Capturing the Tropical Mind, City Grind Collection

Tropical Mind, City Grind is a series of PSD mockups photographed on the streets of Bangkok. The idea was straightforward: to capture everyday urban environments shaped by tropical light, heat, and movement.

Instead of controlled studio setups, the scenes come from daily surroundings: a thermal mug leaning against packed coconuts at a market stall, a poster resting on a typical blue plastic chair, another hanging loosely within overhead wires, or a flyer held by a golden Siamese lucky cat with an oversized muscular arm, sitting on a chair outside a small shop. Ordinary situations, observed as they are.

Tropical Mind, City Grind – Explore this collection →

Many of the mockups were photographed in Klong Toei, one of Bangkok's most active and layered districts. The area is known for its markets, small workshops, street vendors, and constant movement throughout the day. Materials, tools, food, transport — everything overlaps in close proximity.

Klong Toei carries a strong sense of improvisation and practical creativity. Things are repaired rather than replaced. Structures evolve over time. Surfaces age naturally under sun and rain. It's an environment shaped by use, not by design trends.

For the Tropical Mind, City Grind mockups, I really wanted to photograph a smartphone mounted inside a tuk tuk. It felt like an essential detail for the series.

But finding the right one wasn't easy. Many tuk tuks looked either overly customized or not authentic enough for what I had in mind. After a long morning walking around Klong Toei in Bangkok, I was almost ready to head home.

Then I met a driver and we started talking for a moment. His tuk tuk was exactly what I had been looking for — blue, decorated with simple garlands, full of character but still real.

Perfect for Hell's Blue Boy.

iPhone Mockup 32 – View this tuk tuk mockup →

But the collection is also shaped by something else — a quiet admiration for the everyday ingenuity found across Thailand. Objects are constantly adapted, fixed, adjusted, and reimagined using whatever materials are available. Small repairs, improvised solutions, and hands-on skill are part of daily life. It's a practical creativity that feels natural rather than decorative.

That mindset — working with what is there, respecting material, embracing imperfection — is reflected in these scenes.

The collection grew out of observing how design exists in these environments. Posters, packaging, and typography rarely live in perfect studios — they live on streets, tables, vehicles, and in motion.

This everyday atmosphere — functional, adaptable, and full of life — forms the background of much of the Tropical Mind, City Grind collection.

Tropical Mind, City Grind – Explore this collection →