travel | Without an H

Posts from the ‘travel’ category

Construction (and other pictures)

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It often seems like Hanoi is in the midst of an endless cycle of knocking itself down and building itself up again. On almost every street, there’s construction or demolition work going on. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference. When I first came to Vietnam, I was surprised to see so many women working on construction sites, but now, like so much else, it’s just normal. I need to remind myself sometimes that even if an image is familiar (to me), it can still be worth photographing.

These pictures – which mostly have nothing to do with construction at all – were all taken in the streets around Van Mieu, the area best known for the Temple of Literature, this month.

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A calligrapher, a birdkeeper and a chef

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A calligrapher, a birdkeeper and a chef walked into a bar… and none of them could think of a punchline.

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Yellow V

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Every now and then, I post a series of yellow-based pictures. It’s not my favourite colour, but it is Hanoi’s.

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Framed

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I’m slowly getting back into the rhythm of taking photographs again, after another of my all too regular lulls. These four pictures were taken in Hanoi’s Dong Da district a couple of weekends ago and, in my mind at least, all fit into a loose ‘framing’ theme.

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Tailor (and other pictures)

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It’s autumn in Hanoi. This is a good thing. You can move about without feeling like you’re about to melt. To celebrate, I’ve started taking pictures in colour again.

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On Bamboo Street with VTV

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Last week, I had the slightly surreal experience of being interviewed for Vietnamese television, in connection with my Hanoi / Yangon exhibition at Vietnam in Focus. As well as a sit-down interview, I was filmed taking pictures on Hang Vai, a street in the Old Quarter known for its bamboo workshops, and also the location of the ViF cafe / gallery. Obviously, I’m not used to being filmed while photographing and I felt quite uncomfortable with the whole experience, but some of the pictures I took that afternoon came out nice, so I’m posting them here.

Also, and I know I’m going to regret this, I’m posting a link to the full program (Culture Mosaic, originally broadcast on VTV4 last weekend; my segment starts at about 13 minutes). Honestly, I’m actually quite articulate and personable in real life, but put me in front of a camera and I turn into the awkward, sweaty, incoherent individual you see here.

(with thanks to the good people of VTV)

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An August eleven

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Eleven pictures from Hanoi last month.

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Exhibitionism

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I’m delighted to say that my first photography exhibition is opening soon. Mirror Cities: Hanoi / Yangon is a collection of street portraits from the two cities. The pictures are presented in pairs, Hanoi in black and white, Yangon in colour, with each pair sharing some commonality in subject, style or theme.

The where and when:
Vietnam in Focus, 46 Hang Vai Street,
Hoan Kiem, Hanoi.
Opening night: Saturday 10th September from 7pm to 10pm.
Free admission.

If you’re in Hanoi – or if you feel like hopping on a plane – please come along on the opening night, or pop in at any time over the next month or so.

Vietnam in Focus is a cafe / gallery in central Hanoi and a photography tour company, offering individual and group tours in Hanoi and northern Vietnam. A big thank you to Alex and Colm at ViF for making this happen.

Postcard from Malaysia

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Back in February, I took a short trip to Malaysia. I bought some socks in Kuala Lumpur. I got rained on in the Cameron Highlands. I had a funny turn in Penang. Overall, the trip wasn’t a great success. My fault, not Malaysia’s. Most of the pictures I took weren’t any good, but I like these five (from Kuala Lumpur and Penang).