Mirko
Ries

visual storytelling

Mirko
Ries

visual storytelling

coal warriors

Cam Pha, in northeastern Vietnam, is a center of the country’s coal industry, fueling power plants and steel production. It’s a place where economic growth meets the harsh realities of industrial labor.

When I first visited Cam Pha as a young, inexperienced photographer, I lacked a clear vision for storytelling. Armed with only a Canon 40D and a sense of curiosity, I wandered without much direction, capturing moments without fully understanding how to convey the deeper narrative. Despite this, the images I took back then helped me secure an internship at Migros Magazin, marking the start of my photographic career.

Years later, I returned to Cam Pha, determined to tell the story better, with more experience and a Hasselblad in hand. This time, I wanted to dive deeper into their world, portraying not just their labor but the resilience and humanity behind it.

Building trust with the miners came surprisingly easily - starting with a few beers at dawn to break the ice. However, the real challenge was gaining access to the mining areas themselves. Despite having a translator and a clear purpose, guards and local police were cautious, citing strict regulations. I wasn’t allowed into the actual mining shafts but managed to photograph at the factory and near the exits, where workers emerged covered in soot, their exhaustion and grit palpable.

These hurdles, while frustrating, became part of the story. The limited access forced me to focus on the miners themselves—their faces, their strength, and their determination. The resulting images capture the essence of life in Cam Pha’s coal industry: grueling, dangerous, and often unseen.