Hot and Humid Hoi An

Hoi An was hot and humid, my favorite combination. Luckily, the AC was working in our room which has been named by the hotel staff , “The Chill Zone.” The temperature difference was enough to cause a mini-vortex at the door jam and more import, condensation on my camera lens upon leaving. It took upwards of fifteen minutes to get the camera gear acclimatized before we could begin shooting. When ready, the shooting was good!

A UNESCO Site

Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage center and for good reason. “Hoi An Ancient Town is an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Its buildings and its street plan reflect the influences, both indigenous and foreign, that have combined to produce this unique heritage site.” (from whc.unesco.org) Because of this, it is used as a location for many weddings and such occasions, photographers setting up poses for beautiful pictures throughout the site. We were lucky to bump into a few. Fortunately, the participants and photographers were nice, letting me sneak a shot or two.

These two women were strolling in the evening, out for a photos shoot. I snuck in for a quickie.

A Japanese lady and a Vietnamese lady schedule a photo shoot at 6:00am. I was able to get a nice shot of the Japanese lady. Believe it or not, it was very dark where I took this photo.

Saw this couple from a short boat ride at sunset. When we got on land we bumped into them – a Belgian and a Vietnamese. Beautiful couple.

Marketplace

Hoi An also has a marketplace that sells fresh seafood right off the fishing boats, chickens, locally grown vegetables, and other foods that shall remain unmentioned. It is also a great place to photograph.

I love this guy’s face. He was nice enough to “let” me get real close for the shot. I think he was too hungry to chase me away.

This is an old-style sewing machine. This guy used it like a pro. I asked him if I could take a photo. He barely looked up so I took that as a resounding yes.

This was shot before sunrise. I was sneaky as I settled in behind this lady. She looked back and leaned – I shot. Then, I ran.

Pottery

Nearby is a local village known for its pottery. Would you believe it is called, “Pottery Village”? We got there early, mostly before the locals awoke, looking for photos of people working the kilns. Note that these kilns were cobbled together and heated with wood fires. As we sweated through the streets we could see why the kilns were not in operation, just too darn hot!

This guy was so interesting to watch as he worked the room. He took a quick break and I got the shot. I love this photo except for one small mistake – and it irks me to no end. Can you spot the mistake?

This is a portrait of Kathryn’s hands. She was invited to make a piece of pottery. The man used his foot to spin the wheel. So cool.

The light was incredible. It enveloped this father with his young son. I waited for what seemed like hours (just a few moments) until the scene was perfect. Boom!

Panning for Photos

We continued our practice of the technique of panning which can give the photo an interesting look at the people of Vietnam. Panning can be tricky. It’s not so easy to set a slow camera exposure (1/15 second) and move the camera right to left (or left to right) at the same speed as our moving target. Then we need to time the pressing of the shutter at the exact position we want. All the while trying to keep our subject in focus! What do you think about a few panning shots from our days in Hoi An.

Kathryn’s pan of a Vietnamese schoolgirl. She had to position herself across the street from a nice background, then wait for a good subject and hope there is no interference. Not easy!