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Photographing in Vietnam
This is particularly true of Vietnam, where its rich indigenous culture, beautiful kaleidoscopic landscape and turbulent recent history have combined to create a scenic, deeply complex paradise, drawing vacationers, curious students, veterans and travel photographers from all around the globe. Whatever the motivation however, one thing that most visitors have to contend with are the unique conditions that apply to photographing in Vietnam. The tropical climate of Vietnam creates a number of interesting challenges to the vacation photographer. Heat, humidity, rainstorms, dust, X-rays, uncertain electricity supply and questionable processing facilities can dramatically affect the way your photographs come out. These factors may make shooting particularly troublesome if you’re a novice photographer shooting in the tropics for the first time, but even veteran cameramen can run into unpleasant surprises. In general however, there are three areas in which taking pictures in Vietnam might pose a challenge: having the right equipment, the process of taking pictures and getting the pictures out of the country. Problems with photography
equipment For photographers using film, there are two main areas of concern.
The first is the buying film; if possible, you should probably bring
the rolls yourself. In Vietnam, the number of places selling film rolls is
very small; you’d find a handful of film shops in Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh and it would take a miracle to find a shop selling decent film
outside the major cities. Also, there’s not guarantee that the shop
stock is recent or has been stored properly, and highly unlikely
that they offer slide film or black and white film, so if you’re
particularly worried about film quality or think you need special
film, its best to bring it with you. Another area of concern is processing. Vietnamese law still technically forbids taking any unprocessed film out of the country: the rolls are supposed to either be processed in country or risk confiscation. This includes attempts to Fed-Ex out the rolls, as apparently, Fed Ex also refuses to process any parcels containing unprocessed rolls. Unfortunately, there are still only a few film development labs in the country, and the quality of processing in Vietnam is not always consistent with the standards most take for granted in the West. The best bet for a desperate, about-to-fly-out-of-the-country traveller is to ask at the better hotels for some recommended film shops.
Once
the films are processed however, they can still be subject to
examination. Sometimes the authorities will confiscate prints of
‘sensitive’ subjects, but this a far better alternative than losing
the entire roll, or being detained under suspicion of being a
saboteur. Nowadays, with the growing influx of tourists, most of
whom haven’t heard of this regulation and can’t take a photograph
worth beans anyway, the authorities have become more lenient and
rarely enforce the rule, but bear in mind that the regulation is
still technically in force. Snapping that photograph
The private car
usually comes with a driver, which is a blessing. Until 2002, foreigners
were not allowed to drive in Vietnam, and judging by the barely
organized chaos that passes for road traffic today, there was a very
good reason for the restriction. Pedestrians, animals, bicycles,
trucks and motorcycles all weave recklessly along the streets, and
right of way belongs to whoever has the bigger vehicle, or the
strongest nerves. In this situation, it would be best to leave the
driving to the driver, try to ignore the near collisions and focus
on taking pictures. It would also be a good idea to take a short
ride with your prospective driver before committing to hiring him,
not only to check if you’re comfortable with his driving and
company, but to see if you can communicate with him and if he’s
willing to act as a guide as well as a driver — in which case, he
would be an invaluable companion. Challenges to a photographer's skill
The most popular and fascinating subject, however, is the people, especially as the tourist influx and increasing contact with the West hasn’t yet managed to wrench the majority of the people from their traditional way of life. The Vietnamese are pleasantly obliging when it comes to posing for photographs, especially in the more remote areas, where they rarely see tourists. There are supposedly regional differences: in the south, the people are said to be less reserved and more open and smiling; in the North, the people are less so. Having said that, there’s a very high chance that - North or South - you can get a local to stop a few minutes and smile for the camera. The main thing is to treat the locals like people and not scenery. A few minutes of conversation and a polite request is often enough to establish a connection and a willing participant. If you don’t happen to have a local guide with you, even a few gestures and a smile can convey the message. The children are especially happy to pose and sometimes may even be difficult to keep out of the frame!
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Article Information
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Taking photographs while you’re on holiday is a great pastime.
For most people, it’s just a way of recording some of the best
moments or scenes from a vacation of a lifetime. For others, it’s a
more serious business, with photography seen as an art form, a
historical record or even a way of making a living. 
Once you’ve leapt past the equipment hurdle, the actual process
of photographing becomes an interesting adventure. In the major
cities, it is fairly simple: just walk around and click. If you’re
on a tour, that would be ride around on a bus and click. More
serious photographers may want to avoid the tours: they tend to pack
a lot of places in a very short time, making it difficult to
properly focus on getting the shots you want. Also, if you’re on a
tour bus all the time, you miss the chance to capture many great
scenic opportunities lurking just outside your window — and its
pretty difficult trying to get a shot through a window on a bouncing
bus.