A photo from the “S.W.A.T. rescue” series that Tung shot according to his and the customer’s storyboard.

A park. A cathedral. A bridge, old or new. A street lined with trees. A pagoda.

A statue. On a motorbike, or a scooter. The settings in, on or against which soon-to-be wedded Vietnamese couples and families in general have their photographs taken are legion.

Nineteen-year-old Thu Thuy, a freelance model, has other ideas. When she gets married “someday,” her photo shoot will have her dressed in a S.W.A.T costume.

No, Thuy is not a soldier or a marine. She has apparently gained spiritual and emotional strength by having many photo albums shot at the Spotlight Studio on Nguyen Hue city Street, which specializes in providing these costumes.

“The costume is heavy with many different parts. But wearing it makes me feel stronger, just like I am a warrior and gives me a rush. I have posed with many kinds of S.W.A.T costumes and intend to make an exclusive version when I get married someday.”

Well, it turns out that many local and foreign youth are choosing the studio’s exclusive service for their wedding album.

Urban cameo jacket, black combat boots, balaclava, gun belt, drop-leg holster, load-bearing vests and knee-pads with various kinds of faux guns, knifes and swords - all these props are offered at Le Thanh Tung’s studio. He got the idea for providing these special photo ops from his hobby, the Airsoft game which uses replicas of real guns (with plastic bullets) and other military equipment to simulate various kind of war games.

The Airsoft game is said to have originated in Japan in the 70s and mass marketed in the 80s by US companies, and it has since become popular in Asian, European and American countries.

While it is not widespread in Vietnam, there are several ardent fans of the game, including Tung and his friends, who are well-to-do and can play the “dangerous” game “responsibly.”

However, Tung uses his collection to offer the exclusive photography service. He said most items in his collection like the uniforms, guns and swords were bought whenever he travelled abroad. Some of his friends staying in foreign countries have also purchased the items for him.

Tung has expanded his service into offering photo shoots resembling film posters, ranging from action to romance. He said for this service to be successful, it needs a large investment in properties, elaborate preparation and inspired work by both the photographer and the customer.

“The replica of the customer’s favorite posters of action movies like ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ and ‘Clash’ need a lot of work to set up, in getting the right costumes and ‘weapons’. But the customer’s acting plays the most important role in making the photos successful. Besides the photos, my colleagues and I also create some teasers and photo series. Most of my customers are young people who love to establish their own personality in the photos and I am happy to take part in making it for them.”