distant mountains in the background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio001-1-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio001 (1)")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio001 (1)](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio001-1.jpg) 

 ![Person walking in shallow water with the sun behind them and lens flare across the scene.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio002-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio002")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio002.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of turquoise sea meeting a white-sand beach; two people on paddleboards near the shore.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio003-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio003")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio003.jpg) 

 ![Resort buildings on a green hillside overlook a sandy beach and calm water at sunset, with a small boat in the foreground.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio004-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio004")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio004.jpg) 

 ![Man on a wooden deck beside a yellow pond, with a hillside hotel in the distance and greenery around.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio005-600x400.jpg "Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals 
www.mottvisuals.com")

 [Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio005.jpg) 

 ![Resort, hotel, and property photography by commercial photographer Justin Mott shot throughout Asia and beyond. To see Justin's full portfolio visit http://www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_552-600x400.jpg "Hotel and Resort Photography | Asia | Justin Mott")

 [Hotel and Resort Photography | Asia | Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_552.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_554](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_554-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_554")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_554](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_554.jpg) 

 ![Person meditating outdoors in a grassy field beneath leafy trees, eyes closed, wearing a white tank top.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio008-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio008")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio008.jpg) 

 ![Person seen from behind in dark water, one arm outstretched as light ripples around them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio009-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio009")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio009.jpg) 

 ![Pair of well-dressed adults descending glass stairs in a modern lobby with a large hanging orb chandelier.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio010-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio010")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio010.jpg) 

 ![Bartender in a suit pours clear liquid from a glass bottle into a stemmed coupe glass at a bar.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio011-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio011")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio011.jpg) 

 ![Bartender in a suit pours a drink for a couple at a high wooden bar with city skyline visible through large windows behind them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio012-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio012")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio012](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio012.jpg) 

[View More Lifestyle Work          ](/lifestyle/)

  ![Close-up portrait of a man in an olive-green military uniform and hat, standing behind a barbed-wire fence with a serious expression.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_001-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_001")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_001.jpg) 

 ![Dark, low-light portrait with a partially visible face peering from the left; a blurred figure with red straps dominates the foreground.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_002-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_002")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_002.jpg) 

 ![Primate peering through a rusted cage bar with shattered glass around a broken window; eyes focused forward.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_003-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_003")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_003.jpg) 

 ![A man with gray hair and a beard stands beside large, dark marble blocks in an industrial workshop, with lifting straps and pulleys overhead.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_004-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_004")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_004.jpg) 

 ![Man in a suit with arms crossed standing in front of a row of beige apartment buildings, framed by blurred foreground elements.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_006-600x400.jpg "Billionaires Issue Vietnam Pham Nhat Vuong")

 [Billionaires Issue Vietnam Pham Nhat Vuong](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_006.jpg) 

 ![Group of professionals in business attire posing for a team photo in a modern office lobby with stone wall and glass railings.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_007-1-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_007")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_007-1.jpg) 

 ![Mother in an orange jacket cradles a baby while standing with a young boy in a cluttered shelter interior filled with blankets and hanging clothes.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_008-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_008")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_008.jpg) 

 ![Mother in a plaid shirt cradling her baby in a dimly lit room, warm light on their faces.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_009-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_009")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_009.jpg) 

 ![A shirtless man in a plaid lungi stands on a dirt path between tall green plants, with a woman in a blue patterned headscarf beside him.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_010-600x400.jpg "Bangladesh Factories Justin Mott")

 [Bangladesh Factories Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_010.jpg) 

 ![Old woman in a green jacket leaning on a wooden walking stick outside a weathered door. It conveys a rural, elderly figure at a rustic home.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_011-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_011")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_011.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a light blue blouse and colorful hijab stands centered against a two-tone red wall with peeling white patches in the foreground border area.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_012-1-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_012")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_012](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_012-1.jpg) 

 ![Man in a dark suit and red striped tie leaning against a weathered green door in a narrow alley, holding a cigarette.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_013-600x400.jpg "Special Edition TIMETet Holiday Vietnam")

 [Special Edition TIMETet Holiday Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_013.jpg) 

[View More Portrait Work          ](/portraits/)

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  [ ![A northern white rhino's eye in close-up, in black and white.](/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/WanderAlone_Home_001.jpg)    ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90UKh8lP4p8)Featured Documentary

## Wander Alone

Najin and Fatu are the last two northern white rhinos on Earth. Filmed in black and white over several weeks at Kenya's Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Wander Alone sits with them in the silence Sudan left behind.

A film by Justin Mott & Joey Bania

 [Watch the Film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90UKh8lP4p8)

---

### [Press](https://justinmott.com/press/)

**Published:** June 23, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

Selected coverage

## Justin Mott Press

Justin Mott press coverage includes interviews, features, television appearances and photography stories from outlets including BBC, National Geographic, Leica, The Washington Post and more. Explore selected coverage of his documentary photography, conservation work, commercial assignments and AskMott photography education.

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 ### Featured Media Coverage

- [ National GeographicFeature & interview Vietnam, from north to south National Geographic featured Justin's personal project capturing Vietnam end to end, and interviewed him about the work behind it. ↗ ](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/photography-above-below-aerial-drone-tourism)
- [ BBCFeature A decade of a changing Vietnam The BBC ran a retrospective of Justin's assignment work, tracing an emerging economy's transformation over ten years. ↗ ](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23501763)
- [ LeicaCampaign & interview The Leica Witness campaign Interviewed and featured in Leica's global Witness campaign for his story on the last two northern white rhinos. ↗ ](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/blog/justin-mott-love-world-deserve-witnesses)
- [ NBC New YorkBroadcast feature The last two northern white rhinos NBC New York featured Justin's work documenting the last two northern white rhinos before extinction. ↗ ](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/photographer-justin-mott-captures-soon-to-be-extinct-white-rhinos/1633550/)
- [ HasselbladInterview Looking back to go forwards A career interview with Hasselblad on the projects and decisions that shaped Justin's work. ↗ ](https://www.hasselblad.com/inspiration/stories/justin-mott-looking-back-to-go-forwards/)
- [ TEDTalk The power of a personal project Justin's talk on why personal projects matter and how they push a photographer's strongest work. ↗ ](https://www.ted.com/talks/justin_mott_the_power_of_a_personal_project)
- [ Nieman Reports, HarvardPhoto essay Third-generation victims of Agent Orange A personal project published by Harvard's Nieman Reports on ethical documentary photography and the lasting toll of Agent Orange. ↗ ](https://niemanreports.org/a-personal-project-third-generation-victims-of-agent-orange/)
- [ The Washington PostPhoto essay No man's land: the northern white rhino The Washington Post published Justin's photo essay on the plight of the northern white rhino. ↗ ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2019/07/08/no-mans-land-plight-northern-white-rhino/)

 ### More press & appearances

- [ Vietnam National TVBroadcast A photographer's life in Vietnam A national television profile on Justin's career photographing from his base in Vietnam. ↗ ](https://youtu.be/ULfSoycAURE)
- [ Amateur PhotographerInterview Lessons from a working pro An interview in Amateur Photographer on the craft and business of professional photography. ↗ ](https://amateurphotographer.com/technique/expert_advice/justin-mott-professional-photographer-tips/)
- [ We AnimalsInterview On wildlife and conservation An interview with We Animals about Justin's wildlife and conservation photography. ↗ ](https://weanimals.org/2021/07/16/interview-with-photojournalist-justin-mott/)
- [ My Modern MetFeature Documenting the northern white rhino My Modern Met featured Justin's northern white rhino conservation series. ↗ ](https://mymodernmet.com/justin-mott-northern-white-rhino-conservation/)
- [ FstoppersFeature Inside a New York Times cover story Fstoppers on how Justin's New York Times cover story captured the human cost of cheap fashion. ↗ ](https://fstoppers.com/photojournalistic/how-new-york-times-cover-story-captured-human-cost-cheap-fashion-713316)
- [ Helping RhinosAmbassador Ambassador for Helping Rhinos Named an ambassador for Helping Rhinos in support of global rhino conservation. ↗ ](https://helpingrhinos.org/team/justin-mott/)
- [ PrintiqueInterview Lens and Soul Printique profiled Justin's 20-year career and the way he brings his personal work to print. ↗ ](https://www.printique.com/blog/just-mott/)
- [ History ChannelHost & producer Photo Face-Off Host and producer of Photo Face-Off, the History Channel's photography competition series. ↗ ](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12293876/)
- [ PetaPixelFeature Behind a New York Times assignment PetaPixel goes behind the scenes of a Justin Mott travel assignment for the New York Times. ↗ ](https://petapixel.com/2019/03/21/behind-the-scenes-of-a-travel-assignment-for-the-new-york-times/)
- [ NikonScholarship Nikon Emerging Professional Scholarship Selected for the Nikon Emerging Professional Scholarship at the Missouri Photo Workshop. ↗ ](https://mophotoworkshop.org/59/scholarships/)

# Published Work & Tear Sheets

A selection of Justin Mott’s published editorial work over the past 20 years. The tearsheets below cover the major outlets that have run his images on assignment and as features.

For specific case studies with brief, work, and outcome, see [assignments and case studies](https://justinmott.com/assignments-case-studies/).

  ![Forbes Asia-Pacific cover image showing a suited man standing with arms crossed in front of a row of beige apartment buildings, framed by blurred foreground leaves, with the headline 'THE RISE OF SAIGON' visible.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_002-scaled-600x400.jpg "Mott Visuals Tearsheets_002")

 [Mott Visuals Tearsheets\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_002-scaled.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a red jacket crouches to sow seeds in a nursery garden, arranging soil on raised beds.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.22.36-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.22.36 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.22.36 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.22.36-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Hikers and locals seated on a hillside overlooking a valley, illustrating WWF’s biodiversity conservation project in central Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.21.52-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.21.52 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.21.52 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.21.52-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Ranger in green uniform resting beside a dead northern white rhino on a dry savannah, with stormy clouds overhead.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tearsheets-Kindred-Guardians-Wildlife-photojournalist-justin-mott_007-600x400.jpg "Tearsheets Kindred Guardians Wildlife photojournalist justin mott_007")

 [Tearsheets Kindred Guardians Wildlife photojournalist justin mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tearsheets-Kindred-Guardians-Wildlife-photojournalist-justin-mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Two-page Washington Post Health & Science spread; left page shows a sloth peering from a dark vent beside the headline 'Saving sloths from rapid urbanization', right page features a collage of sloth photos and people caring for a sloth indoors.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tearsheets-Kindred-Guardians-Wildlife-photojournalist-justin-mott_018-600x400.jpg "Tearsheets Kindred Guardians Wildlife photojournalist justin mott_018")

 [Tearsheets Kindred Guardians Wildlife photojournalist justin mott\_018](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Tearsheets-Kindred-Guardians-Wildlife-photojournalist-justin-mott_018.jpg) 

 ![Ruined sandstone temple walls of Banteay Srei in Cambodia, with intricate carvings and weathered brickwork.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.56.21-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.56.21 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.56.21 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.56.21-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Tenth-century Banteay Srei temple ruins at Angkor, with intricately carved sandstone structures.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.55.28-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.55.28 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.55.28 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.55.28-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Dusty parchment with dark soil, a black hand silhouette, and green stamp marks, from an archaeology article.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.59.01-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.59.01 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.59.01 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.59.01-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Scientist with a radiant sunburst light exploding behind his head in a dark background](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.49-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.49 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.49 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.49-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Cave explorer with headlamp climbs through a dark, rocky cave interior under spotlighted walls](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.27-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.27 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.27 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.27-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Person sitting atop a large elephant as they walk through a forest at dusk, with silhouetted trees against a purple sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.16-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.16 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.16 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.16-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Adult elephant and calf walking on dirt ground under trees with a wooden shelter in the background, in a wildlife research setting.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.03-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.03 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.58.03 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.58.03-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Elephant in the foreground beside a wooden house, with a man and a child standing in a doorway in a rural scene (Myanmar).](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.57.47-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.57.47 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.57.47 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.57.47-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Elephant in shallow water at sunrise with a person riding on its back, near a forested riverbank in warm early light (Smithsonian article image).](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.57.28-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.57.28 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.57.28 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.57.28-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Man with a khaki shirt rests his head against the side of an Asian elephant in a natural setting, showing a close moment of study or bonding as part of field research.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.57.13-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.57.13 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 6.57.13 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-6.57.13-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Left panel: minimalist magazine typography reading 'AN HOMAGE TO JAPAN' with a small black-and-white portrait at the bottom left side.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-8.54.14-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 8.54.14 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 8.54.14 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-8.54.14-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Advertisement hero image: a man in a black shirt sits among large marble stone tables, with bold white text reading 'THE KING OF THE STONE AGE' in the foreground.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_6149-600x400.jpg "IMG_6149")

 [IMG\_6149](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IMG_6149.jpg) 

 ![Three elderly men sit at a glass-topped street-side café table; one man concentrates on a smartphone while others chat in a busy urban setting.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.42.04-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.42.04 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.42.04 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.42.04-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Cafe scene in Ho Chi Minh City with blue storefront gates and locals dining outside, pedestrians and motorbikes in motion.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.41.50-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.41.50 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 10.41.50 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.41.50-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Double-page NYT spread on Myanmar: left page shows young monks with bowls near an old ruin; right page shows monks in pink robes near a gold temple courtyard.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_017-scaled-600x400.jpg "untitled")

 [untitled](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_017-scaled.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a maroon dress walks along a wooden dock toward ancient pagodas across a lily-filled lake in Myanmar.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_016-scaled-600x400.jpg "untitled")

 [untitled](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_016-scaled.jpg) 

 ![Montage from a NYT travel feature on Myanmar: monks dining, a lone boy monk in a temple corridor, and additional Myanmar photos.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_015-scaled-600x400.jpg "untitled")

 [untitled](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_015-scaled.jpg) 

 ![Photo of ancient Buddhist temple ruins with a carved brick façade and a blue cart pulled by horses on a dirt road nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_014-scaled-600x400.jpg "Mott Visuals Tearsheets_014")

 [Mott Visuals Tearsheets\_014](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_014-scaled.jpg) 

 ![Buddhist monk meditating at sunrise on a rocky seashore in Phu Quoc, with waves crashing nearby](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.52.21-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.52.21 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.52.21 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.52.21-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Gallery header showing three photos: aerial winding mountain road on the left, a man and child on a motorcycle in the center, and a palm oil promotional poster on the right; page text follows.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.52.00-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.52.00 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.52.00 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.52.00-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Dramatic mountain valley with a winding river, used as National Geographic Travel hero image about Vietnam from above and below.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.51.44-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.51.44 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.51.44 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.51.44-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Side-by-side collage of two chocolates: left a blue-wrapped Marou bar, right a square chocolate with an M logo in gold foil.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-8.00.14-AM-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 8.00.14 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 8.00.14 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-8.00.14-AM.png) 

 ![Factory worker wearing an orange apron and mask stands in front of stacked colorful burlap sacks and bags at a warehouse.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-8.00.01-AM-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 8.00.01 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 8.00.01 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-8.00.01-AM.png) 

 ![Two men tasting chocolate outdoors beside a grid of brightly colored cacao pods to the right.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.59.54-AM-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.59.54 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 7.59.54 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-7.59.54-AM.png) 

 ![Close-up of a gorilla peering through a wooden-bar cage, surrounded by shattered glass.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-9.06.07-AM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 9.06.07 AM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-26 at 9.06.07 AM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-9.06.07-AM-scaled.png) 

 ![Man in a green uniform rests beside a large sleeping elephant in a savanna, with Leica branding on the right.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-4.09.38-PM-scaled-600x400.png "Screenshot 2026-06-09 at 4.09.38 PM")

 [Screenshot 2026-06-09 at 4.09.38 PM](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-09-at-4.09.38-PM-scaled.png) 

 ![Cover of Condé Nast Traveler magazine featuring a sea view from a deck, with a red curved chair in the foreground and bold 'Traveler' typography across the center of the image.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_003-scaled-600x400.jpg "Mott Visuals Tearsheets_003")

 [Mott Visuals Tearsheets\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Mott-Visuals-Tearsheets_003-scaled.jpg) 

## Brand and campaign credits

Beyond editorial, his work has been licensed and commissioned by a range of regional hospitality, fashion, tech, and travel brands through [Mott Visuals](https://mottvisuals.com).

For biography, contact details, and selected publications, visit [About Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/about/ "About").

---

### [Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/vietnam/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

FINE ART DIPTYCHS, VIETNAM

# As Above, So Below: A Vietnam Photography Project

A personal Vietnam photography project by Justin Mott, pairing aerial and ground-level frames from the country that has been his home since 2006.

  ![Person wearing a straw conical hat walks between neatly trimmed tea bushes on a misty plantation.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_002-600x400.jpg "A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.")

 [A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_002.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of green tea plantations with curved rows on a misty hillside.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_001-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_001")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_001.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person in profile facing left, overlooking misty mountains and pale blue sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_016-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_016")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_016](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_016.jpg) 

 ![Misty mountain range at dawn with sunbeams breaking through clouds over dark peaks](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_013-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_013")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_013](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_013.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Man and child ride a motorbike piled with leafy branches, in a rural valley setting.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal022-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal022")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal022.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of a winding white road cutting through dense green hillside vegetation.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_011-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_011")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_011.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Person sitting on a jagged rock outcrop with a bundle of bamboo wind instruments on their back, overlooking misty mountains at sunset/sunrise.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_014-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_014")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_014](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_014.jpg) 

 ![Sunbeams break through the clouds onto a deep green valley with a winding river between rugged mountains.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_015-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_015")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_015](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_015.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of two hands resting on a dark, orange-and-black textured surface with a rough, patterned pattern (rusty or volcanic-looking).](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_006-1-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_006")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_006-1.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Aerial view of colorful crop beds: yellow section on the left and orange on the right, with a person wearing a wide-brimmed hat walking along the boundary between them](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_005-1-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_005")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_005-1.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Hand holding a black sea urchin with long, spiky spines over clear turquoise water](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_004-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_004")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_004.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of a coral reef with two swimmers in clear turquoise water.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_003-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_003")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_003.jpg) 

 ![Person wearing a yellow cloak walking on rocky shoreline at sunset by the ocean](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_022-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_022")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_022.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Aerial view of a person in an orange jacket standing on jagged rocks as waves crash around them at the shoreline](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_021-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_021")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_021](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_021.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Young man in a patterned shirt stands between tall wooden posts wrapped with thick rope, looking at the camera.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_010-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_010")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_010.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Aerial view of greenish shallow water with a zigzag wooden breakwater and a small red boat near the bottom-right.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_009-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_009")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_009.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Women in colorful outfits bending forward to play volleyball in an open field, with a net on the right and mountains in the distance.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_026-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_026")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_026](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_026.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Aerial view of terraced rice paddies with workers walking along narrow grassy paths and wooden fences.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_025-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_025")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_025](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_025.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Close-up side profile of a woman wearing hoop earrings and a silver chain necklace, outdoors in a field; hair tied back.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_020-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_020")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_020](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_020.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Aerial view of a tea plantation with curved rows of green bushes and a person in red with a pink umbrella at the bottom center.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_019-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_019")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_019](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_019.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Shellfish displayed in bowls along a counter inside a dusty market stall, with a foggy window and a menu board on the wall behind.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_030-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_030")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_030](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_030.JPG "#image_title") 

 ![Cable car gliding along cables over a foggy, forested mountain slope.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_031-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_031")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_031](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_031.JPG "#image_title") 

 ## A love letter to Vietnam

I arrived in Hanoi in 2006 for a personal project on the victims of Agent Orange, and I never left. This Vietnam photography project grew from the years that followed, as Vietnam became my home and the place that shaped how I see and tell stories. Over the years my work here has run in The New York Times, National Geographic, the BBC, CNN, TIME, and The Guardian.

As Above So Below is my way of giving something back.

## Aerial and ground, paired

The project photographs each place twice: once from above, once from the ground. Set side by side as diptychs, the two frames hold portrait, fine art, and documentary work in a single view and show the country from two heights at once. I am shooting it across Vietnam's best-known destinations and its quieter corners.

## A gift, free to use

Rather than lock these images away, I am making the full collection free for personal and commercial use, a gift to Vietnam and its people. The work will travel as an exhibition and become a photography book. Prints are also available through my online store.

[Purchase prints](https://jmott78hotmailcom.pic-time.com/art/justinmottcollectedworks)

Featured in: National Geographic, Hasselblad, VnExpress, Saigoneer, Mekong Review

---

### [Contact](https://justinmott.com/contact/)

**Published:** June 11, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

# Contact Justin Mott

Looking to hire a photographer? Contact Justin Mott for editorial assignments, commercial campaigns, portrait commissions, and documentary photography projects. Based in Hanoi and available for assignments worldwide.

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---

### [Personal Projects](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

# Documentary Photography Projects

Justin Mott’s documentary photography projects bring together his personal, conservation, and long-form storytelling work. Most are self-assigned, photographed over months or years, and reported by staying with the people and animals at the center of each story.

Conservation work is the personal thread that runs through Justin’s career. It also informs how he handles editorial assignments. The long-form documentary discipline (time on the ground, trust with subjects, willingness to sit in difficult conditions) is the same discipline that translates to harder editorial briefs.

The work below follows rescue, rehabilitation, and the people working to protect life, human and animal.

###### OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY, KENYA

## The Plight of the Northern White Rhino

The last two northern white rhinos on earth, a mother and daughter, under 24-hour armed guard. A close look at the animals and the rangers who won’t let the subspecies vanish.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/northern-white-rhinos/)

 [ ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JustinMott_Portfolio_001.jpg) ](/personal-projects/northern-white-rhinos/) 

######  SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST, KENYA 

## Orphaned elephants

Inside the Nairobi nursery where keepers raise orphaned elephants by hand, bottle-feeding them and sleeping in their stalls to stand in for the family they lost.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/orphaned-elephants/)

 [ ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Shedrick-Trust_Justin-Mott_Kindred-Guardians_018.jpg) ](/personal-projects/orphaned-elephants/) 

######  FINE ART DIPTYCHS, VIETNAM 

## As above, so below

Aerial and ground views paired as diptychs, a personal tribute to the country Mott has called home since 2006. He is giving the full collection to Vietnam, free for anyone to use.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/vietnam/)

 [ ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JustinMott_Portfolio_011.jpg) ](/personal-projects/vietnam/) 

######  TWO DECADES ON ASSIGNMENT 

## Vietnam retrospective

More than 100 assignments across Vietnam for The New York Times and other publications, drawn together after two decades in the country. Later featured by the BBC.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/vietnam-retrospective/)

 [ ![Night street market in heavy rain; a vendor with a conical hat pushes a cart under a beige umbrella while the wet street reflects lights at night.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VietnamRetrospective_022.webp) ](/personal-projects/vietnam-retrospective/) 

######  HUMANITARIAN, VIETNAM 

## The legacy of Agent Orange

The children and grandchildren still living with the effects of Agent Orange, decades after the war. At its center is Nu, a young woman Mott has visited every year since 2007.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/agent-orange/)

 [ ![Black-and-white photo of many children lying side by side in a trough, mouths open as caregivers feed them with spoons from above.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VietnamAgentOrange12copy.webp) ](/personal-projects/agent-orange/) 

######  WILDLIFE REHABILITATION, VIETNAM 

## Pangolin rescue

The most trafficked mammal on earth, poached for its scales and meat. This follows the work of pulling pangolins out of the illegal trade and returning them, when possible, to the wild.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/pangolin-rescue/)

 [ ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_038.jpg) ](/personal-projects/pangolin-rescue/) 

######  GREEN HERITAGE FUND, SURINAME 

## The sloth lady of Suriname

Monique Pool, the CNN Hero known as the sloth lady, has rescued more than 1,000 sloths since 2005. This follows her rescue and release work, including the mass evacuation she calls Slothageddon.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/sloth-rescue/)

 [ ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_001.jpg) ](/personal-projects/sloth-rescue/) 

######  SOI DOG FOUNDATION, THAILAND 

## Street dog rescue

A sanctuary in Phuket operated by the [Soi Dog Foundation](https://www.soidog.org/), home to hundreds of rescued dogs and cats pulled from the streets and the meat trade, then treated, rehabilitated, and prepared for adoption in Thailand and around the world.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/soi-dog-foundation/)

 [ ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_002.jpg) ](/personal-projects/soi-dog-foundation/) 

######  WILDLIFE REHABILITATION, MALAYSIA 

## Gibbon sanctuary

Gibbons taken young for the illegal pet trade, often after poachers killed their mothers, relearn how to be wild. The sanctuary rehabilitates them and returns those it can to the forest.

[View the full story](/personal-projects/gibbon-santuary/)

 [ ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_051.jpg) ](/personal-projects/gibbon-santuary/) 

### Plan an Assignment with Justin

For new editorial or commercial assignments, start with a [contact form](https://justinmott.com/contact/ "Contact") covering project type, location, dates, brief, and budget range. Justin replies within 24 hours on business days.

---

### [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/pangolin-rescue/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

SAVE VIETNAM'S WILDLIFE, NINH BINH

# Pangolin Rescue in Vietnam

Justin Mott follows the team at Save Vietnam’s Wildlife in Ninh Binh as they pull trafficked pangolins out of the illegal trade and return them to the wild.

  ![Eight species of pangolins are found on two continents. They range from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_038-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_038.jpg) 

 ![Save Vietnam’s Wildlife is a non-profit organization located in Ninh Binh, Vietnam. 

Their pangolin rescue and rehabilitation program works on rescuing pangolins from the illegal wildlife trade and rehabilitating them back into the wild.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_001-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_001.jpg) 

 ![Head veterinarian Thuy Hoang, 29, puts an injured pangolin under anesthesia while she operates on his injured tail.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_030-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_030.jpg) 

 ![Person in green work clothes with a headlamp holding a small crocodile in a dim outdoor alley.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_549-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_549.jpg) 

 ![A small road leading to SVW office in Cuc Phuong national park Ninh Binh, Vietnam.
In addition to pangolins, SVW also works with civets, river otters, and binturong(bearcats).](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_040-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_040.jpg) 

 ![A radio transmitter is attached to a rescued pangolin who will soon be released into a national park and have its movements tracked.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_037-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_037.jpg) 

 ![Head pangolin keeper Tran Van Truong, 27, checks on the heat lamps and collects camera traps from the quarantined  area of the center during the day while the pangolin sleep.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_036-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_036.jpg) 

 ![Pangolins are solitary, shy and temperamental, and prone to dying during captivity for reasons unknown.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_022-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_022.jpg) 

 ![Empty wooden boxes use to house and transport pangolins.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_035-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_035.jpg) 

 ![Dinh Van Tham, 61 years-old, pangolin keeper, makes his nightly rounds to check on the pangolins.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_023-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_023.jpg) 

 ![Pangolin keeper Dinh Van Tham, 61 years-old,  feeds the pangolins a diet of mainly ant larvae.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_021-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_021.jpg) 

 ![A startled pangolin will cover its head with its front legs turning itself into a small ball of armor making it hard to penetrate to potential predators.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_034-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_034.jpg) 

 ![The average lifespan of pangolin is unknown and their average size ranges from 45 inches to 4.5 feet long and can weigh anywhere between 4 and 72 pounds.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_020-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_020.jpg) 

 ![Head pangolin keeper Tran Van Truong, 27, reviews footage from a camera trap of a pangolin and her two-week old baby. 

Pangolins are nocturnal so they must be viewed in the evenings and due to their fragility camera traps are used to monitor their behavior.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_018-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_018.jpg) 

 ![M 1494 was found dead underneath the ground from unknown causes, she was approximately 5 years-old cutting their captive Chinese pangolin population from 8 to 7.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_009-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_009.jpg) 

 ![Both species are considered critically endangered by The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to the substantial amount of illegal trade in pangolin products over the last two decades. Although population figures are difficult to quantify it is believed that these species have had a decline of 80-90% in the last three decades.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_008-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_008.jpg) 

 ![An injured pangolin receives anesthesia during surgery at SVW veterinarian hospital.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_031-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_031.jpg) 

 ![A sick quarantined pangolin is taken out for a medical check-up.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_026-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_026.jpg) 

 ![A portrait of pangolin caretaker Dinh Van Tham, 61, in the pangolin quarantine area of their rehabilitation center.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_025-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_025.jpg) 

 ![In the evenings the keepers check to see if the pangolins are eating, track their movements, and check on their overall behavior to make sure they are on in good health.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_024-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_024.jpg) 

 ![When rescued pangolins arrive at the center they are quarantined for 3 weeks to a month having their health checked out thoroughly and then they are released back into the wild into national parks.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_019-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_019.jpg) 

 ![The word Pangolin comes from ‘penggulung,’ the Malay word for roller – the action a pangolin takes in self-defense. If touched or grabbed it will roll up completely into a ball, while the sharp scales on the tail can be used to lash out.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_033-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_033.jpg) 

 ![SVW works with the government’s confiscation authorities, providing practical training in best practices and to give emergency care to the rescued wildlife they receive.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_032-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_032.jpg) 

 ![Head pangolin keeper Tran Van Truong, 27, carries an injured pangolin to the veterinarian 
to have his bandage changed. 

The pangolin had to have a portion of his tail amputated due to injuries suffered while being transported in the illegal wildlife trade.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_027-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_027.jpg) 

 ![The staff at SVW holds an emergency meeting after the death of a recent Chinese pangolin for unknown causes.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_017-600x400.jpg "Pangolin Rescue")

 [Pangolin Rescue](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_017.jpg) 

 ![Viet Nam is home to two species of pangolin, the Sunda pangolin (Manid javanica) and the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla). The Sunda pangolin inhabits in the South of Viet Nam while the Chinese pangolin in the North. Both species are generally found in forested areas and are secretive in nature making it difficult to study population trends. 

SVW currently has 30 Sunda pangolins and 7 Chinese pangolins at their center.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_003-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_003.jpg) 

 ![A rescued and rehabilitated pangolin is tagged and then transported to the airport in Hanoi where he will be flown to Ho Chi Minh City and then released into a nearby national park.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_039-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_039.jpg) 

 ![A sick pangolin receives fluids and has a medical check-up.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_029-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_029.jpg) 

 ![A quarantined pangolin is returned to her holding area after a health check up.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_028-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_028.jpg) 

 ![A logbook for documenting deceased pangolins in the veterinarian offices of SVW.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_016-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_016.jpg) 

 ![A deceased pangolin is placed in a freezer until local officials from the the wildlife department can visit to authorize and document burning their bodies.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_015-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_015.jpg) 

 ![SVW veterinarian, Le Thi Hoai, 25, performs an autopsy on a recently deceased pangolin. 
In the past month an alarming 3 pangolins have died from unknown causes so the head veterinarian collects a sample to be sent to a lab in Australia for analysis.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_014-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_014.jpg) 

 ![Pangolins are hunted in Viet Nam for the domestic and international trade of pangolin products, however Viet Nam is also a transit route for pangolins imported from throughout Asia and Africa to be re-exported to countries such as China.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_011-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_011.jpg) 

 ![Pangolins are primarily hunted for their use in the bushmeat trade and for traditional medicine purposes. In traditional medicine, pangolin scales is used to be considered as being able to treat skin conditions, low blood pressure, or failure to stimulate milk secretion in lactating women and cancer. Pangolin meat is generally consumed as a sign of affluence with the price per kilogram extremely high.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_010-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_010.jpg) 

 ![Dinh Van Tham, 61 years-old, pangolin keeper at SVW prepares his keys to check on the pangolins during his evening shift.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_002-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_002.jpg) 

 ![Pangolins are extremely fragile mammals and they often die in captivity of unknown causes.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_013-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_013.jpg) 

 ![SVW veterinarian, Le Thi Hoai, 25, carries a deceased Chinese pangolin to her laboratory to study the cause of death.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_012-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_012.jpg) 

 ![Pangolin keeper Dinh Van Tham, 61 years-old, logs information about the center’s 37 rescued pangolins after his nightly rounds.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_007-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_007.jpg) 

 ![Pangolins are largely covered in scales made of keratin-the same material found in human fingernails.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_005-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_005.jpg) 

 ![Dinh Van Tham, 61 years-old,  checks the health of a quarantined pangolin in the late hours of the evening.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_004-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pangolin-Resuce-Center_Vietnam_004.jpg) 

 ![Pangolins are similar in appearance to anteaters, hence their nickname “scaly anteaters”  and have long snouts and even longer tongues.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_053-600x400.jpg "Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott")

 [Vietnam wildlife photojournalist justin mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_053.jpg) 

 ## The world's most trafficked mammal

No animal is trafficked more than the pangolin. It is hunted for its scales, sold into traditional medicine, and killed for its meat. Of the eight species, three are critically endangered, three are endangered, and two are vulnerable. Vietnam sits at the centre of both the trade and the fight against it.

## Pangolin Rescue with Save Vietnam’s Wildlife

This chapter of Kindred Guardians follows [Save Vietnam’s Wildlife](https://svw.vn/), a rescue and rehabilitation organization in Ninh Binh. The team has rescued more than 1,300 pangolins and returned over 60 percent of them to the wild, flying recovered animals to the Ho Chi Minh City and releasing them into Cat Tien National Park.

Confiscated pangolins arrive stressed and often sick. Shy and nocturnal, they are notoriously hard to keep alive in captivity, which is what makes every successful release matter.

## Why it matters

Rescue alone will not save the species. It needs a change in the culture that treats pangolins as medicine and as food. Photographing them was its own problem: "Pangolins weren't hard for speed," I said at the time, "but they're just hard for light."

This story is part of my ongoing, self-funded Kindred Guardians project. See more of my long-term documentary work in [Personal Projects](/personal-projects/).

Featured in: The Washington Post

---

### [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/soi-dog-foundation/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

SOI DOG FOUNDATION, THAILAND

# Street dog rescue at Thailand's Soi Dog Foundation

Outside Phuket, Justin Mott documents Soi Dog Foundation Thailand, where rescued dogs and cats are pulled from the streets and meat trade, then healed and rehomed around the world.

  ![An abandoned puppy found on the streets of Phuket is brought into the foundation in sterilization by a vacationing German couple.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_002-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_002.jpg) 

 ![Caretaker Win Zaw 37, pets one of the dogs he looks after at the Soi Dog Foundation.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_033-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_033.jpg) 

 ![Soi Dog responds to numerous calls and emails daily. Emergencies such as road traffic accidents, poisonings, serious wounds and cruelty cases receive priority and are picked up as soon as possible.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_003-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_003.jpg) 

 ![Curtis Brown enters the kennel to take one of the dogs out for behavior training. In all his years working with troubled and distressed dogs, Brown says he’s only been bitten once.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_031-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_031.jpg) 

 ![Win Zaw 37,  has worked at Soi Dog since 2016 and his job as a caretakers is to look after the dog’s well-being. He has an extreme passion for his job and every time he enters the shelter, the dogs shower him with love.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_032-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_032.jpg) 

 ![Curtis Brown, Behaviour and Enrichment Manager at Soi Dog check on a group of blind dogs in their kennel.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_027-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_027.jpg) 

 ![Brown visits one of the most troubled dogs in the recovery area of the hospital just to give him some nurture. The dogs barked ferociously at people passing by but when Brown entered the kennel the dog waged his tail and licked his hand. 

Brown states that he found his calling caring for dogs at a troubled time in his life and now couldn’t see doing any other line of work.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_026-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_026.jpg) 

 ![Using a fake hand, Brown tests how a dog will react to being touched while he is eating his food.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_024-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_024.jpg) 

 ![Aiw Wongla, 26, and her assistant Marlen Krieger train with  Madahva(right) receiving laser treatment and Coachella (left) on the treadmill recovering from hip surgery.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_018-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_018.jpg) 

 ![A small dog recovers in the intensive care unit of the hospital.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_009-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_009.jpg) 

 ![Dogs eagerly await as vacationing volunteers arrive at the shelter to walk them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_035-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_035.jpg) 

 ![Curtis Brown visits dog in the recovery area of the hospital to give them so nurture and care. Here, Brown visit Coachella recovering from recent hip surgery.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_030-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_030.jpg) 

 ![Curtis Brown takes one the dogs he trains for behaviorial troubles out and encourage him to play and interact with him.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_025-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_025.jpg) 

 ![Aiw Wongla, 26, started working in the Physiotherapy department at Soi Dog in 2016. She read their mission statement and  was very impressed. She says “I didn’t know we have such an organization in Thailand. I always loved the street dogs in my hometown and already at a young age I started playing and caring for them.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_021-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_021.jpg) 

 ![Talking about the struggles of her job, Marlen says “If we work a long time with an animal but it simply won’t respond to the therapy due to other health reasons and we have no other chance to say goodbye to this animal. It breaks my heart every single time and even though we know it’s not our fault it sometimes feels like failure. And those animals are our friends. We build up such a strong relationship with them, they are not simply Street dogs/cats they truly are our friends.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_019-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_019.jpg) 

 ![Kamalo, receives hydrotherapy training with the physiotherapy unit. She was originally brought to the center after being found dumped in a construction site without use of her hind legs. She has gone through two leg surgeries and trains daily but has a long way to go for recovery.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_012-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_012.jpg) 

 ![ The foundation was founded in 2005 by British couple John and Gill Dalley. Gill passed away in 2017 from cancer but her spirit is still present at the foundation. A large statue of her sits next to their veterinarian hospital.  As of 2019 John remains fully involved in Soi Dog Foundation, honoring his commitment to Gill and the street dogs. ](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_036-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_036.jpg) 

 ![A German tourist hand feeds milk to a puppy he found abandoned at a temple in Phuket, Thailand. He brought the puppy to Soi Dog for sterilization.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_034-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_034.jpg) 

 ![Aiw Wongla, 26, applies laser acupuncture treatment on Madahva, a dog brought to the foundation after being found dumped in a construction site without use of her hind legs.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_020-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_020.jpg) 

 ![A dog suffering from severe a skin disease is treated in the veterinarian hospital.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_008-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_008.jpg) 

 ![Curtis Brown , Behaviour and Enrichment Manager at Soi Dog Foundation. Brown and his team look after the most troubled dogs, mostly resulting from human cruelty,  on a daily basis. He tests their behaviors, builds trust, and tries to prepare them for adoption.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_023-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_023.jpg) 

 ![Veterinarian nurse, Aiw Wongla, 26,  cuddles in the kennel of Madahva. Madahva was brought in by Soi Dog’s  community outreach program and couldn’t stand up or walk on her own due to neurological problems caused by distemper. 
Through the use a balance board to teach her body awareness  as well as some laser acupuncture treatment  she can now walk and even run.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_022-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_022.jpg) 

 ![Aiw Wongla(right), 26, and her assistant Marlen Krieger(left), 24, train in the hydrotherapy tank with Jacosta, a dog paralyzed in both hind legs.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_013-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_013.jpg) 

 ![Dogs have their medication distributed, bandages changed, and their general health check on in the intensive care unit.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_007-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_007.jpg) 

 ![Veterinarians clean the wound of a street dog before operating on him after he suffered a sever injury to his back thought to be inflicted by a machete.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_006-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_006.jpg) 

 ![Curtis Brown tests a dogs behavior while he hand feeds him snacks in his kennel.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_028-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_028.jpg) 

 ![When asked about what she would want people to know about street dogs, Aiw Wongla, 26, veterinarian nurse says  “all dogs need love and affection. If you see a street dog that seems aggressive, keep in mind that this dog most likely had horrible experiences with humans. You can still help that dog by feeding it every day, this is also a way of showing love.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_017-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_017.jpg) 

 ![Aiw Wongla(left), 26, and her assistant Marlen Krieger(right), 24, make up the physiotherapy unit at the Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket, Thailand. 
Daily they train with dogs doing hydrotherapy, massage, acupuncture, and laser treatment. They both state that helping a dog walk again is the rewarding part of their job.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_011-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_011.jpg) 

 ![Cards are assigned at each kennel of the recovery unit of the hospital to let the caretakers know of each dogs specific needs.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_010-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_010.jpg) 

 ![Veterinarians perform emergency surgery on a street dog brought in with large gaping wound thought to be inflicted by a person with a machete.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_005-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_005.jpg) 

 ![A street dog is brought into the vet hospital after suffering from a horrible wound to his body thought  to be inflicted by a human with a machete. The cut went all the way down to the spine but after emergency surgery he is thought to make a full physical recovery. He will also be treated by the behavior team for his emotional trauma.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_004-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_004.jpg) 

 ![Curtis Brown takes one of the dogs he trains on a daily basis through a series of behavioural tests.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_029-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_029.jpg) 

 ![Aiw Wongla, 26, encourages Fanumpa in using her wheelchair during their training session.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_016-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_016.jpg) 

 ![Marlen Krieger, 24, started as a volunteer and eventually joined the staff full-time in the physiotherapy department. Here she is scene training with Fanumpa, a street dog that came to Soi Dog at the age of 3 months paralyzed on both hind legs. Though training with the physiotherapy team he can now race around in his wheelchair.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_015-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_015.jpg) 

 ![Aiw Wongla(left), 26, and her assistant Marlen Krieger(right), 24, carry Fanumpa out to practice using her wheelchair.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_014-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_014.jpg) 

 ![The mission statement for the Soi Dog Foundation reads  “To improve the welfare of dogs and cats in Asia, resulting in better lives for both the animal and human communities, to create a society without homeless animals, and to ultimately end animal cruelty.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_001-600x400.jpg "Soi Dog Foundation")

 [Soi Dog Foundation](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Soi-Dog-Foundation_-Thailand_001.jpg) 

 ## Inside Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand

This chapter of Kindred Guardians follows the Soi Dog Foundation, tucked into a village near a rubber plantation outside Phuket, Thailand. John and Gill Dalley started it in 2003. Gill died in 2017, and a statue of her now stands beside the veterinary hospital; John still runs the mission they built together.

## Rescue, treat, rehome

Soi Dog is home to roughly 800 dogs and 200 cats. Many arrive hurt: struck by traffic, harmed by people, sick from neglect, or unable to walk without months of physiotherapy. A full-time team of veterinarians, physiotherapists, caretakers, and behaviourists gets them well enough to be adopted, in Thailand and abroad.

Every year the foundation carries out tens of thousands of sterilisations and vaccinations across Bangkok and the provinces, work that has all but ended the dog meat trade inside Thailand.

## A wider fight

The foundation still pushes to end the dog meat trade across Asia, from Vietnam to South Korea. Much of that work runs on volunteers, travellers who come to walk the dogs for a week and end up staying for good.

This story is part of my ongoing Kindred Guardians project.

---

### [Photography Assignments & Case Studies](https://justinmott.com/assignments-case-studies/)

**Published:** June 11, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

# Commercial Photography Assignments & Case Studies

Justin Mott’s photography assignments range from international editorial features and long-form documentary work to commercial photography assignments for global brands and organizations. These photography assignments and case studies showcase the brief, creative approach, and results from projects completed across Vietnam, Asia, and beyond.

For the full publication list and [tearsheets](/press/#tearsheets), see Justin’s [Press page](/press/). For the documentary projects that underpin much of this work, see the [personal projects](/personal-projects).

###### InterContinental Hotel Group

## The Solo Traveler, Japan

### Brief

IHG needed lifestyle imagery for InterContinental Beppu, built around the experience of traveling alone to one of Japan’s best-known hot spring towns.

### The work

Over five days in Beppu, Justin photographed a solo travel story following one model through the hotel, its amenities, and the surrounding onsen town, balancing luxury hospitality with a sense of personal discovery.

### Outcome

The shoot produced a narrative lifestyle image library for InterContinental Beppu, connecting the property to the surrounding hot spring town.

  ![Person in a robe stands at open glass doors, watching a sunset over hills and the sea from a modern bedroom.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_001")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Woman relaxing in an outdoor pool along a modern building, overlooking a coastal city and distant mountains at sunset.”] ,](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_002-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_002")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Back view of a person standing in a steaming blue pool, one arm raised above the water.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_003-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_003")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_003.jpg) 

 ![A woman in a white tank top sits cross‑legged in a grassy field, meditating with eyes closed under a canopy of trees.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_004")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![A craftsman in a blue robe sits in the dark, weaving long bamboo strips with his hands.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_005-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_005")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_005.jpg) 

 ![Row of empty wine glasses lined up on a wooden bar shelf with a gold geometric metal backdrop behind them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_006-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_006")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Looking up through tall green bamboo stalks toward the bright sky](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_007")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Orange woven ribbon sculpture laid on a speckled gray tiled floor, casting dramatic shadows.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_008")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of water streaming over a dark, curved surface with bright highlights against a black background (high-contrast image).](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_009-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_009")

 [InterContinental Beppu\_Japan\_Hotel\_Photography\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Beppu_Japan_Hotel_Photography_Justin_Mott_009.jpg) 

###### Nike

## Nike Sustainability, Vietnam

### Brief

Nike needed documentary photography for corporate responsibility storytelling around sustainability and worker wellbeing at one of its manufacturing facilities in Vietnam.

### The work

Over two days in Ho Chi Minh City, Justin photographed the people and programs behind the brand, from family support initiatives to workplace safety and labor practices inside the facility.

### Outcome

The assignment gave Nike a human, ground-level visual record of its responsibility programs in Vietnam, connecting corporate commitments to the workers and communities behind the product.

  ![Students in blue shirts eat from metal meal trays in a crowded cafeteria; foreground shows rice and curry dishes on trays while others dine in the background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_008")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Person wearing a surgical mask walks through a dim room, reaching for items on a shelf near a window.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_009-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_009")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_009.jpg) 

 ![Young woman with a red headband smiling as she looks out a train window at night.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_001")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a white uniform with a light blue cap and lanyard standing on a shaded outdoor path, looking ahead.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_002-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_002")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Profile view of a man in a blue shirt with a name badge standing with arms crossed at an outdoor event, with a crowd and buildings in the background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_003-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_003")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_003.jpg) 

 ![Two women push a wheeled cart stacked with many red-and-white shoe boxes along a paved outdoor path.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_004")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a blue uniform and pink headband cutting fabric with scissors at a workstation in a textile workshop with pink partitions behind her](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_005-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_005")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_005.jpg) 

 ![Woman with a lanyard stepping off a pink bus labeled 60P-2790, carrying a plastic bag.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_006")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Worker in a light blue cap looking down at a row of colorful thread cones on a textile production line, blurred foreground and background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Nike_Sustainability Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_007")

 [Nike\_Sustainability Iniciatives\_Vietnam\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Nike_Sustainability-Iniciatives_Vietnam_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

###### Leica

## Northern White Rhinos, Kenya

### Brief

Leica was building a [global brand campaign](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/blog/justin-mott-love-world-deserve-witnesses?srsltid=AfmBOor8JUDafcYXatOPSSPAwdTYA2Ar1rGW3gsgb79kQ8BlIbBNEm9U) around the idea that “the love of the world deserves witnesses.” They needed a story that carried the weight of the line.

### The work

Justin proposed his ongoing documentary on the last two northern white rhinos on Earth, Najin and Fatu, photographed at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The series was already underway as a personal project. Leica licensed the work for the global campaign.

### Outcome

The campaign ran internationally across Leica’s owned channels, point-of-sale, and partner press. Justin’s work and the campaign tag line have become associated with each other.

  ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_004-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_004.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_005-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_005.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010.jpg) 

 ![Man in a green hat stands beside a large white rhinoceros grazing in a grassy field at sunset.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006.jpg) 

 ![Najin, the elder of the two northern white rhinos, is looked after by one of the Kenya Wildlife Service Veterinary staff while undergoing anesthesia during the ovum pick up procedure on Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_009-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_009.jpg) 

###### National Geographic

## The Beauty of Vietnam

### Brief

After more than a decade living and working in Vietnam, Justin wanted to make a personal project that honored his adopted home and showed the country beyond the familiar travel routes.

### The work

He created *As Above So Below*, a photographic series pairing aerial views with ground-level images of Vietnam’s landscapes and people, from Ha Giang’s mountain passes to the coast of Phu Quoc. The project combined drone photography made under Justin’s direction with documentary images made on the ground.

### Outcome

The series was [published by National Geographic Travel](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/photography-above-below-aerial-drone-tourism) as a feature on Vietnam seen from above and below.

  ![Aerial view of green tea plantations with curved rows on a misty hillside.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_001-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_001")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_001.jpg) 

 ![Person wearing a straw conical hat walks between neatly trimmed tea bushes on a misty plantation.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_002-600x400.jpg "A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.")

 [A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_002.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of a coral reef with two swimmers in clear turquoise water.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_003-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_003")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_003.jpg) 

 ![Hand holding a black sea urchin with long, spiky spines over clear turquoise water](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_004-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_004")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_004.jpg) 

 ![Person sitting on a jagged rock outcrop with a bundle of bamboo wind instruments on their back, overlooking misty mountains at sunset/sunrise.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_014-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_014")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_014](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_014.jpg) 

 ![Sunbeams break through the clouds onto a deep green valley with a winding river between rugged mountains.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_015-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_015")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_015](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_015.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person in profile facing left, overlooking misty mountains and pale blue sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_016-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_016")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_016](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_016.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of a crowded outdoor market with colorful tarps over stalls and narrow walkways.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_017-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_017")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_017](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_017.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of terraced green fields with mist rolling over the terraces.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_029-600x400.jpg "As Above So Below_Print Resolution_029")

 [As Above So Below\_Print Resolution\_029](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/As-Above-So-Below_Print-Resolution_029.jpg) 

###### InterContinental Hotel Group

## The Flagship Resort, Vietnam

### Brief

IHG needed a global lifestyle campaign for its flagship InterContinental resort in Da Nang, capturing the property as a luxury coastal destination.

### The work

Over four days, Justin directed models and styled scenes across the resort, photographing the guest experience through interiors, amenities, and the surrounding coastal setting.

### Outcome

The campaign gave IHG a global image library for InterContinental Da Nang, presenting the resort through its architecture, service, dining, and coastal setting.

  ![Beach resort with white buildings on a green hillside at sunset, with a calm bay and a small boat on the water.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_001")

 [InterContinental Hotels\_Vietnam\_Danang\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Couple in a woven boat at sunset, with a boatman steering and resort buildings along a hillside behind them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_002-600x400.jpg "Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals 
www.mottvisuals.com")

 [Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Man in light shirt leaning on wooden railing beside a studio-style resort over a pond surrounded by lush hills and palm trees at sunset relief lighting](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_003-600x400.jpg "Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals 
www.mottvisuals.com")

 [Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_003.jpg) 

 ![Person standing on stone steps inside a traditional pavilion at sunset, sunburst behind them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_004")

 [InterContinental Hotels\_Vietnam\_Danang\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a white áo dài with a conical hat stands in the foreground as a hillside resort village and green mountains loom behind.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_006-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_006")

 [InterContinental Hotels\_Vietnam\_Danang\_Justin\_Mott\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Ornate red-cushioned sofa on a dark wooden deck facing a turquoise bay and green hills under a blue sky, framed by stone walls.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_007")

 [InterContinental Hotels\_Vietnam\_Danang\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Silhouetted passerby with a hat walking past an open seaside balcony, seen through dark decorative windows with a circular fountain in the foreground.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_008")

 [InterContinental Hotels\_Vietnam\_Danang\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Luxurious bedroom with a four-poster canopy bed draped in white, rich wooden beams, and a seating area with yellow cushions by a sunlit window.Outside view of greenery on a balcony.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_009-600x400.jpg "InterContinental Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_009")

 [InterContinental Hotels\_Vietnam\_Danang\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/InterContinental-Hotels_Vietnam_Danang_Justin_Mott_009.jpg) 

 ![Intercontinental Hotel Danang](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PHOTO-2026-07-18-21-41-26-600x400.jpg)

 [View image](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/PHOTO-2026-07-18-21-41-26.jpg) 

###### Restoration Hardware

## The Marble Artisan, Vietnam

### Brief

RH needed photography for its annual Source Book, documenting the craft behind hand-carved white Vietnamese marble pieces featured in the collection.

### The work

In Ho Chi Minh City, Justin photographed the workshop and portraits of craftsman Vivek Chaudhary, focusing on the people, tools, and handwork behind the finished marble pieces.

### Outcome

The shoot gave RH’s Source Book a human craft story, tracing the finished marble pieces back to the workshop, tools, and handwork behind them.

  ![Man with gray beard and glasses stands in a marble workshop beside a suspended cylindrical marble piece strapped with orange lifting slings.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_003-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_003")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_003.jpg) 

 ![Man with black-framed glasses peeking over a white railing, looking downward](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_004-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_004")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_004.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a weathered hand with dirt on fingers resting along a ribbed metal surface, like a grill or grate.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_005-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_005")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_005.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a hand holding a pencil and writing on a wooden panel beneath a table, beige sleeve visible](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_006-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_006")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_006.jpg) 

 ![Two Woodworkers in a workshop: a woman wearing a conical hat and mask marks wood while a man with gray hair and beard leans over a workbench to inspect a wooden panel.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_007-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_007")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_007.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a cracked gray rock exposing pale beige crystalline material inside the hollow.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_008-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_008")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_008.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a spinning grinding wheel with water spray splashing onto a metal surface, illustrating an industrial grinding process.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_009-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_009")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_009.jpg) 

 ![Man with gray hair and beard in a black shirt and glasses leans over a large circular stone slab, inspecting it in a workshop.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_010-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_010")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_010.jpg) 

 ![Man wearing a face mask polishes a white round surface with a power sander in a dusty workshop.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_011-600x400.jpg "Restoration Hardware_HCMC, Vietnam_011")

 [Restoration Hardware\_HCMC, Vietnam\_011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Restoration-Hardware_HCMC-Vietnam_011.jpg) 

###### WWF

## Vietnam’s Vanishing Forests

### Brief

WWF needed documentary photography for a landscape-scale conservation project in Central Vietnam, where forests and wetlands are under pressure from deforestation, biodiversity loss, climate vulnerability, and illegal wildlife trade.

### The work

Over ten days, Justin photographed WWF’s conservation work across the landscape, documenting forests, wildlife protection efforts, and the people working to protect biodiversity while supporting the communities who live alongside it.

### Outcome

[The photographs helped WWF tell the story of a conservation model](https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/funds/wwf-gef/projects/enhancing-biodiversity-conservation-and-reducing-climate-vulnerability-in-central-vietnam-for-sustainable-development-utilizing-a-landscape-approach/) built around nature, climate, and people, connecting Vietnam’s threatened forests to the fieldwork and communities shaping their future.

  ![Aerial view of rolling hills at sunrise with warm sun rays over a valley and winding roads.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_001-1-600x400.jpg "An aerial view of Ka Roong Aho village, A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam.")

 [An aerial view of Ka Roong Aho village, A Luoi, Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_001-1.jpg) 

 ![Group of soldiers in camouflage uniforms hiking through dense ferns in a tropical forest.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_002-600x400.jpg "WWF_Globa_Forest Programs_Justin_Mott_002")

 [WWF\_Globa\_Forest Programs\_Justin\_Mott\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Three people in green uniforms in a forest attach a data logger to a tree; one crouches placing a device on the trunk while others observe.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_003-1-600x400.jpg "WWF_Globa_Forest Programs_Justin_Mott_003")

 [WWF\_Globa\_Forest Programs\_Justin\_Mott\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_003-1.jpg) 

 ![Park ranger in a khaki uniform reaching toward a tree in a sunlit forest, smiling.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_004-1-600x400.jpg "WWF_Globa_Forest Programs_Justin_Mott_004")

 [WWF\_Globa\_Forest Programs\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_004-1.jpg) 

 ![Person in a dark green uniform crouches among dense garden greenery, inspecting foliage.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_005-1-600x400.jpg "WWF_Globa_Forest Programs_Justin_Mott_005")

 [WWF\_Globa\_Forest Programs\_Justin\_Mott\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_005-1.jpg) 

 ![Blue sign with a QR code attached to a tree trunk in a sunlit forest.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_006-1-600x400.jpg "WWF_Globa_Forest Programs_Justin_Mott_006")

 [WWF\_Globa\_Forest Programs\_Justin\_Mott\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_006-1.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of dense green forested mountains with a winding road cutting through the trees.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_007-1-600x400.jpg "Nature of Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh, Vietnam")

 [Nature of Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh, Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_007-1.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person climbing a chain-link fence against a bright sky, framed by tree branches above.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_008-1-600x400.jpg "Rescued gibbons at the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center in Soc Son, Hanoi, Vietnam.")

 [Rescued gibbons at the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center in Soc Son, Hanoi, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_008-1.jpg) 

 ![Tiger lying on the floor of a cage, bars in the foreground and staring toward the camera.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_009-1-600x400.jpg "WWF_Globa_Forest Programs_Justin_Mott_009")

 [WWF\_Globa\_Forest Programs\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_009-1.jpg) 

###### The New York Times

## The Golden Land, Myanmar

### Brief

The New York Times needed a travel story from Myanmar at a moment when the country was beginning to open to outside visitors.

### The work

Over seven days, Justin photographed across Myanmar, from the temple plains of Bagan to the streets, markets, and everyday life, shaping the country’s travel story.

### Outcome

The photographs ran as a [New York Times Travel feature](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/travel/visiting-myanmar-its-complicated.html) on Myanmar, pairing the country’s historic sites with the life of its streets and markets.

  ![Colorful laundry room with green walls and blue partitions; a purple curtain in the center shows a shadowy raised hand.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_001")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Silhouetted child facing a concrete wall, reaching toward a large shadow of a hand on the wall beside them in a sunlit outdoor scene.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_002-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_002")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Line of Buddhist monks in saffron robes standing barefoot in a line, each holding a metal alms bowl at sunrise in a dusty village yard.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_003-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_003")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_003.jpg) 

 ![Sunset over a landscape of silhouetted temples and trees, with a bright orange sky and glowing sun centered on the horizon.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_004")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![Two young Buddhist monks in red robes walk barefoot on a sunlit path, with dappled shadows around them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_005-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_005")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_005.jpg) 

 ![Child sits on a woven mat, looking into a small wooden mirror while a pink basin sits nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Myanmar Resorts")

 [Myanmar Resorts](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Reflection of a person in a red robe seen through a glass window, with colorful interior and outdoor reflections visible in the panes.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_007")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Monks in orange robes playing a ball game in a courtyard with a gold-roofed temple in the background](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_008")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Silhouetted person kneels in prayer inside a dim temple, warm candlelight reflecting off gold ritual objects to the right.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_009-600x400.jpg "Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_009")

 [Golden\_Land\_Myanmar\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Golden_Land_Myanmar_Justin_Mott_009.jpg) 

###### The New York Times

## Bean to Bar, Vietnam

### Brief

The New York Times Style Magazine was publishing a food story on Marou, the Ho Chi Minh City chocolate makers turning Vietnamese cacao into single-origin bars. They needed photography that could make the craft, place, and people behind the story visible.

### The work

Over three days in Ho Chi Minh City, Justin photographed Marou’s bean-to-bar world, from the makers and production details to the finished chocolate, grounding the story in the textures of Vietnamese cacao and craft.

### Outcome

The photographs ran with a [New York Times feature on Marou and Vietnamese chocolate](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/t-magazine/food/marou-vietnamese-chocolate.html), bringing the company’s bean-to-bar story to an international readership.

  ![Two men pose leaning against a palm tree in a sunny tropical garden. A beige shirt and a light gray shirt with a scarf, both relaxed.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_001")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Pile of striped cacao pods in yellow, red, orange, and green hues, piled together.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_002-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_002")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Hands pressing cocoa beans on a drying rack outdoors, spreading them evenly in the sun.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_003-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_003")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_003.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of hands over a bed of cacao beans on the ground, catching beans as they fall in warm sunlight](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_004")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![Three men examine cocoa beans spread on a sun-dried drying rack outdoors with trees behind them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_007")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Hands holding a metal rack filled with small round roasted cocoa beans arranged in neat rows.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_008")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Worker wearing a blue hairnet, white mask, and orange apron stands with hands clasped in front of stacked colorful bags in a warehouse](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_017-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_017")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_017](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_017.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a metal mixer stirring melted chocolate in a spinning vat.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_018-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_018")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_018](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_018.jpg) 

 ![Stack of four small cigar boxes with red patterned sides, labeled 'Single Origin Vietnam', resting on coarse burlap fabric.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_020-600x400.jpg "Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_020")

 [Marou\_Chocolate\_Vietnam\_New\_York\_Times\_Travel\_Magazine\_Justin\_Mott\_020](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Marou_Chocolate_Vietnam_New_York_Times_Travel_Magazine_Justin_Mott_020.jpg) 

###### Forbes

## Vietnam’s First Billionaire

### Brief

Forbes was profiling Pham Nhat Vuong, founder of Vingroup and Vietnam’s first billionaire, in a story about his rise and the country’s emerging private wealth.

### The work

In Hanoi, Justin photographed Vuong for the feature, creating portraits of a business figure whose company had become closely tied to Vietnam’s new era of development.

### Outcome

The photographs ran with [Forbes’ profile of Vuong and Vingroup](https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelnoer/2013/03/04/vietnams-first-billionaire-and-the-triumph-of-capitalism/), giving the story a human portrait of the entrepreneur behind one of Vietnam’s most visible companies.

 ![](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JustinMott_Portfolio_013.jpg) 

###### The New York Times

## Saigon’s Coffee Culture, Vietnam

### Brief

The New York Times needed photography for a Travel guide to Ho Chi Minh City’s coffee scene, from old-school cafes to the city’s newer specialty coffee shops.

### The work

Over two days, Justin photographed Saigon’s coffee culture across the city, documenting the people, rituals, and places behind Vietnamese coffee, from longstanding robusta shops to new wave cafes.

### Outcome

The photographs ran with a [New York Times Travel feature on the best coffee in Ho Chi Minh City](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/23/travel/saigon-coffee-cafes.html), giving readers a visual guide to one of the city’s defining daily rituals.

  ![Woman in a pink shirt stands at a cluttered kitchen counter, preparing food in a dim, tiled room.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_001-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_001-1.jpg) 

 ![Street-side cafe with older men seated at metal tables while motorcycles pass by on a busy street in front of a blue storefront gate.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_002-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_002-1.jpg) 

 ![Outdoor cafe scene with three elderly men seated at a metal table; the central man in a plaid shirt looks to the side as another man in the foreground holds up a smartphone.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_003-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_003-1.jpg) 

 ![Tall glass of iced coffee with two straws resting on a weathered turquoise railing at dusk/place of a cafe.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_004-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_004-1.jpg) 

 ![Person in a pink shirt pours steaming liquid from a metal pitcher into a large pot on a stove, kitchen steam rising from the pot.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_005-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_005-1.jpg) 

 ![A man sits on red plastic stools in front of a closed metal shutter, sipping from a cup with a straw beside a dusty motorcycle.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_006-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_006-1.jpg) 

 ![Three men sit on red plastic stools outside a shop; one reads a colorful magazine while others chat nearby, with drinks on a small red table.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_007-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_007-1.jpg) 

 ![Stacked red and blue plastic chairs stored against a wall indoors.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_008-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_008-1.jpg) 

 ![Rows of clear plastic cups filled with dark liquid on a table, stacked in two levels, with a red ring around each cup; blurred newspaper frames in the background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_009-1-600x400.jpg "Ho Chi Minh Coffee")

 [Ho Chi Minh Coffee](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Saigons_Coffee_Culture_Justin_Mott_009-1.jpg) 

###### Smithsonian Magazine

## Minds of Giants, Myanmar

### Brief

Smithsonian Magazine needed photography for a science cover story on Asian elephant research in Myanmar, where scientists were studying elephant cognition and behavior to better understand human-elephant conflict.

### The work

Over four days in the Myanmar countryside, Justin photographed researchers fitting elephants with GPS collars, observing their behavior, and working alongside the mahouts whose lives are closely tied to the animals.

### Outcome

The photographs ran with [Smithsonian’s feature on elephant intelligence and conservation](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/researchers-learning-asian-elephants-think-save-them-180974366/), giving the research a field-level visual story of scientists, mahouts, and the elephants at the center of the work.

  ![Man rides an elephant standing in a tranquil river at sunrise, misty trees in the background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person wearing a wide-brim hat riding an elephant at sunset, against an orange sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_002-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of an elephant's wrinkled face, showing dark gray skin and a golden eye.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_003-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_003.jpg) 

 ![Chain of elephants with riders along a riverbank near village huts under a large tree.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_004-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a person in a white T-shirt gripping a dusty abrasive wheel mounted on a metal fixture in a workshop.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Team of people surrounding a large elephant, performing a veterinary procedure on its leg outdoors.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![A large adult elephant with a calf beside it as a person sits on the adult's back in a rural yard.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_008-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Boy in a blue uniform sits on a weathered wooden fence in a dry, open field with trees in the distance.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_009-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_009.jpg) 

 ![Man in a straw hat rides a large elephant while two handlers guide it in a dusty, tree-lined yard.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_005-600x400.jpg "Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar")

 [Captive elephant collaring, Myanmar](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Myanmar_Elephant_Collaring_Smithsonian_Justin-Mott_005.jpg) 

###### Smithsonian Magazine

## The Oldest Art on Earth, Indonesia

### Brief

Smithsonian Magazine needed photography for a feature on ancient cave art in Sulawesi, where newly dated paintings were challenging long-held ideas about the origins of art and human imagination.

### The work

Over six days in Indonesia’s Maros valley, Justin photographed the limestone caves, the hand stencils and animal paintings inside them, and the archaeologists working to date and understand the sites.

### Outcome

The photographs ran with [Smithsonian’s feature on some of the oldest-known cave art in the world](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/journey-oldest-cave-paintings-world-180957685/), bringing readers into the caves and the research behind a discovery that reshaped the story of early human creativity.

  ![Man sitting on a rock in a field of tall white flowers, wearing a dark shirt and a headlamp that is lit.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_001")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![View through a rough rock tunnel opening to a sunlit valley with greenery and distant mountains/karst formations.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_002-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_002")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_002.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person wearing a headlamp at sunset, with rugged hills in the background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_003-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_003")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_003.jpg) 

 ![Cave explorer wearing a helmet with a headlamp, holding a bright portable light inside a dark cave.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_004")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![Person kneeling in a dark cave, reaching toward a sunlit rock wall.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_005-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_005")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_005.jpg) 

 ![Cave wall with a reddish-brown handprint stencil on rough rock surface.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_006")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Man in a dim, cluttered workshop inspects a pink tool at a crowded workbench covered with boxes, jars, and soil samples.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_007")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Person sitting on the floor inside a tarp-covered shelter, sorting many small packets laid out in neat rows on cardboard sheets.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_008")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person in a dark cave, pointing a torch toward illuminated rock walls.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_009-600x400.jpg "Indonesia Cave Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_009")

 [Indonesia Cave Art\_Smithsonian\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Indonesia-Cave-Art_Smithsonian_Justin_Mott_009.jpg) 

###### The Washington Post

## The Sloth Lady, Suriname

### Brief

For Kindred Guardians, Justin was documenting people who dedicate their lives to animal conservation. In Suriname, that led him to Monique Pool, the conservationist known as the Sloth Lady.

### The work

Over eight days in Paramaribo, Justin photographed Pool and the Green Heritage Fund Suriname as they rescued, rehabilitated, and returned sloths to the wild amid forest loss, urbanization, and climate pressures.

### Outcome

The story was published by The Washington Post’s *In Sight*, bringing [Pool’s work and the more than 1,000 sloths](https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2021/02/08/sloth-lady-suriname-16-years-monique-pool-her-group-have-worked-relentlessly-rescue-slow-moving-mammals-return-them-wild/) her organization has rescued to a wider visual audience.

  ![Volunteer sprays water on a brown dog inside a metal crate, using a yellow hose outdoors.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_001")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a green shirt smiles at a gray koala reaching over a wooden table on a deck railing backdrop.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_004")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![A sloth perched in a bowl on a kitchen scale while a person records it on a smartphone nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_005-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_005")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_005.jpg) 

 ![Sloth gripping horizontal bars with long claws, dark background behind.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_006")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Person in a beige bucket hat and navy shirt leaning on a boat railing on a wide muddy river with dense green banks and a blue sky filled with clouds behind him.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_007")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Rescue worker on a boat lifts a large plastic animal crate while a wet brown otter clings to a towel nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_008")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of a winding river through a forest at sunset, with a glowing sun low on the horizon.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_009-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_009")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_009.jpg) 

 ![Brown sloth clinging to a tree, reaching for green leaves to eat in a lush rainforest.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_010-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_010")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_010.jpg) 

 ![Pair of black rubber rain boots on a dark wooden floor next to a red paneled wall, with a colorful tote bag on a chair nearby in dusk light.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_011-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_011")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_011.jpg) 

###### The Washington Post

## Survival of a Species, Kenya

### Brief

After first photographing Najin and Fatu, the last two northern white rhinos, Justin returned to Ol Pejeta to document the BioRescue team’s attempt to help save the subspecies from extinction.

### The work

Over four days in Kenya, he photographed the December procedure to harvest eggs from Najin and Fatu, following the veterinarians, scientists, and caretakers working under extraordinary pressure.

### Outcome

The story was published by [The Washington Post’s *In Sight*](https://www.washingtonpost.com/photography/2020/01/16/survival-subspecies-hope-northern-white-rhino/), showing the fragile hope behind a conservation effort that had already produced viable northern white rhino embryos.

  ![Man in a green hat stands beside a large white rhinoceros grazing in a grassy field at sunset.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![A person's hand resting on an elephant's wrinkled gray skin near its eye.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of dark-skinned hands holding a tiny sprout with two delicate roots.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Two park rangers in green uniforms walk along a muddy path with a white rhinoceros blocking the trail under a cloudy sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_011-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_011.jpg) 

 ![Researchers in black BioRescue shirts handle a large white cooler, releasing thick dry-ice fog in a lab setting with people nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_020-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_020.jpg) 

 ![Man wearing a hat and olive outfit stands on a wooden fence, looking down at a large rhinoceros in a grassy enclosure beneath him](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_030-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_030.jpg) 

 ![Field veterinarians treat a large elephant on a blue tarp, using portable medical equipment while a crowd watches nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_042-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_042.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a researcher looking into a microscope inside a dim shipping-container lab, backlit by bright exterior light.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_058-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_058.jpg) 

 ![A small propeller airplane on a tarmac with several men loading a gray cargo case and bags nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_065-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_065.jpg) 

### Plan an Assignment with Justin

For new editorial or commercial assignments, start with a [contact form](/contact) covering project type, location, dates, brief, and budget range. Justin replies within 24 hours on business days.

---

### [About Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/about/)

**Published:** June 11, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

# Justin Mott

Learn about Justin Mott, an award-winning documentary, editorial and commercial photographer based in Vietnam with over 20 years of experience creating compelling visual stories for brands, publications and nonprofits.

## Based in Vietnam

Justin Mott is an award-winning documentary, editorial and commercial photographer based in Vietnam. For more than 20 years, he has produced compelling visual stories for international publications, global brands and nonprofit organizations. His work combines authentic storytelling with striking imagery, capturing people, places and cultures throughout Vietnam and across Asia.

Assignments have taken him further afield: to Kenya for the northern white rhinos, Malaysia for a gibbon rescue, and throughout the Pacific and the Americas. Wherever the work takes him, Hanoi remains his home base.

 ![Justin Mott in a textured knit sweater and cap, black-and-white portrait.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott-WEB-RES-1.jpg) 

## Featured Publications

- The New York Times (100+ assignments)
- TIME
- Forbes
- National Geographic
- Condé Nast Traveler
- The Wall Street Journal
- The Washington Post
- BBC
- CNN
- Smithsonian
- The Guardian

 ![MOT Visuals logo: gray 'MOT' with a red circular O, and 'VISUALS' underneath.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MottVisualsLogoClearBackground.png) 

## Commercial work: Mott Visuals

Justin co-founded [**Mott Visuals**](https://mottvisuals.com) with his wife, Quynh Anh Mott. The Hanoi-based video and photography production studio creates commercial campaigns and brand content across Asia and beyond. As Creative Director and lead photographer, Justin works with a team built for complex productions in hospitality, fashion, technology, and travel.

 ![AskMOTT Photography Education logo with a sketched man in a knit cap and sweater.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/755962a1af732dd48e7a18280693504e.png) 

## Teaching: AskMott

Through [AskMott](https://askmott.com), Justin offers photography education through a monthly membership, one-to-one coaching, and small-group workshops in Vietnam. He has also taught for Leica Akademie and Canon, and hosted and judged History Channel’s Photo Face-Off for five seasons.

---

### [Editorial](https://justinmott.com/editorial/)

**Published:** May 19, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

# Editorial Photography in Vietnam and Across Asia

Justin Mott’s editorial photography in Vietnam spans news, culture, travel, conservation, and long-form assignments across Asia and beyond. He has completed more than 100 assignments for The New York Times, alongside features for National Geographic, TIME, Forbes, BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

  ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_001.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003.jpg) 

 ![A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_027-600x400.jpg "A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.")

 [A tea farmer poses in a rolling field before work in Moc Chau, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_027.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_037](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_037-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_037")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_037](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_037.jpg) 

 ![Person standing at the bow of a small boat on a dark river at dusk, headlamp beam cutting through the darkness.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal006-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal006")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal006.jpg) 

 ![Hoang Thi Xuyen, 21, a mother and farmer in Yen Minh town, takes care of her children on a rainy day on January 15th, 2015.
Xuyen and her family are seasonal farmers who live along the ADB funded dyke. Before the dyke was built their crops were destroyed by floods creating financial hardship for her and her family.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_040-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_040")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_040](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_040.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_044](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_044-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_044")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_044](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_044.jpg) 

 ![Phu Thi Hong Thuy, 48, in the recovery area of Nguyen Tri Phung Hospital in HCMC, Vietnam from her recent amputation surgery as a result of diabetes. Thuy is from the Mekong Delta region in Ca Mao Province, she was diagnosed with diabetes 1 year ago.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_029-600x400.jpg "Communism Reform Vietnam")

 [Communism Reform Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_029.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_007-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_007.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_008-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_008.jpg) 

 ![PI Bamboo Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_031-600x400.jpg "PI Bamboo Images")

 [PI Bamboo Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_031.jpg) 

 ![Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong, Chairman of Vingroup, poses for a portrait at a Vingroup development project in Hanoi, Vietnam...Justin Mott/Redux Pictures](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_028-600x400.jpg "Billionaires Issue Vietnam Pham Nhat Vuong")

 [Billionaires Issue Vietnam Pham Nhat Vuong](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_028.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_033](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_033-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_033")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_033](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_033.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_024](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_024-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_024")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_024](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_024.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_022-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_022")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_022.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_023](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_023-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_023")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_023](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_023.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_045](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_045-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_045")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_045](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_045.jpg) 

 ![Incense sticks burn in the foreground while a person in a red hooded garment sits blurred in the background, with wisps of smoke rising.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal020-600x400.jpg "Special Edition TIME
Tet Holiday Vietnam")

 [Special Edition TIME Tet Holiday Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal020.jpg) 

 ![Group of soldiers in ceremonial dress uniforms marching in formation during a parade, wearing dark blue outfits with gold cords and medals.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal021-600x400.jpg "Hanoi 1000 Year Anniversary")

 [Hanoi 1000 Year Anniversary](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal021.jpg) 

 ![Man and child ride a motorbike piled with leafy branches, in a rural valley setting.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal022-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal022")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal022.jpg) 

 ![Sun rays breaking through clouds over a deep green valley with a winding river below.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal023-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal023")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal023](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal023.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person in profile against a blue sky and distant mountains, looking upward.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal024-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal024")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal024](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal024.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_041](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_041-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_041")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_041](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_041.jpg) 

 ![Colorful market stall with bowls of limes, onions, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and assorted peppers and roots arranged in vibrant baskets](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal026-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal026")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal026](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal026.jpg) 

 ![Vietnam,Photography, Vietnam photographer, HCMC, Hanoi, Hoi An, Weddings. Photojournalist, Documentary, Advertising, Bangkok, Singapore, San Francisco, Video, web, portraiture, portrait, corporate, NGO, Saigon, South East Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Phuket, travel, lifestyle, commercial , resorts, spas, industrial, oil, healthcare, business, global, services , location, photography, video](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_042-600x400.jpg "Vietnam Photographer Hanoi")

 [Vietnam Photographer Hanoi](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_042.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_010.jpg) 

 ![Najin, the elder of the two northern white rhinos, is looked after by one of the Kenya Wildlife Service Veterinary staff while undergoing anesthesia during the ovum pick up procedure on Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_009-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_009.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_011-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_011")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_011.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_036](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_036-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_036")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_036](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_036.jpg) 

 ![The ABD mosquito net program reduces malaria in the region.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_035-600x400.jpg "ABD Resettlement Project Vietnam")

 [ABD Resettlement Project Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_035.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_034](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_034-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_034")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_034](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_034.jpg) 

 ![A vendor sells bubbles at the Sunday bazaar at the Bantul City Stadium in Yogyakarta. The bazaar is filled with street vendors selling food, clothing, and traditional Andong (horse cart) rides .  The bazaar happens once a month and sometimes more often depending on the weather and is a great place to get a true local experience.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_046-600x400.jpg "Yogyakarta Art Scene")

 [Yogyakarta Art Scene](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_046.jpg) 

 ![A view of slum in Dhaka that houses numerous factory workers from the Ashulia industrial district.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_047-600x400.jpg "Bangladesh Factories Justin Mott")

 [Bangladesh Factories Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_047.jpg) 

 ![On top of Bokor mountain rests a buddhist monastery overlooking Bokor Mountain National Park. The top of the mountain was a popular tourist destination to visit the abandoned casino, post-office, and church but construction is currently underway for a new resort/casino.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_043-600x400.jpg "Cambodia Kep Province")

 [Cambodia Kep Province](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_043.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of an elephant's wrinkled skin with a hand resting gently on its head near the eye.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal037-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal037.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_005-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_005.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_004-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_004.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of an elderly woman peeking through dark blue fabric, wearing a red headscarf.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal040-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal040")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal040](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal040.jpg) 

 ![Older woman in traditional attire sits under a large tree with a woven basket on her back, overlooking misty terraced fields.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal041-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal041")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal041](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal041.jpg) 

 ![Person in traditional embroidered clothing washing their hands, water droplets falling from their cupped hands.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal042-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal042")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal042](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal042.jpg) 

## What Editorial Photography on Assignment Looks Like

Justin handles editorial work the way editors actually need it handled: with quick communication, honest scoping, and reliable delivery on newsroom timelines. He speaks English natively and Vietnamese conversationally, and works with a trusted network of fixers, translators, and producers across Vietnam, Asia, and beyond.

His editorial photography in Vietnam and across the region includes conservation work, social-issue features, politically sensitive stories, and travel, food, and culture assignments. The approach stays the same: understand the brief, work carefully on location, and deliver the images the story needs.

To discuss editorial photography in Vietnam or across Asia, [contact Justin](https://justinmott.com/contact/ "Contact") with the assignment type, location, dates, and brief.

---

### [Lifestyle](https://justinmott.com/lifestyle/)

**Published:** May 19, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

# Editorial Lifestyle Photography in Vietnam and Across Asia

Justin Mott photographs travel, food, culture, and hospitality stories across Vietnam, Asia, and beyond. His lifestyle photography is rooted in editorial observation, with an eye for real people, lived-in places, and moments that belong to the setting.

  ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_541](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_541-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_541")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_541](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_541.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_542](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_542-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_542")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_542](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_542.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_543](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_543-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_543")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_543](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_543.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_553](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_553-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_553")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_553](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_553.jpg) 

 ![Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals 
www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_551-600x400.jpg "Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals 
www.mottvisuals.com")

 [Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_551.jpg) 

 ![Resort, hotel, and property photography by commercial photographer Justin Mott shot throughout Asia and beyond. To see Justin's full portfolio visit http://www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_552-600x400.jpg "Hotel and Resort Photography | Asia | Justin Mott")

 [Hotel and Resort Photography | Asia | Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_552.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_554](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_554-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_554")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_554](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_554.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_556](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_556-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_556")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_556](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_556.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_555](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_555-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_555")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_555](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_555.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_561](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_561-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_561")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_561](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_561.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_562](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_562-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_562")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_562](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_562.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_564](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_564-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_564")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_564](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_564.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_547](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_547-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_547")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_547](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_547.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_549](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_549-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_549")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_549](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_549.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_548](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_548-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_548")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_548](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_548.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_558](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_558-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_558")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_558](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_558.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_560](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_560-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_560")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_560](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_560.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_559](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_559-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_559")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_559](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_559.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_566](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_566-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_566")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_566](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_566.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_567](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_567-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_567")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_567](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_567.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_565](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_565-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_565")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_565](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_565.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_572](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_572-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_572")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_572](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_572.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_550](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_550-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_550")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_550](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_550.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_569](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_569-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_569")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_569](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_569.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_575](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_575-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_575")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_575](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_575.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_578](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_578-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_578")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_578](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_578.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_577](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_577-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_577")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_577](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_577.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_580](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_580-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_580")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_580](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_580.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person on a dark vehicle at night, holding a bright handheld spotlight pointing forward.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio029-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio029")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio029](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio029.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_581](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_581-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_581")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_581](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_581.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_573](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_573-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_573")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_573](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_573.jpg) 

 ![Woman and boy sit inside a brightly colored lantern, focused on an orange crafts project.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio032-600x400.jpg "Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals 
www.mottvisuals.com")

 [Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio032.jpg) 

 ![Children splash in a pool with water droplets flying; a man sits on the pool edge while lush tropical plants surround ornate dragon statues nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio033-600x400.jpg "Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals 
www.mottvisuals.com")

 [Intercontinental Danang Sun Peninsula by Mott Visuals www.mottvisuals.com](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio033.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_544](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_544-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_544")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_544](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_544.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_546](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_546-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_546")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_546](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_546.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_545](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_545-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_545")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_545](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_545.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_568](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_568-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_568")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_568](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_568.jpg) 

 ![Chef grilling on a teppanyaki grill as flames rise, while five diners at the counter toast with wine and smiles.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio038-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio038")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio038](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio038.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a red dress relaxing on a window seat, gazing at blurred city lights at night, with a vase of flowers nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio039-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio039")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio039](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio039.jpg) 

 ![Two women on a sunny golf green: one putstling while the other stands by the hole with the flag nearby, surrounded by trees.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio040-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio040")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio040](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio040.jpg) 

 ![A white seaplane floating on calm turquoise water just off a pale sandy beach, aerial view.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio041-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio041")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio041](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio041.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a white ao dai and conical hat sits on large tree roots in a smoky, sunlit forest.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio042-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio042")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio042](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio042.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_570](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_570-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_570")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_570](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_570.jpg) 

 ![Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_571](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_571-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestyle Portfolio_571")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestyle Portfolio\_571](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Justin-Mott_Lifestyle-Portfolio_571.jpg) 

 ![Person on a wooden pier at sunset releasing a large yellow lantern into the air over calm water.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio045-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Lifestlye Portfolio045")

 [Justin Mott\_Lifestlye Portfolio045](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Lifestlye-Portfolio045.jpg) 

## Lifestyle Photography in Vietnam with a Documentary Eye

Justin photographs lifestyle stories with the same patience and editorial standards he brings to news assignments. The focus is on real people, lived-in places, and moments that belong to the setting. Whenever possible, he works with available light and keeps direction light.

His assignments include hotel and resort shoots, regional culture features, food and dining stories, and travel destinations globally.

For commercial lifestyle photography in Vietnam and full production support across Asia, visit [Mott Visuals](https://mottvisuals.com/). To discuss an editorial lifestyle assignment, [contact Justin](https://justinmott.com/contact/ "Contact").

---

### [Portraits](https://justinmott.com/portraits/)

**Published:** June 15, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

# Portrait Photography in Vietnam and Around the Globe

Justin’s portrait photography spans editorial features, executive sittings, talent and athlete shoots, NGO leadership portraits, and commercial assignments across Vietnam, Asia, and beyond.

  ![Soldier in olive uniform and hat, standing behind barbed wire with a serious expression against a cloudy sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_527-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_527")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_527](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_527.jpg) 

 ![Dark, moody close-up of two people in shadow; a partial face appears on the left while a blurred figure with red straps is in the foreground.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_531-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_531")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_531](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_531.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a gorilla behind rusty bars, peering through a broken window in its enclosure](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_529-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_529")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_529](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_529.jpg) 

 ![Man with gray hair and beard in a marble workshop, standing beside large, polished marble blocks and a hoist.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_535-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_535")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_535](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_535.jpg) 

 ![Man in a suit stands with arms crossed in front of a row of beige townhouses, framed by blurred foreground elements.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_534-600x400.jpg "Billionaires Issue Vietnam Pham Nhat Vuong")

 [Billionaires Issue Vietnam Pham Nhat Vuong](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_534.jpg) 

 ![Group of nine professionals in business attire posing in a modern glass-walled lobby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_007-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_007")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_007.jpg) 

 ![Mother in an orange jacket cradles a baby inside a makeshift shelter with striped tarps, while a young boy in a red jacket stands nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_543-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_543")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_543](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_543.jpg) 

 ![Mother in a plaid shirt gently holds a young baby in a dimly lit room, warm light on their faces.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_548-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_548")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_548](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_548.jpg) 

 ![A shirtless man in a plaid wrap stands on a dirt path between tall green plants, with a woman in a blue patterned scarf beside him, both looking at the camera.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_539-600x400.jpg "Bangladesh Factories Justin Mott")

 [Bangladesh Factories Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_539.jpg) 

 ![Elderly woman in a green jacket stands with a wooden walking stick in front of a weathered wooden door, outdoors in a rural setting.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_545-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_545")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_545](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_545.jpg) 

 ![Woman wearing a patterned hijab and light blue blouse stands against a red and black wall outside.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_012-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_012")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_012](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_012.jpg) 

 ![Man in a suit leaning against a weathered green door in an urban alley, smoking a cigarette at the edge of the frame.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_546-600x400.jpg "Special Edition TIME
Tet Holiday Vietnam")

 [Special Edition TIME Tet Holiday Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_546.jpg) 

 ![Person in a yellow helmet and floral long-sleeve shirt wears a black face mask under a concrete overpass, looking at the camera.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_014-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_014")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_014](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_014.jpg) 

 ![Abstract blurred portrait: partial feminine face with red lips emerging from a blue background with a yellow-green edge on the left.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_533-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_533")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_533](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_533.jpg) 

 ![Older woman wearing a red headscarf peeks through dark blue fabric, with a calm, intimate gaze.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_016-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_016")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_016](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_016.jpg) 

 ![Woman with a bandaged leg sits on a bed by an open window, gazing outward in a dim, sparse room.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_020-600x400.jpg "Communism Reform Vietnam")

 [Communism Reform Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_020.jpg) 

 ![Woman wearing a red headscarf and traditional embroidered clothing, seen through a sheer curtain in a dim setting.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_530-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_530")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_530](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_530.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a traditional kimono sits in a dimly lit room, gazing thoughtfully to the side.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_532-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_532")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_532](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_532.jpg) 

 ![Man sitting on a rock in a meadow of white-flowered plants at dusk, wearing a helmet with a headlamp shining forward.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_536-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_536")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_536](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_536.jpg) 

 ![Ranger in a green uniform rests beside a resting rhinoceros on a straw-covered ground, under a cloudy sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_528-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_528")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_528](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_528.jpg) 

 ![Girl in a bamboo grove wearing a conical hat and a bright floral jumpsuit, smiling at the camera.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_538-600x400.jpg "PI Bamboo Images")

 [PI Bamboo Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_538.jpg) 

 ![Profile of a woman with a silver hoop earring, facing right, in an outdoor setting with wind in her hair.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_541-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_541")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_541](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_541.jpg) 

 ![Portrait of a young woman in a blue kimono with floral hair ornaments, framed by pink cherry blossoms surrounding her outdoor scene](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_027-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_027")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_027](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_027.jpg) 

 ![Side profile of a person silhouetted against a clear blue sky with distant mountains and clouds in the background](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_542-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_542")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_542](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_542.jpg) 

 ![A military officer in a white dress uniform stands in a sunlit doorway between dark walls.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_031-600x400.jpg "Commander Le Vietnam")

 [Commander Le Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_031.jpg) 

 ![Model in a white satin dress with a red cone hat and pearl necklace, posing with one arm raised against a geometric patterned backdrop.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_033-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait Portfolio Final_033")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait Portfolio Final\_033](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_033.jpg) 

 ![Silhouetted person sitting on a kitchen counter by a barred window, dimly lit with hanging cookware and pots nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_552-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_552")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_552](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_552.jpg) 

 ![Smiling man with glasses stands among palm fronds, sunlight casting striped shadows on his face and shirt.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_540-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_540")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_540](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_540.jpg) 

 ![Man standing between two rows of large red wooden posts wrapped with thick ropes, in a narrow industrial alley](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_544-600x400.jpg "Justin Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_544")

 [Justin Mott\_Portrait\_Photographer\_Vietnam\_544](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_544.jpg) 

 ![Person wearing a white theatrical mask lit from the side in a dark room; only the face is illuminated with a subtle smile.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_547-600x400.jpg "Yogyakarta Art Scene")

 [Yogyakarta Art Scene](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Justin-Mott_Portrait_Photographer_Vietnam_547.jpg) 

## A Documentary Approach to Portrait Photography

Justin Mott’s portrait photography in Vietnam spans editorial features, executive sittings, talent and athlete portraits, NGO leadership portraits, and commercial assignments across Asia and beyond.

Justin photographs people on location, using natural or available light and as little staging as the brief allows. The goal is a portrait that feels true to the person, whether the subject is a CEO in a corner office, an artist in a studio, an athlete mid-training, or a survivor in their home.

Many of his subjects would rather not be photographed. Taking time in the room before the camera comes out is part of the work.

For full production support on commercial portrait photography in Vietnam and across Asia, visit [Mott Visuals](https://mottvisuals.com/). To discuss an editorial or commercial portrait assignment, [contact Justin](https://justinmott.com/contact/ "Contact").

---

### [Vietnam Retrospective](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/vietnam-retrospective/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

TWO DECADES ON ASSIGNMENT

# Vietnam Documentary Photography Retrospective

Vietnam documentary photography: this retrospective gathers two decades of work across the country, most of it photographed on assignment for The New York Times.

  ![Night street market in heavy rain; a vendor with a conical hat pushes a cart under a beige umbrella while the wet street reflects lights at night.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VietnamRetrospective_022-600x400.webp "Vietnam+Retrospective_022")

 [Vietnam+Retrospective\_022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VietnamRetrospective_022.webp) 

 ![The ABD mosquito net program reduces malaria in the region.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_035-600x400.jpg "ABD Resettlement Project Vietnam")

 [ABD Resettlement Project Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_035.jpg) 

 ![A woman relaxes along the edge of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam on Saturday May 9th, 2015. Hoan Kiem Lake, meaning the "lake of the returned sword", is a popular attraction for both tourists and locals. 

Photo by Justin Mott For The New York Times](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_030-600x400.jpg "Vietnam Street Food")

 [Vietnam Street Food](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_030.jpg) 

 ![Vietnam,Photography, Vietnam photographer, HCMC, Hanoi, Hoi An, Weddings. Photojournalist, Documentary, Advertising, Bangkok, Singapore, San Francisco, Video, web, portraiture, portrait, corporate, NGO, Saigon, South East Asia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Phuket, travel, lifestyle, commercial , resorts, spas, industrial, oil, healthcare, business, global, services , location, photography, video](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_042-600x400.jpg "Vietnam Photographer Hanoi")

 [Vietnam Photographer Hanoi](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_042.jpg) 

 ![Group of soldiers in ceremonial dress uniforms marching in formation during a parade, wearing dark blue outfits with gold cords and medals.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal021-600x400.jpg "Hanoi 1000 Year Anniversary")

 [Hanoi 1000 Year Anniversary](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal021.jpg) 

 ![Man and child ride a motorbike piled with leafy branches, in a rural valley setting.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal022-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal022")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal022.jpg) 

 ![Mother in a yellow jacket cuddles a baby wrapped in red while a young boy stands nearby inside a makeshift shelter with colorful tarps and blankets nearby for warmth and shelter.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal007-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal007")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal007.jpg) 

 ![Colorful indoor room with green walls and blue partitions; clothes hang on lines around a purple curtain, behind which a shadowy hand is visible.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal008-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal008")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal008.jpg) 

 ![Colorful market stall with bowls of limes, onions, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and assorted peppers and roots arranged in vibrant baskets](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal026-600x400.jpg "Editorial Portfolio FInal026")

 [Editorial Portfolio FInal026](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal026.jpg) 

 ![Woman with a bandaged leg sits on a bed by an open window, gazing outward in a dim, sparse room.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_020-600x400.jpg "Communism Reform Vietnam")

 [Communism Reform Vietnam](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Justin-Mott_Portrait-Portfolio-Final_020.jpg) 

 ## Twenty years, more than 100 assignments

For two decades, Justin has photographed Vietnam, most of it on assignment for The New York Times. This collection pulls from more than 100 assignments into one running record of the country’s people, landscapes, and change.

It is an ongoing archive. I add to it as I keep working, and one day it will become a book.

## Vietnam Documentary Photography, Up Close

The work moves between quiet villages and the noise of the cities: news as it broke, portraits of farmers, fishermen, street vendors, and artisans, and the landscapes people know Vietnam for, from Ha Long Bay to the rice terraces of Sapa.

Shooting for the Times gave me rare access to moments that would otherwise go unseen, and it taught me patience and respect for the people in front of the lens. See more of my long-term documentary work in [Personal Projects](/personal-projects/).

[This project was featured by the BBC.](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23501763) Prints are available through my [online store](https://www.askmottbyjustinmott.com/).

---

### [Agent Orange](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/agent-orange/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

HUMANITARIAN, VIETNAM

# The Legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam

Agent Orange still shapes lives in northern Vietnam decades after the war. Justin Mott has followed that story since 2007, including a young woman named Nu, whom he visits every year.

  ![Black-and-white photo of many children lying side by side in a trough, mouths open as caregivers feed them with spoons from above.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VietnamAgentOrange12copy-600x400.webp "Vietnam+Agent+Orange12+copy")

 [Vietnam+Agent+Orange12+copy](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/VietnamAgentOrange12copy.webp) 

 ![Black-and-white image of a young boy looking up at the camera from a dim stairwell, framed by rusted metal railings.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_002-600x400.jpg "Victims of Agent Orange_002")

 [Victims of Agent Orange\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_002.jpg) 

 ![Infant asleep in a crib as a caregiver gently rests a hand on the baby's head.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_003-600x400.jpg "Vietnam Photographer Hanoi")

 [Vietnam Photographer Hanoi](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_003.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of a person's face in deep shadow, only the nose and lips subtly illuminated.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_004-600x400.jpg "Vietnam Severely Disabled Orphans")

 [Vietnam Severely Disabled Orphans](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_004.jpg) 

 ![Child crouching on the bathroom floor in a corner, looking toward the camera.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_005-600x400.jpg "Agent Orange Orphans")

 [Agent Orange Orphans](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_005.jpg) 

 ![Medical professional administering a vaccine to a patient's shoulder in a close-up, black-and-white photo.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_006-600x400.jpg "Vietnam Severely Disabled Orphans")

 [Vietnam Severely Disabled Orphans](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_006.jpg) 

 ![Black-and-white photo of a baby lying on its back, gazing upward with wide eyes; crib slats are visible above.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_007-600x400.jpg "Victims of Agent Orange_007")

 [Victims of Agent Orange\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_007.jpg) 

 ![Close-up black-and-white portrait of a person resting their temple on their fingers, looking thoughtful or somber.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_008-600x400.jpg "Victims of Agent Orange_008")

 [Victims of Agent Orange\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_008.jpg) 

 ![Blurred black-and-white scene of a masked person holding a child, with a reaching hand toward the left amid motion blur](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_009-600x400.jpg "Victims of Agent Orange_009")

 [Victims of Agent Orange\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_009.jpg) 

 ![Child crouches on a tiled bathroom floor in a doorway, holding knees and looking toward the camera in a dim, worn room with a faucet on the wall behind.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_010-600x400.jpg "Agent Orange Orphans")

 [Agent Orange Orphans](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_010.jpg) 

 ![Group of bare-chested children lying on a patterned tiled floor, looking up with tired expressions as a caregiver reaches toward them.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_011-scaled-600x400.jpg "Agent Orange Orphans")

 [Agent Orange Orphans](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_011-scaled.jpg) 

 ![Boy peering through a circular hoop on a playground, looking at the camera in a black-and-white shot.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_012-600x400.jpg "Victims of Agent Orange_012")

 [Victims of Agent Orange\_012](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Victims-of-Agent-Orange_012.jpg) 

 ## The Human Legacy of Agent Orange

Decades after the last bombs fell, Agent Orange still shapes lives in Vietnam. The dioxin sprayed during the war passed into the soil, the water, and the generations that followed. This project follows those consequences in the north of the country.

## Ba Vi and Friendship Village

Near Hanoi, the Ba Vi Orphanage and Elderly Home cares for 124 children who were severely disabled and abandoned at birth, many of them believed to be indirect casualties of Agent Orange.

At Friendship Village, also near Hanoi, I met Nu in 2007. A granddaughter of the war, she is blind, mute, mostly deaf, and lives with autism. In 2008 we held an exhibition to raise the funds that let her stay at the village, where she is cared for every day. Every year since, we have brought her home for the Lunar New Year.

## Why Justin Keeps Photographing It

These pictures are a record of the human cost of a war that ended decades ago, and of the dignity of the people still carrying it. If you want to publish, collaborate, or help, I would like to hear from you.

[Read more about my connection with Nu](https://digitaljournalist.org/issue0906/nus-story.html). You can also donate to the Friendship Village to support the people in this project.

---

### [Sloth Rescue](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/sloth-rescue/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

GREEN HERITAGE FUND, SURINAME

# Sloth Rescue in Suriname

In Suriname, Justin Mott documents Monique Pool’s sloth rescue work as she saves, rehabilitates, and releases sloths threatened by forest loss and rapid development.

  ![Meet Monique Pool, 55, often referred to as the “Sloth Lady” of Suriname. She’s the founder and director of Green Heritage Fund and her organization has rescued over 1000 sloths since their inception in 2005. 

Pool is the latest subject of my project Kindred Guardians, this is her story.

Monique Pool, 55 transports a rescued two-toed sloth from Suriname’s capital of Paramaribo to her rehabilitation center in the heavily forested region of Saramacca, Suriname.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_001-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_001")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_001.jpg) 

 ![Brown sloth clinging to a tree, reaching for green leaves to eat in a lush rainforest.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_010-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_010")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_010.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of a winding river through a forest at sunset, with a glowing sun low on the horizon.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_009-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_009")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_009.jpg) 

 ![Rescue worker on a boat lifts a large plastic animal crate while a wet brown otter clings to a towel nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_008-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_008")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_008.jpg) 

 ![Person in a beige bucket hat and navy shirt leaning on a boat railing on a wide muddy river with dense green banks and a blue sky filled with clouds behind him.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_007")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_007.jpg) 

 ![Sloth gripping horizontal bars with long claws, dark background behind.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_006")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![A sloth perched in a bowl on a kitchen scale while a person records it on a smartphone nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_005-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_005")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_005.jpg) 

 ![Woman in a green shirt smiles at a gray koala reaching over a wooden table on a deck railing backdrop.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_004-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_004")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_004.jpg) 

 ![Volunteer sprays water on a brown dog inside a metal crate, using a yellow hose outdoors.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Sloth Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_001")

 [Sloth Lady\_Suriname\_Justin\_Mott\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Sloth-Lady_Suriname_Justin_Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![An overview of the landscape of Pool’s rehabilitation center in Saramacca, Suriname. 
Many of the sloths are rescued from the nearby capital city of Paramaribo and transported to the less populated Saramacca district where Pool checks on their health and then releases them into the jungle.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_005-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_005")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_005](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_005.jpg) 

 ![Eva Scheltens, a Dutch veterinarian living in Suriname, volunteers at the Green Heritage Fund rehabilitation center. 

Here, she checks on the formerly rescued sloth named Ostrich, suspected of being severely dehydrated. A few weeks after this check-up, ostrich passed away at only 2 years old.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_013-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_013")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_013](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_013.jpg) 

 ![Ostrich, a formerly rescued sloth who now lives nearby the rehabilitation center in the wild stops in for a visit.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_012-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_012")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_012](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_012.jpg) 

 ![Pool’s organization the Green Heritage Fund runs from a combination of her own money, private donations, crowdfunding, and support from a charitable organization in Germany called Welttierschutzgesellschaft.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_011-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_011")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_011](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_011.jpg) 

 ![A three-toed sloth named “19th of November” searches for food nearby Pool’s rehabilitation center. This three-toed sloth received her name because she was the last sloth rescued on November 19th, 2012 during her biggest rescue ever and what she calls “slothegeddon” (sloth Armageddon). 

During “slothegeddon” 141 sloths and 40 plus other animals were rescued, many staying at Pool’s own home in the city, when a plot of forest land within the city limits was developed.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_010-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_010")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_010](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_010.jpg) 

 ![Pool transports a rescued sloth found in someone’s garage in Paramaribo back into the wild in Saramacca. Pool says the biggest threats to the sloths in Suriname are urbanization, human infrastructure such as roads, deforestations, and climate change as severe droughts have heavily effected the population.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_006-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_006")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_006](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_006.jpg) 

 ![Ostrich was raised at the center for one and a half years and then released into the wild. Although she now lives in the jungle nearby, she regularly stops by the center.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_004-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_004")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_004](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_004.jpg) 

 ![Climate change leading to drought severely effects sloths as many of the leaves they feed on die and fall to the ground causing mothers to abandon their babies in search of food.  In March 2019 after a severe drought swept the area. Pool, who said she normally receives two to three calls a week for rescues was getting one to two a day, many died from dehydration.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_017-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_017")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_017](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_017.jpg) 

 ![Pool grew up in The Netherlands and moved to Suriname when she was 12 years old. She’s a Surinamese national and before becoming the “Sloth Lady” as many people refer to her as, she was a full-time professional translator.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_016-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_016")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_016](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_016.jpg) 

 ![More than 90% of the South American country of Suriname is covered in rain forest making it the most forested country in the world. It is home to both two and three toed sloths and due to increased development, the habitat of both species of sloths is now being severely threatened.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_015-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_015")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_015](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_015.jpg) 

 ![Pool takes a small boat down the Saramacca river to release a rescued sloth back into the wild. When searching for places to release the sloths, she seeks uninhabited areas hopefully not destined to be deforested and with similar eco-systems to where they came from.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_007-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_007")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_007](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_007.jpg) 

 ![Pool weighs and photographs a rescue sloth named Ostrich at her rehabilitation center in Saramacca, Suriname. 

Ostrich received her name because as a baby she was found hanging out near the ostriches at the zoo in Paramaribo separated from her mother.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_003-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_003")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_003.jpg) 

 ![Pool began rescuing sloths in 2005 while she was looking for her dog at the animal protection society in Paramaribo. They had a baby sloth looking for a home so she helped and from there every time they had a rescued sloth come in, they called her.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_002-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_002")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_002.jpg) 

 ![Pool hand feeds water to a severely dehydrated three-toed sloth at her rehabilitation center.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_029-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_029")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_029](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_029.jpg) 

 ![Monique Pool (left) and volunteer veterinarian Eva Scheltens check on a severely dehydrated sloth living nearby the rehabilitation center.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_028-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_028")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_028](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_028.jpg) 

 ![Pool also takes calls in the evening for rescues as two-toed sloths are nocturnal, making it a busy time for her. She often handles the calls and rescues after work hours by herself.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_018-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_018")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_018](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_018.jpg) 

 ![The Green Heritage Fund Suriname has a 7 full-time employees and dozens of volunteers.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_014-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_014")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_014](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_014.jpg) 

 ![In 2015 Pool was nominated as a CNN Hero for her work in sloth rescue.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_033-600x400.jpg "In 2015 Pool was nominated as a CNN Hero for her work in sloth rescue.")

 [In 2015 Pool was nominated as a CNN Hero for her work in sloth rescue.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_033.jpg) 

 ![A rescued two-toed sloth rests in a kennel before being released back into the wild. Two-toed sloths and three toed sloths are two different species entirely, two-toed sloths being nocturnal and three-toed sloths are diurnal.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_031-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_031")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_031](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_031.jpg) 

 ![Pool receives no funding from the government and states that there is no official government program for sloth rescue in Suriname leaving her as their only hope.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_030-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_030")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_030](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_030.jpg) 

 ![Pool isn’t a trained veterinarian or wildlife specialist so she relies on people like volunteer veterinarian Eva Scheltens to help when the sloths show signs of illness.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_027-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_027")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_027](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_027.jpg) 

 ![Pool takes out an injured sloth from a kennel for his rehab session for a broken arm.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_025-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_025")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_025](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_025.jpg) 

 ![Pool assist volunteer veterinarian Eva Scheltens in rehabilitating an injured sloth who broke his arm after being bit by a dog.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_024-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_024")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_024](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_024.jpg) 

 ![A laborer in the city of Paramaribo flashes the light to show Pool a two-toed sloth that he found living in his tree.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_019-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_019")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_019](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_019.jpg) 

 ![When asked about the future of sloths in Suriname Pool explains that she “I’m worried for them because of climate change, deforestation, and an increase in illegal gold mining. However, she says “Suriname is the most forested country in the world and the most beautiful country and if we can conserve it, we have the opportunity to set an example for the rest of the world.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_036-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_036")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_036](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_036.jpg) 

 ![Pool says she’s fascinated with sloths and can watch them for hours. She adds “people often think they are lazy but they aren’t they just contemplating where to grab onto next.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_032-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_032")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_032](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_032.jpg) 

 ![Pool’s efforts in conservation and sloth rescue are a combination of being self-taught and reaching out for help to sloth specialists in Brazil and Costa Rica.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_026-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_026")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_026](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_026.jpg) 

 ![Pool hands out a leaflet about sloths and her organization to a farmer in the outskirts of Paramaribo instructing him where to call if he comes upon a sloth in need of help.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_023-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_023")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_023](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_023.jpg) 

 ![Suriname is the most forested country in the world but as the capital city of Paramaribo expands, many of the forest fragments in the city,  which are home to the country’s native sloths,  are being destroyed leaving nowhere for them to live.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_022-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_022")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_022](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_022.jpg) 

 ![Ostrich, a former rescue sloth living in the wild adjacent to the rehabilitation center lies on a table before receiving a health check-up.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_035-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_035")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_035](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_035.jpg) 

 ![Pool carries a rescued sloth to her van after receiving a late-night call from a concerned laborer who found the sloth living in his tree outside his home in Paramaribo.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_021-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_021")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_021](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_021.jpg) 

 ![Pool nets a two-toed sloth by herself (no easy task as they can also bite), and then transports him to her rehabilitation center where she will check his health and then release him back into the wild father away from the city limits.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_020-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_020")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_020](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_020.jpg) 

 ![An overview of the uninhabited jungle surrounding Saramacca River where pool releases all her rescued sloths. The sloths she rescues from the city of Paramaribo often come from forest fragments, or forest islands as she likes to call them. Sloths tend to wander in search for food and trees to climb and as the city develops they are running out of space and end up on people’s property.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_009-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_009")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_009](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_009.jpg) 

 ![Pool releases a two-toed sloth into the wild in Saramacca, Suriname.
The Green Heritage Fund was founded in 2005 and they’ve rescued over 1000 sloths so far.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_008-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_008")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_008](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_008.jpg) 

 ![In addition to her work rescuing sloths Pool also works heavily on conservation issues in Suriname focusing on dolphins and ocean protection.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_034-600x400.jpg "Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_034")

 [Sloth\_Suriname\_Story\_Edit\_034](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Sloth_Suriname_Story_Edit_034.jpg) 

 ![Pool washes and checks the health of a recently rescued two-toed sloth at her rehabilitation center in Saramacca, Suriname.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/extra-600x400.jpg "extra")

 [extra](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/extra.jpg) 

 ## The Sloth Lady of Suriname

This sloth rescue story follows Monique Pool, the CNN Hero known across Suriname as the sloth lady. She founded the [Green Heritage Fund Suriname](https://greenfundsuriname.org/) in 2005 after going to look for a missing dog and coming home with a rescued sloth. With no formal training and a lot of volunteers, she has since rescued, rehabilitated, and relocated more than 1,000 of them.

## Sloth Rescue During Slothageddon

Her best-known rescue has a name. During what she calls Slothageddon, Pool and her team saved 141 sloths and more than 40 other animals cleared out of the forest by new development. Many of them recovered in her own house.

## What sloths are up against

Suriname is the most forested country on Earth, and that forest is under pressure. Logging, urban sprawl, illegal gold mining, and longer droughts push sloths out of the canopy and into trouble. "If we can conserve it," Pool says of her country, "we have the opportunity to set an example for the rest of the world."

This story is part of my ongoing Kindred Guardians project. See more of my long-term documentary work in [Personal Projects](/personal-projects/).

---

### [Gibbon Sanctuary](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/gibbon-sanctuary/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

WILDLIFE REHABILITATION, MALAYSIA

# Gibbon Sanctuary Malaysia

This gibbon sanctuary in Malaysia is part of Kindred Guardians’ work documenting the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of some of the region’s most endangered apes.

  ![Bam raises the orphaned gibbons in her home because she says “Infant gibbons need to feel the support and security of a close relationship in order to gain confidence as they grow up.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_004-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_004.jpg) 

 ![Bam is currently using her own house for the infants because they need constant care and GPSM doesn’t have the proper facilities yet. She says “infants need a warm environment at night and need to be given milk every 4 hours. “](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_002-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_002.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a person climbing a chain-link fence against a bright sky, framed by tree branches above.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_008-1-600x400.jpg "Rescued gibbons at the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center in Soc Son, Hanoi, Vietnam.")

 [Rescued gibbons at the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center in Soc Son, Hanoi, Vietnam.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/WWF_Globa_Forest-Programs_Justin_Mott_008-1.jpg) 

 ![Bam hand feeds an infant gibbon milk from a bottle at her home.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_030-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_030.jpg) 

 ![Bam awaits her hearing at the courthouse in Kuala Lumpur  for her request for permits to set up a Gibbon rehabilitation center, the first if it’s kind in Malaysia.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_035-600x400.jpeg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_035.jpeg) 

 ![Tom, a 2 year-old gibbon rests in a hammock at the jungle school created by Bam and her team of volunteers.

When Tom was an infant his mother was killed by car and she herself was also severely injured. Bam is teaching Tom how to live again in the wild.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_012-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_012.jpg) 

 ![Bam is working tirelessly with the government of Malaysia to try to gain permission to build the first ever gibbon rehabilitation center in Malaysia. 

The GPSM operates off of Bam’s own money and private donations. If you’d like to contribute please visit https://www.facebook.com/gibbonprotectionsociety/](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_032-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_032.jpg) 

 ![Bam takes a nap after long day working with the gibbons. The infants stay with her for a short period of time as she slowly teaches them them to be away from human contact and to live in nature.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_031-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_031.jpg) 

 ![Tom receives a belly rub as she rests after swinging from the trees in the jungle all morning. 

Bam and her team must work closely with the infant gibbons and then slowly wean them off of human contact to prepare them to live in nature again.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_025-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_025.jpg) 

 ![Nrhafizah Sanan, 18, volunteers with the GPSM as a gibbon caretaker.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_019-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_019.jpg) 

 ![Bam carries a stuffed animal gibbon used to discourage the adult gibbons from crossing over the bridge.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_009-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_009.jpg) 

 ![When asked about the most rewarding part of her work Bam says “seeing the gibbons climb high up in the trees and hearing them sing. “](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_033-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_033.jpg) 

 ![All gibbons produce elaborate and beautiful songs in the wild, but the illegal trade of wild gibbons as pets in Malaysia creates silent forests, bereft of these charismatic animals.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_027-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_027.jpg) 

 ![Tom plays with a mirror near her newly constructed home in the jungle.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_026-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_026.jpg) 

 ![Bam and her team teach the young gibbons how to find food hidden in bamboo stalks.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_024-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_024.jpg) 

 ![Gibbons are arboreal, meaning they spend most of their time up in the tree tops and rarely come down to the ground.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_018-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_018.jpg) 

 ![Bam’s friends and fellow volunteers for GPSM console her after a hearing from the courts in Kuala Lumpur where the judge delayed his ruling on her permit request to house the gibbons. 

Her greater hope is to get the laws amended, such that the information posted by traders or owners of gibbons on social media would be enough to effect an arrest.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_034-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_034.jpg) 

 ![During the rehabilitation process Bam and her team hand feed milt to the infants every 4 hours.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_023-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_023.jpg) 

 ![Bam worked as a wildlife ranger for 11 years and has worked with gibbons for 6 years. She is currently the only person doing gibbon rehabilitation in Malaysia.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_022-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_022.jpg) 

 ![Gibbons not only include the most endangered apes but also the most endangered primate species of the world.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_021-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_021.jpg) 

 ![Bam started her career as a government ranger and after participating in a study program at the Copenhagen Zoo she started to gain interest in conservation.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_008-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_008.jpg) 

 ![Bam makes her way to her van to drive the gibbons to a full day of jungle school where they will learn how to feed in the wild and swing and climb trees.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_006-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_006.jpg) 

 ![Bam is disappointed in the culture in Malaysia of influencers and celebrities posting pictures on their social media accounts of their pet gibbons.

She says they aren’t meant to be in captivity and that they need to be swinging and climbing trees. She says people don’t know the horrific acts that go into capturing the infants, poachers slaughtering the whole family in order to catch the infants.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_020-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_020.jpg) 

 ![The hardest part of Bam’s awareness campaign is making people realize gibbons should not live in captivity and the importance of keeping them in the wild.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_010-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_010.jpg) 

 ![Bam prepares to take the infant baby gibbons to the sanctuary. The sanctuary land was donated to Bam and her foundation by an environmental activist.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_005-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_005.jpg) 

 ![Gibbons primary mode of locomotion, brachiation, involves swinging from branch to branch for distances up to 15 m (50 ft), at speeds as high as 55 km/h (34 mph).](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_028-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_028.jpg) 

 ![Bam and her team construct a temporary enclosed living area for one of the younger gibbons who is transferring from her home to the jungle as part of the rehabilitation process.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_016-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_016.jpg) 

 ![Bam, who acts as a surrogate mother to the infants gibbons, takes an afternoon nap after an active morning training.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_013-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_013.jpg) 

 ![Bam will raise the babies for 2 years bottle feeding them and acting as their surrogate mother, but slowly she says she must detach from them and even though it’s heartbreaking she says “if you love them you have to let them go.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_011-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_011.jpg) 

 ![Bam drives the gibbons a short distance down a dirt road towards the jungle playground she and her team of volunteers built.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_007-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_007.jpg) 

 ![Gibbons are apes in the family Hylobatidae. The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four genera and 18 species.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_029-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_029.jpg) 

 ![Gibbons are monogamous, something which only happens in 3% of mammals, and is very rare among primates.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_017-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_017.jpg) 

 ![There are three species of gibbons, also called “small apes”, in Peninsular Malaysia: the white-handed gibbon, dark-handed or agile gibbon, and the siamang. One additional species, Müller’s Bornean gibbon, lives in East Malaysia.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_015-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_015.jpg) 

 ![Bam says the hardest part of her awareness campaign is making people realize gibbons should not live in captivity and the importance of keeping them in the wild.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_014-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_014.jpg) 

 ![Bam Ramli, 33, founder of the GPSM (Gibbon Protection Society of Malaysia) holds 9 month-old Cinta at an undisclosed location in Pahang, Malaysia. Cinta was rescued from online traders during a sting operation.  

Bam is currently using her own house for the infants because they need constant care and GPSM doesn’t have the proper facilities yet. She says “infants need a warm environment at night and need to be given milk every 4 hours. “](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_001-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_001.jpg) 

 ![As she crusades to save gibbons throughout Malaysia from the harsh conditions of the illegal pet trade, she has had her life threatened several times.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_003-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Gibbon-Sanctuary_Malaysia_003.jpg) 

 ![Bam is working tirelessly with the government of Malaysia to try to gain permission to build the first ever gibbon rehabilitation center in Malaysia. 

The GPSM operates off of Bam’s own money and private donations. If you’d like to contribute please visit https://www.facebook.com/gibbonprotectionsociety/](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_052-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_052.jpg) 

 ![Bam hand feeds an infant gibbon milk from a bottle at her home.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_051-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_051.jpg) 

 ![Bam drives the gibbons a short distance down a dirt road towards the jungle playground she and her team of volunteers built.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_050-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_050.jpg) 

 ![Bam raises the orphaned gibbons in her home because she says “Infant gibbons need to feel the support and security of a close relationship in order to gain confidence as they grow up.”](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_049-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_049.jpg) 

 ![As she crusades to save gibbons throughout Malaysia from the harsh conditions of the illegal pet trade, she has had her life threatened several times.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_048-600x400.jpg "Gibbons Malaysia  | Kindred Guardians")

 [Gibbons Malaysia | Kindred Guardians](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_048.jpg) 

 ## Inside a Gibbon Sanctuary in Malaysia

This gibbon sanctuary in Malaysia is part of the wider [Kindred Guardians](https://leica-camera.com/en-int/event/kindred-guardians?srsltid=AfmBOoo-QIvn_YOiW_RuN_qZCWezKXCxKbt8oURtkzXYHu6m96xwX1vi) project, documenting the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of some of the region’s most endangered apes.

## How Gibbons Arrive at the Sanctuary

Most gibbons reach the sanctuary through the illegal pet trade. Poachers kill the mother to take the baby, and the ones that survive arrive malnourished and deeply traumatised. At the gibbon sanctuary, recovery begins with safety, food, medical care, and time away from the people who once treated them as pets. Behind the trade sit the larger threats: forests cleared for palm oil and logging, and the conflict that follows when people and wildlife are pushed into the same shrinking space.

## Learning to Be Wild Again in Malaysia

Rehabilitation is slow. It starts with medical care, then the harder work of teaching animals that have spent years in cages how to move, feed, and trust their own kind again. The ones that make it are released and monitored back in the wild.

Gibbons are one of many species fighting to survive. Through this work, Justin wants to give them, and the people caring for them, the voice they deserve. This story is part of his ongoing Kindred Guardians project. See more of Justin’s long-term documentary work in [Personal Projects](/personal-projects/).

Featured in: Feature Shoot, Leica, We Animals Asia

---

### [Northern White Rhinos](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/northern-white-rhinos/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY, KENYA

# The Last Northern White Rhinos

Justin Mott documents the last two northern white rhinos on Earth at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, where Najin and Fatu live under 24-hour armed guard.

  ![JustinMott_Portfolio_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JustinMott_Portfolio_001-600x400.jpg "JustinMott_Portfolio_001")

 [JustinMott\_Portfolio\_001](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/JustinMott_Portfolio_001.jpg) 

 ![Aerial view of two light-colored horses lying on a dry grassy field, with long shadows cast to the side.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_003-600x400.jpg "To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos")

 [To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_003.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_002](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_002.jpg) 

 ![JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003-600x400.jpg "JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003")

 [JustinMott.com\_Editorial\_Portfolio\_003](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_003.jpg) 

 ![A gray rhinoceros grazing in dry grass with a clear blue sky and a fence in the distance.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_007-600x400.jpg "To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos")

 [To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_007.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_004-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_004.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_005-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_005.jpg) 

 ![Memorial plaque for Sudan, the last male northern white rhino (1973–2018), with a reflection of a man wearing a hat in the glass](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_011-600x400.jpg "To Serve and Protect")

 [To Serve and Protect](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_011.jpg) 

 ![Man standing with hands on hips beside a solitary tree on a flat plain, encircled by stacked stone cairns at sunset.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_010-600x400.jpg "To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos")

 [To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_010.jpg) 

 ![Two rhinoceroses walk through a sunlit grassland at sunset, with a fence line in the background.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_004-600x400.jpg "To Serve and Protect")

 [To Serve and Protect](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_004.jpg) 

 ![Group of soldiers in camouflage uniforms standing with rifles, heads bowed in a dusty outdoor area near a vehicle and trees, military gear visible.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_012-600x400.jpg "To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos")

 [To Serve and Protect | The Caretakers and Guardians of the Last Two Remaining Nothern White Rhinos](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Plight-of-the-Northern-White-Rhino_012.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_006.jpg) 

 ![Silhouetted trio of soldiers with rifles standing on a hill at dusk against a blue gradient sky, horizon visible on the horizon edge.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal010-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Editorial-Portfolio-FInal010.jpg) 

 ![Ol Pejeta Image Copyright Justin Mott 2019

Fatu and Najin Images](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_008-600x400.jpg "Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott")

 [Ol Pejeta images by Justin Mott](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_008.jpg) 

 ![Two park rangers in green uniforms walk along a muddy path with a white rhinoceros blocking the trail under a cloudy sky.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_011-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_011.jpg) 

 ![Najin, the elder of the two northern white rhinos, is looked after by one of the Kenya Wildlife Service Veterinary staff while undergoing anesthesia during the ovum pick up procedure on Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_009-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/JustinMott.com_Editorial_Portfolio_009.jpg) 

 ![Silhouette of a researcher looking into a microscope inside a dim shipping-container lab, backlit by bright exterior light.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_058-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_058.jpg) 

 ![Field veterinarians treat a large elephant on a blue tarp, using portable medical equipment while a crowd watches nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_042-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_042.jpg) 

 ![Man wearing a hat and olive outfit stands on a wooden fence, looking down at a large rhinoceros in a grassy enclosure beneath him](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_030-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_030.jpg) 

 ![A small propeller airplane on a tarmac with several men loading a gray cargo case and bags nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_065-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_065.jpg) 

 ![Researchers in black BioRescue shirts handle a large white cooler, releasing thick dry-ice fog in a lab setting with people nearby.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_020-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_020.jpg) 

 ![Man in a green hat stands beside a large white rhinoceros grazing in a grassy field at sunset.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_001-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_001.jpg) 

 ![A person's hand resting on an elephant's wrinkled gray skin near its eye.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_006-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_006.jpg) 

 ![Close-up of dark-skinned hands holding a tiny sprout with two delicate roots.](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_007-600x400.jpg "Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin")

 [Kindred Guardians Fatu and Najin](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Ovum-Procedure-Ol-Pejeta_Web-Resolution_Justin-Mott_007.jpg) 

 ## The last two northern white rhinos on Earth

In 2018, Sudan, the last male northern white rhino, died at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Laikipia County, Kenya. His death left only two of his subspecies alive: Fatu and Najin, a mother and daughter.

They live inside a secured enclosure on Ol Pejeta, a 360-square-kilometre sanctuary known for its rhino conservation work. Poaching and habitat loss wiped out the rest. Their horns, wrongly believed to hold medicinal value, still drive demand in illegal markets across China, South Korea, and Vietnam.

## Guarded around the clock

Fatu and Najin are watched 24 hours a day by armed rangers from the National Police Reservists. These are two of the most protected animals on the planet, and the danger is not abstract. In 2018 a confrontation between rangers and poachers at Ol Pejeta ended in a fatal shootout.

The caretakers live in a remote bush camp within sight of the rhinos, 20 days on and 6 days off, away from their own families, so these two are never left alone.

## Part of the Kindred Guardians project

This story is one chapter of Kindred Guardians, my self-funded documentary series about the people who give their lives to animals in need. Every chapter follows one human-animal bond and the conservation fight behind it. All images and text from the series are donated to the organisations featured and licensed to media worldwide. The work is photographed with Leica cameras and lenses.

## Wander Alone

The story also became a short film, Wander Alone, made with my friend Joey Bania. It follows Najin and Fatu as the last of their kind, a quiet meditation on what it means to lose a species for good. The 10-minute documentary is finished and screening privately while we look at festivals and distribution. If you can help, email me at .

[Donate to Helping Rhinos](https://www.helpingrhinos.org/) / [Learn more about Ol Pejeta Conservancy](https://www.olpejetaconservancy.org/)

Featured in: The Washington Post, NBC, Leica Witness Campaign, Travel + Leisure, Feature Shoot, PetaPixel, Euronews, We Animals Media, My Modern Met, Fstoppers

---

### [Orphaned Elephants](https://justinmott.com/personal-projects/orphaned-elephants/)

**Published:** July 22, 2026
**Author:** justinmottadmin

**Content:**

SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST, KENYA

# Orphaned Elephants in Kenya

Justin Mott documents orphaned elephants in Kenya at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, where keepers raise calves by hand and sleep in their stalls to replace the family each animal has lost.

  ![Shedrick Trust_Justin Mott_Kindred Guardians_018](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Shedrick-Trust_Justin-Mott_Kindred-Guardians_018-600x400.jpg "Shedrick Trust_Justin Mott_Kindred Guardians_018")

 [Shedrick Trust\_Justin Mott\_Kindred Guardians\_018](https://justinmott.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Shedrick-Trust_Justin-Mott_Kindred-Guardians_018.jpg) 

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 ## Inside the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya

This chapter of Kindred Guardians follows the keepers at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi, Kenya, where orphaned elephants are raised by hand. Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick founded the Trust in 1977 in memory of her husband, David Sheldrick. It is now one of the leading elephant rescue and rehabilitation organisations in East Africa.

## Raised by hand, around the clock

The keepers care for these elephants 24 hours a day. They feed them from oversized milk bottles and sleep beside them in their stalls, standing in for the family each calf has lost. It is the first step on a long road back to the wild, and it can take years.

Through these photographs I wanted to show both the young elephants and the people who give up their own nights and holidays to raise them.

## Part of the Kindred Guardians project

Kindred Guardians is my ongoing documentary series about the people who dedicate their lives to animals in need. The goal is a book that gathers these stories in one place and gives endangered species, and their caretakers, a voice.

[Adopt an elephant with the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust](https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/)

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