A.P. Soe - Myanmar
A.P. is both brilliant and inspiring. Two weeks with him will have your portfolio popping like a string of firecrackers.” – Alastair McNaughton, Nikon Photographer of the Year
Aung Pyae Soe, “A.P.”, first fell in love with photography through landscapes, and cites the great Marc Adamus as his chief inspiration. He’s always working on perfecting his filter and exposure combinations to create his signature look. But make no mistake, he’s an outstanding all around travel photographer as well.
The passionate young National Geographic contributor has shown himself to be a top flight portraitist and travel action shooter as well. In point of fact, it was his brilliant action shot of a mud-splashed ox-cart racer in Indonesia that propelled him to the finals of the world’s most prestigious photo competition — the Hasselblad Masters — and made him the Public Vote Winner! Following numerous regional publications and exhibitions in his hometown of Yangon, (where his father is a longtime producer of Burmese film & TV comedies), Aung went on to win Best Overall Photographer at the Garuda International Photography Competition , (one of the largest in the world at the time) proving once again he is much more than a landscaper! In 2015 he won in the Best People category, making his the only two-time Garuda award winner, ever!
“Since attending a Luminous Journeys photo tour in Myanmar with A.P. Soe, I’ve become so passionate about photography that I started traveling more, trying to apply the valuable techniques I learnt during the tour. People who see my photos sometimes ask me if I’m a professional photographer. This is how much AP helped me improve! I am very grateful to AP for that but also for being such a nice person and friend, it really made the photo tour an absolutely memorable experience that I keep building on day after day.”— Eddie Hui-Bon-Hoa, France
Among his latest accomplishments are record setting Yangon exhibition sales and winning the American Photographic Society’s Silver Award for travel photography. In early 2017 he was named brand ambassador for Air Asia , and is slated to do a number of photo shoots around Asia, be featured in their in-flight magazine and make personal appearances.
With his fun loving, generous nature and consistently excellent work, A.P. Soe is on the short list of the best photographers and most beloved photo tour leaders in Asia. With all the natural talent in the world, the only limits on how far the young photographer can go, are his alone to set.
And we have never met a photographer so happy to stand in front of a lens! You don’t have to ask, he’s already smiling!
Select AP Soe Photography Awards
1st Prize - ‘Image of the World’ International Photo Competition ‘People and Culture’ – 2008
3rd Prize - Epoch Times International Photo Contest – 2009
3rd Prize - Korean Air Line International Photo Contest – 2009
Best Photographer - Garuda Indonesia International Photo Competition – 2010
Hasselblad Masters – Public Vote Winner - 2010
2nd Prize - Korean Airlines International Photo Contest – 2011
1st Prize - Best People Photographer - Garuda International Photo Competition – 2012
National Geographic Best Photo of the Year Nominee - 2012
Silver Medal - American Photographic Society Photo Contest - 2014
Silver Medal - iPhone Photography Awards – 2015
1st Prize - Mobile Phone Photography Awards – 2016
1st Prize - Prince Naris Day Mobile Phone Photography Awards – 2018
Print Publications
Print publications include National Geographic, Asian Geographic, Reader’s Digest, and Garuda Indonesia.
What's in AP Soe’s Lowepro bag?
Camera Bodies – Fujifilm GFX 50s
Lenses – Fujifilm GF 23mm f/4; Fujifilm GF 32~64mm f/4 ; Fujifilm GF 100~200mm f/5.6
Tripod – Gitzo
Filter System – Singhray Grad ND .4 soft + hard steps, Singhray ND .4, Singhray CPL Polarizer, Lee Big stopper, Lee Little stopper, Lee Grad ND 1.2 medium steps
Camera Phone – Huawei P 30 Pro Camera Phone
