Without an H

Photography from south-east Asia by Jon Sanwell

Posts tagged ‘black and white’

Hanoi street portraits (#1)

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Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been taking some simple, uncrowded, black and white portrait photographs in the streets near my home in Hanoi, using an 85mm lens. Having just used my 35mm lens for more than a year, it’s refreshing to be doing something a little different. My camera feels new again.

Hello sunshine

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After weeks of grey, drizzly weather, the sun has begun to force its way through the clouds above Hanoi this week. Not bright, blazing sunshine by any means, but a soft, hazy sunshine that’s perfect for street portraits.

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Winter

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Winter in Hanoi has been mild so far, though the pessimist in me is wary about what February and March have in store. Up until now, despite the cold of the early morning and night time, the days have been mostly bright and sunny. These pictures were taken last week, in a Hanoi neighbourhood not far from where I live.

I’ve been trying for something a bit different with my pictures since coming back from my Mekong trip, shooting only in black and white and only with a 35mm lens, and with minimal post-processing. I think this approach is quite well suited to Hanoi in the autumn and winter. But I’ve not been shooting as much as I would like. While I was travelling in the summer, I was very focused on photography, shooting nearly every day, and planning my time and my travels around my pictures. Now that I’m settled back in Hanoi, photography has taken a bit of a back seat again, something to be fitted in around my job and my everyday life. This isn’t altogether a bad thing. I’m very happy to be living in Hanoi again, and am (mostly) enjoying teaching again, but I hope to be shooting and posting more often over the coming months.

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