marklankton wrote:
Ken, I read the your first apologetic words about how many images there were, and thought, "Oh no, should I just look at something else?" Fortunately I looked at the first image and then thought, "Wow, let's see more."
This is a wonderful set of "people" photos, and beautifully rendered. Thanks for showing them!
Mark
+1 I was going to comment, a nit, a very small nit about 1 picture....naw....couldn't do it.
Wonderful pictures. Makes me appreciate what I have.
I noticed in some of the photos, the children have a piece of candy. Did you give it to them during / after you took their photo?
Also, what is customary for you to do as a guest in someone's house over there? Say, they offered you tea or a snack as you mentioned? Did you provide them with a small gift back or just a simple thank you?
All I can say is amazing and thank you. As with another poster, your work brings back memories from 45 years ago. I can still see the children's faces.
Fantastic pictures Ken.
I am Vietnamese from the south and the pictures from your trekking trips are just amazing expressing the look and feel of the minorities people there.
I bet you have also collect lots of their life moments and I think they are great to share as well.
First, Thank you to everyone for your replies and opinions about the pictures! I really appreciate it and I'm glad that they have an impact on some people, I could easily post 35 more that I love but I didn't want to risk over doing it. Also, some pictures that I like just as much or better, may very well not be quite as nice of a picture technically but instead is influenced by the interactions and situations that I was in...without writing a story to accompany every picture (which I could also easily do, I remember most of them very clearly) it would be hard to convey that.
pete8888 wrote:
Brilliant. Would love to know what gear you brought with you on such a distant trip. What was your go to equipment?
pete (and anyone else interested in some info on this), obviously it depends on what type of photography you would be looking to do. Personally my first goal is people shots. I love interacting with them, sitting and drinking tea and wine with them and I have a real advantage here, my wife was from the south in Vietnam. She makes a very good translator! So good (and I'm so used to it) that it doesn't even feel like things are being translated, I'm just talking to them. It makes the situations very natural and comfortable for everyone and I think it helps a lot in the photos I get. I think they are generally much less awkward than they would be if you can't communicate with them other than waving and saying hi. Actually being able to sit and talk to them about anything and everything makes it so much more personal and is the part I love the most, the pictures are secondary for sure.
I also like to take landscape shots if I get the chance. All that being said, I use a 5DII and this last trip I only took two lenses! A 17-40 f/4L (for landscapes) and by far my most used lens, a 135 f/2L. Virtually every shot here is with the 135 f/2L. I love this lens for trips like this. It can shoot in lower light which is sometimes nice as these aren't studio shots with controlled conditions. It is a little longer focal length which also helps to make the pictures a bit more comfortable because you don't have to be right up in someones face. The lens is also perfect for travel because it's a prime and its so light! I have a 70-200 f/2.8 that I would probably like to have for some pictures but I would never want to haul around while hiking through these kinds of places all day. the 135 f/2L is PERFECT for this kind of trip and shots...for me!
The first couple of trips like this I also took my 24-70 f/2.8 because I felt like I would want it for my carry lens most of the time. Even the second trip I just felt like I should have it with me even though I rarely used it at all. This last time I didn't bother and I didn't miss it a bit! I also take a carbon fiber travel tripod that fits into a little 2-1/2' carry bog with a sling for some landscape/night shots. I have a smallish backpack with the camera body, 2 lenses, a couple ND filters, cards, charger, reader, lens pen & wipe etc.
I used to carry a point and shoot for my wife to use to just take snap shots, things that we might want pictures of but I'm not worried about putting much effort into. Like stores, markets, restaurants, food etc. But I took my Iphone 5s this time and it takes such good pictures for those situations, that's what I use now.
For a 5-1/2 week trip, we each had one carry on suitcase for clothes, and each had one backpack. My wife takes the camera backpack and I have a slightly larger one for small laptop, paperwork, a couple external hard drives, and any other misc stuff that we bring there or back. I checked nothing and it's a nice way of doing it!
Lisa_Holloway wrote:
As opposed to....fake children? Not sure I've ever seen one of those!
A little surprised by this Lisa. You take the time to look at these photos and read all of the comments and you chose to pick out one comment and make a confrontational post? You are an intelligent and talented woman, I'm sure in reality you know what he means and I'm also pretty sure it wasn't meant to be an insult to anyone (you). These aren't set up shots, they aren't posed, no makeup, no wardrobe, and no fancy PP editing to fix blemishes etc...it's a completely different type of photography and I can see how some might like it because it's a little different than the style/type posted more often. It's more PJ that I attempt to make nice shots out of. I'm an engineer by trade, not a pro photographer by any means, I'm not trying to sell services, videos or actions, I have no ulterior motives other than trying to share something that I really enjoy and means something to me. This is strictly a hobby for me. I really enjoy your photography and follow you here and on FB. I would have been much more interested and appreciative of your opinion on the shots instead of on an innocent comment to them.
aero_ub wrote:
These aren't set up shots, they aren't posed, no makeup, no wardrobe, and no fancy PP editing to fix blemishes etc...it's a completely different type of photography and I can see how some might like it because it's a little different than the style/type posted more often. It's more PJ that I attempt to make nice shots out of.
Ken
I expressed a stylistic preference which is well represented by your work.
When I was a professional photographer, I took plenty of traditional portraits of my boys dressed in their Sunday finest. However, photos of their childhood that adorn our walls are FPJ - the first bike ride,running down the soccer field, building forts in the back yard out of packing pallets, etc.
I'm a big fan of the work of Eugene Smith, Jacques Henri Lartigue, HCB and others in the photojournalistic vein. On FB, I'm drawn to the work of Chuck Canerino and all those who contribute too the FPJ thread. I'm also a fan of Bob Dein (deinfaces).
I also like to travel abroad to get a broader understanding of the lives of those who live in other parts of the world. It's something I wish more Americans would do. Spending two hours off the cruise ship shopping at a port of call doesn't count. I've traveled to Nicaragua, traveling to the mountains of the north to help a farmer build bean arbors and a pig pen. My wife goes on a medical mission to Honduras annually, taking with her graduate students. When we visited Scotland, we lodged on farms. Our hosts were mostly empty nesters who rented out a room to earn extra income. We made many friends, an experience we wouldn't have had sleeping in a chain hotel.
