During his time in Vietnam, Hy took photos for several non-profit organizations and social enterprises, including Fashion4Freedom, Volunteers In Asia, Hue Help, and Friends of Hue Foundation. These organizations have used his photos and photo-stories for their websites, promotional materials, and even charity auction pieces.
From 2008-2011, Hy maintained a popular photo-story blog about street food and culture in Vietnam that eventually landed him a spot as one of two representatives for Vietnam at the First ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Blogger’s Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At the conference, Hy was able to speak about his passion for photography as a vehicle for social change.
In summer of 2012, Hy designed and facilitated a 2-week photography character development program for 40 kids at his orphanage in collaboration with 10 volunteers from San Jose, CA. The project focused on documenting and sharing the children’s lives by empowering them to show the world ‘through their eyes.” The program consisted of four different photo project cycles (nature and environments, detail and macro, people, and self-portraits), each supplemented by a series of relevant youth-led character workshops. At the end of the program, Hy facilitated a local photo exhibition to engage with the greater community.
Since then, Hy has done a few solo and collaborate photo shows both in the U.S. and overseas centered around his social documentary photography. Hy also continues to work with local and international nonprofit organizations on their visual storytelling.