{"id":5818,"date":"2026-01-08T09:12:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T09:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/?p=5818"},"modified":"2026-02-11T09:03:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T09:03:32","slug":"from-magic-to-michelin-a-conversation-with-khoi-nguyen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/from-magic-to-michelin-a-conversation-with-khoi-nguyen\/","title":{"rendered":"From Magic to Michelin: A Conversation with Khoi Nguyen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get to know Vietnamese food Photographer Khoi Nguyen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"In<\/a>
The word on the T-shirt means \u201clucky\u201d in Vietnamese<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/strong>
Based in Vietnam, Khoi Nguyen (known as Koi) is a food and beverage photographer specializing in restaurants, bars, and hospitality brands across Asia. We joined in as he was photographing at a bar  Raw+Atelier <\/a>to talk about his journey into photography, his approach to food as a product, his workflow, and how tools like JPEGmini and AI fit into his process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s start at the beginning. How did you become a photographer?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I actually started very young – around 14 years old. At the time, I was learning magic online, and while searching, I came across websites with really beautiful visuals, photos and videos. That moment really stayed with me. I remember thinking: wow, visuals are powerful<\/em>. That curiosity pushed me toward photography and filmmaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later on, I received a full scholarship to RMIT University, an Australian university, where I studied Digital Media Design. I got the scholarship through films and photography, so in a way, photography opened the door for everything that followed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What was your first camera?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I won my first camera when I was 13. It was a Nikon D3100, from an online competition in Taiwan. I still have the winning photo saved somewhere on Facebook – honestly, it doesn\u2019t look very good today. But this  started my journey on exploring this medium. Winning that camera gave me the confidence to take photography seriously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This image marks Khoi Nguyen very first commercial shoot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You didn\u2019t start with food photography. How did that happen?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Not at all. At university, I was doing freelance filmmaking and commercial documentaries for small NGOs. Food wasn\u2019t on my radar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That changed in my final year when a friend opened a restaurant and asked me to help with marketing. At some point she said, \u201cWe have a dish we need to promote – can you shoot it?\u201d
I told her honestly: I don\u2019t know how to shoot food.<\/em>
<\/em>But I tried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That first food photo led to more work. People in her circle noticed something different in my approach, and from there, restaurants, cocktail bars, clubs, and hospitality brands started reaching out. That was around 2019 – and that\u2019s when my journey in food & beverage really began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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 “I don\u2019t see myself as a \u201cstill life\u201d food photographer. <\/strong>
The image has to work for the business
not just look artistic”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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What makes food photography so challenging?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To do this job well, you need a strong connection with the chef and the bar team. You need to understand how kitchens operate, how bars work, timing, pressure, and hospitality culture. I started inside restaurants, so I understand those systems deeply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why I don\u2019t see myself as a \u201cstill life\u201d food photographer. I focus on sales, marketing, and communication. The image has to work for the business – not just look artistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How would you describe your visual approach?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t interfere with the chef\u2019s work.
If a dish is served a certain way in real life, that\u2019s what I capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I want the food or drink to speak for itself. No unnecessary styling, no overproduction. When someone sees the photo, they should immediately understand what the product is and feel confident ordering it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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“JPEGmini helps me deliver files that are fast, efficient, and still beautiful. <\/strong>
I\u2019ve even used JPEGmini files for real-life exhibitions, printed in big size, <\/strong>
and that  worked perfectly!<\/strong>“<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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How did you discover JPEGmini, and how does it fit into your workflow?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I discovered JPEGmini many years ago through photography websites. I downloaded a very early version and have been using it ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s incredibly useful. Sometimes clients are surprised when they see how small the files are – they ask me, \u201cIs this really high quality?\u201d
And I tell them: Yes. Full resolution. Just optimized.<\/em>Most images go online anyways, not to print.
JPEGmini helps me deliver files that are fast, efficient, and still beautiful. I\u2019ve even used JPEGmini files for real-life exhibitions, printed in big size, and that  worked perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are your thoughts on AI in photography?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I use AI – absolutely. Especially in pre-production and post-production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before a shoot, I use AI to generate shot lists based on the location, menu, and campaign goals. It saves time and helps me stay organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the shoot, I use AI tools for removing elements or cleanup tasks that would otherwise take much longer manually.I\u2019m not afraid of AI replacing photographers. AI can make things look too perfect<\/em>. Sometimes people even comment on real food photos asking if they\u2019re AI – which tells you something. Authenticity still matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What has photography given you beyond work?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Food photography has taken me to incredible places – Singapore, Hong Kong, international campaigns with brands like whisky houses and world-class bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But more than travel, it\u2019s the people. I\u2019ve met chefs, bartenders, creatives from all over Asia. That\u2019s the real reward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Final thoughts<\/strong>

From early curiosity in visuals to working with top restaurants and bars in Asia, Khoi Nguyen builds his work on authenticity, speed, and smart workflow. JPEGmini and AI help him stay efficient \u2014 without compromising quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet Kh\u00f4i Nguy\u1ec5n, a Vietnam-based food & beverage photographer blending culinary culture, people, and storytelling into powerful visual experiences.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":5854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,61],"tags":[66,70,64,65,63],"class_list":["post-5818","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beverage-photographer","category-vietnamese-food","tag-hospitality-photography","tag-image-optimization","tag-khoi-nguyen","tag-michelin","tag-vietnamese"],"blocksy_meta":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5818","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5818"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5818\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5818"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5818"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.jpegmini.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5818"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}