It’s been a while since I posted a picture of the week; I simply haven’t been taking many photographs lately. I haven’t been doing much of anything at all, to be honest. But I’ve just come back from a week in Hue, in central Vietnam, where I managed to get up off my arse and take some pictures. This shot was taken in Dong Ba market. More Hue pictures coming soon.
A sequel is usually a sign of someone running out of ideas, and this post, I’m afraid, is no exception. In the absence of anything new to post from the last few weeks, I’ve plundered my archive for some more pictures from my Mekong trip in January this year, to create a follow up to my original Mekong Delta portraits post. I like all these pictures – I wouldn’t be posting them otherwise – but I wish that I had something new to share. I’m spending next week in Hue, and I’m hoping that a change of scene will provide some inspiration. We’ll see. In the meantime, please forgive the navel-gazing and enjoy the pictures.
Saigon xe om driver in characteristic pose, watched over by a slightly creepy giant baby.
Vietnam is a nation of early risers. In the cities and countryside alike, people are up with the sun. It’s not uncommon for dissolute expats to make it home in the early hours, just as their Vietnamese neighbours are going out to face the new day. When I lived in Hanoi, my alley turned itself into a small fresh food market every morning; I knew I’d had a long night when I came home to find market traders setting up outside my front door.
Saigon’s parks are often at their busiest in the early mornings, when the sun is low in the sky. People of all ages gather to take all kinds of exercise – jogging, walking, badminton, aerobics, martial arts, ballroom dancing – before the working days begins. I’m not naturally an early riser myself, but back in January I made a few early morning visits to my local park to take a few pictures.
I don’t take that many black and white pictures, but with these I wanted to see if I could capture the feel of the early morning sun without the benefit of colour.
I haven’t taken that many pictures in Saigon recently, but I’m hoping that moving to a new neighbourhood will inspire me. This was taken outside Tan Dinh market on Hai Ba Trung, which I’m expecting will become a regular destination for me in the coming months.
This blog has gained a lot of new followers over the last couple of days, thanks to my ‘Mekong Delta portraits’ post being featured on Freshly Pressed. Welcome everybody and thanks for the support – I hope that you’ll continue enjoying the blog.
Two days in two of south-east Asia’s capital cities, two months apart. In January, I passed through Phnom Penh on my way back from my Mekong trip. Last weekend, I went back to my old home of Hanoi for the first time in more than a year. I didn’t take that many pictures on either occasion – in Phnom Penh, I was winding down after two weeks away, and in Hanoi I had some important drinking to do. I got a few shots that I like though, and I thought they might make a nice ‘compare and contrast’ exercise. Forgive me, I’m an English teacher. Phnom Penh is in colour and Hanoi is in black and white.
I spent last weekend in Hanoi, seeing old friends and visiting old haunts. It was grey, damp, foggy and messy and I loved it.
Late December and early January in Saigon. Looking at these pictures again, I wish – not for the first time – that my Vietnamese was better, so that I could write a little about these people and their stories.
Twinkle
The number 8
Cafe culture
…
The boys in blue
Driving lessons
Cigarette break
Dapper gent
Sandwich lady
Afternoon sun
A bit of a blur
Sunday evening was my first time out shooting with a tripod, and my first attempt at long-exposure photography. I mostly shoot on the streets and in markets, often in quite tight spaces where a tripod would weigh me down and get in the way. I like to be able to react quickly and be mobile when I’m out with my camera, so I normally just carry a small shoulder bag containing a DSLR, one or two lenses and a good book. For the kind of shots I usually take, if there is not much available light, I’ll crank up the ISO and/or use my 50mm or 85mm prime lens at a wide aperture, so that I can still hand-hold the camera.
I like to think that I can be spontaneous when I’m taking pictures, but I also recognise that there are times when I need to be more considered, think more and shoot less. And this is why using a tripod was great practice for me. It made me slow down and really think about composition and camera settings for each shot. I didn’t always get it right, but the thinking part was important. Thinking is good.
Overall, I’m quite happy with my first attempts at night-time shooting, though I still have a lot to learn, particularly about getting my focus right. I’m fairly sure that people pictures will remain my favourite kind of photography, and I certainly won’t be taking my tripod with me everywhere I go, but it’s always good to try something new. It’s got me thinking about photography in a slightly different way, so I think it was 800,000 dong well-spent.
The shot above was a 30 second exposure, taken at 6.30, about half an hour after sunset.
Many thanks to my student and new photography buddy Son for his local knowledge and his wheels.
Binh Tay market, Cholon, Saigon.
I’ve not taken many pictures lately – I’ve been lacking inspiration since coming back from my Mekong / Cambodia trip in January. I felt like I was on a roll while I was away, but I seem to have hit a slump since getting back to Saigon. Consequently, I’m a bit behind with my Pictures of the Week – this one’s from the week before last.
Without an H 
