"Take My Picture!"

THURSDAY-FRIDAY, MAY 7-8, 2009

The weather stinks.

It has been foggy and rainy for three days and the weather pattern does not seem to be improving. The fog did lend itself to some moody images, but I would like to see some other lighting scenarios on the rolling hills of North Vietnam. We have left Sapa behind and are headed for the mountain town of Ha Giang. (See the map from my earlier post.)

But the fog, heavy clouds and some rain will be with us for two days. I will have to deal with the weather. And besides, I am pleased with the images I am getting here -- low hanging clouds on the mountain tops, little villages shrouded in fog and occasional sun poking through to dapple its magic on the cultivated hills. And besides, the softer light is better for photographing people, particularly picking up the vibrant colors worn by some of the minority peoples.

As we turn down the main street of one little town, my photo traveling friend, Long Ly, and I spot a big outdoor market. It is bustling with activity, as people start the weekend buying food and other items offered here. The colorful produce and blood red meat, some butchered on site, would be enough to capture the eye of any photographer. But here, there also is the added color of the costumes worn by the ethnic minority people.

I got some good images here. But the thing that made this such an interesting experience was the interaction with the people. Many acted as if they had never seen a caucasian before, and maybe they haven't, as we are far off the path traveled by most tourists. People are eager to say hello in English and Vietnamese, shake my hand and just plain stare. Some want to touch my white skin. One rubbed the top of my bald head. Another patted my belly.

One young man, a cook in the market restaurant,  was insistent that I take his photo with his friend. I happily complied. One held his shirt up to expose his stomach and they both made signals with their hands and arms -- none of which made sense to me. Most people here are delighted to see their photo on the camera's LCD screen. But this fellow was trying to tell me something more, and I was reasonably certain he wanted to give me his name and address so I could send him a print. I went to find Long to help with the translation and that is exactly what he wanted. The print will be in the mail soon.