Minimalistic in Hanoi

In Hanoi working on a project for a major Airlines inflight magazine. More about this later on. Woke up early and hit a half awake city I have been absent from since the early '90s when I back-packed from here to Ho Chi Minh city a.k.a Saigon. The huge trees that lines most roads are still here as well as the more than chaotic traffic and street hustling. Love it. A total mess that flows with willpower and honking horns, socialistic communism hand in hand with a bright shining capitalist approach. Embarrassing to admit, but I was searching in vain for a convenience store in the neighborhood, these symbols of "life" that has become a such a sure thing in our more and more simplified lives in the so called developed world. If you want a bottle of water here you will have to get it from the lady squatting on the street corner. Still pretty convenient when you think of it. I will spend a week shooting in the city and have decided on a minimalistic approach when it comes to my choice of gear. In these parts of the upcoming SEA regions bigger is better (talking camera gear) since it symbolizes success and status. But with these new Micro Four Thirds System cameras you can be booth candid and stealth and "tourist" looking i.e give you a more easy approach to the street and all the goodies out there. Don't get me wrong here, I love to work with my DSLR gear and there is a high trust factor getting a prime lens on a sturdy body, sure. But you can if you dare to break new boundaries get what you need in a way that you want it with a whole range of very decent tools nowdays. I am waiting for when the magazines will start getting mobile phone shots in print. The day will come of it hasn't already (too early for proud editors to admit this, sure it happens though!).

p.s Note the Minolta strap, you don't see these around anymore.





To celebrate with being on assignment again I post this shot from this mornings walkabout of freshly steam scalded then smoked canine cadavers for sale as condiments to whatever dish suitable. Mans best friend...