Conical hats, a photo from Lam Dong, South East

Photographer's Note

This is a very typical view of any Vietnamese market place. These characteristic conical straw hats are worn by most people in the countrysides of Vietnam and several other countries in east Asia.

This photo is from the hilltown of Da Lat in the central highlands of southern Vietnam. Because of its pleasant climate Da Lat was a favourite place for French colonialists as well as for officials of the former Saigon regime. It's a city of gardens and elegant villas, rather different from most other places in Vietnam. The downtown shopping district however is quite similar to other places, noisy and crowded.

This was scanned from a Kodachrome slide.

adores, tyro, daddo, gildasjan, bukitgolfb301, Wanda1, Budapestman, abmdsudi, Kielia, Angshu, Vasa, agjika, fanni, kato, kato has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Glint (5573) 2011-05-01 12:40

Hello Gert,
there's so much to see here that it is a photograph to come back to again.This is not a scene where we need to be concerned about composition as evberything is jam packed in.And that busyness is what makes this a pleasue to peruse.You have taken me on so many interesting travels since I met you on TE!
best regards,
Bev

siamesa (27449) 2011-05-01 13:12

Boa tarde Gert

Lovely photo. Sellers showing their products. The steps make a very nice effect in this composition.The conic hats are interesting, indeed.
Abraços
maria

adores (28218) 2011-05-01 15:01

Hi Gert!
I've been in this same place a couple of years ago, but it was already dark. Guess it hasn't changed much, so full of life! A really Vietnamese scene!

emka (58152) 2011-05-01 15:17

Hi Gert,

Earlier than in the time you made this photo, when I was young girl, i dreamt about such hat. But I haven't got one. all your scans are good, i like them very much but it is just amazing! The colours, the sharpness are excellent.How you achieve it? Beautiful composition. attractive view of the stairs. I like these baskets full of vegetables.

Wartm regards

Malgorzata

divail (7227) 2011-05-01 17:58

Bonsoir Gertz,
C'est une composition très impressionnante. Tous ces personnages avec leurs chapeaux coniques nous mettent bien dans l'ambiance du Vietnam, et les gros paniers de laitures vertes sont magnifiques. La composition nous montre un marché animé et invitant. J'aime beaucoup.

Diane

rodgerg (55767) 2011-05-02 2:47

Hello GBert,

Excellent image with this scene of life very well colected. The conical hats give a very typische effect but too a very graphic effect. I like too the composition with the scale which give depht. The vived color arise very well.
Have a nice week,
Roger

tyro (13101) 2011-05-02 2:54

Hello Gert,

Once again, a very good picture technically considering that it has been scanned from a 35mm Kodachrome colour slide.

There really is so much to see in this picture: the lovely foreground greenery of vegetables for sale, people walking about, a fellow pushing a bicycle down the steps, people buying things.

The long wide steps give great depth to the composition. An interesting note too.

Kind Regards,

John.

daddo (18517) 2011-05-02 6:04

Hi Gert. Activity and patience. The vegetables look very fresh and remind me of the markets in Melbourne that now have stalls manned by Vietnamese market gardeners who have introduced the general population to the many delicious greens from S.E. Asia.Nice POV maximizing the scope of interactions. Regards. Klaudio.

patdeph (35738) 2011-05-02 11:40

hello Gert
very nice and colorful typical scene,where the numerous conical hats add a great interest.Superb!
Regards
Pascale

saxo042 (31802) 2011-05-02 12:06

Hej Gert,
All the conical hats provide a fine pattern in this picture. I can see a line like an "S" from all these hats. A very interesting view and the green vegetables and the red clothes are very nice and eye-catching together. An abundance of interesting details to enjoy!
Hälsningar
Gunnar

gildasjan (38220) 2011-05-03 0:34

Bonjour Gert
Une très belle scène de vie colorée sur cet escalier servant d'étalage.
Bonne journée
Amicalement
gildas

bukitgolfb301 (30067) 2011-05-03 14:51

Hi my dear Gert

So wonderful typical Vietnam shot indeed. A nice pan focus presentation by low angle, so impresive framework / composition, best considered contamination and clearly sharp and deep focus as usual.
Very fresh color in the morning is attractive too.
Thanks for your sharing finest work and have a good day!

Best regards,
Takero from warm Spring Tokyo

Wanda1 (13950) 2011-05-04 2:40

Hi Gert,
Your view looking up the stairs with the ladies and their typical conical hats scattered along the staircase is great. I like the semi circle of fresh greenery of the vbegetables in the foreground helping to frame the rest of this busy daily life scene.
Regards
Wanda

mesutilgim (67982) 2011-05-04 10:19

Hi Gert,
Nice capture from Vietnam.
The pov, embracing all single elements from bottom the top is perfect.
Fresh colors as fresh a the crop they sell. And the typical conical hats creates a nice graphism.
TFS and best regards
MESUT ILGIM

Budapestman (82620) 2011-05-04 13:06

Hi Gert,
a superb shot with spectacular composition and full of life atmosphere, great details and POV, effective shot, Tfs! Have a nice evening! Kellemes estét kívánok!
György

abmdsudi (26281) 2011-05-05 7:52

Hi Gert
Markets in Vietnam are fascinating not only because of the goods on display but because of the people. It is a big event. Some people have walked, cycled or rode their motorbikes quite far to come to a market to sell their goods and to bring something home to eat for the next few days. It is also a social event and the opportunity to meet friends and family. The stalls or small restaurants in the vicinity of a market are the best places to eat as the meals have been cooked with fresh ingredients. A fascinating country that still retains its own identity.
Colourful and intriguing image. This is what I call a busy picture, the hustle and bustle, so much to look at and plenty of hats - hats galore - at this market place. Great capture of the energy of the market and must be a wonderful place to chill at the same time and plenty of photographic opportunities, the food, etc, etc, etc. Such a great perspective and superbly composed and the depth gives a nice idea of the crowdedness. Good shooting angle with the upwards pov leading the steps constantly to the focal, I like how the bright striking reds interspersed around the shot, this I feel helps to unite it as a whole. The lady in blue in the fg I feel helps to hold the focus. She also has a sense of elegance which seems to isolate her from the crowd. So refreshing to see another way of life from diff culture, brought to us courtesy of your image. A delightful pict of human interest. Great effort Gert, TFS
Best regards

bergese (6699) 2011-05-05 12:46

Hello Gert
Une scene de vie quotidienne trés agreable à regarder.J'aime beaucoup ces personnages coiffés de leur chapeau.
Bonne soirée Isabelle

npecanhuk (53909) 2011-05-06 5:31

Hi Gert!
That's a very nice and interesting daily life picture!
It's really another completely different place and culture! I love those hats and the way you photographed them, on top of the heads of all those people, working on those stairs!
Colors, sharpness, dof, exposure, chosen pov... all excellent features!
TFS - congrats,
Cheers,
Neyvan

Kielia (20463) 2011-05-07 10:24

Dear Gert,
a great impression with a wonderful atmosphere of daily life in Vietnam. The colors and the light are very pleasant. And what a lovely market scene, so very well captured. Thanks for sharing another interesting memory!
Warm regards
Harriet

UlfE (13730) 2011-05-08 12:36

Hej Gert,

I have look at this wonderful photo several times. An amazing scene and you actally get the feeling that this an image from a film and not in real life. One of the best photos in your gallery. TFS and ha en bra söndagskväll.

Bästa hälsningar

Ulf

yquem46 (32271) 2011-05-08 12:41

Hej gert
Quite a living place, very exotic and attractive with the colors of the veg and the hats of the sellers
Another planet really!
TFS, have a nice evening
Patrick

Angshu (51174) 2011-05-09 4:57

Hello Gert!
Interesting to see the freshness of the vegetables on sale here. Typical scene from an Asian market place...the steps creating a nice perspective as well. Like the sprinkling of conical hats across the frame. Quality of scan, as always is excellent!
Best Regards
Angshu

jaywalker (16061) 2011-05-10 15:28

Hi Gert, What a great shot with all these hats dotted everywhere, it's a very interesting place to hold a market I must say, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

COSTANTINO (42746) 2011-05-15 7:18

Hello
you are right that this is a typical view
of Vietnamese people,I like this scenery
so simple and impressive together with
a freshness and beauty
the title is suitable
have a nice new week
regards
Costantino

Vasa (15970) 2011-05-22 16:25

Hej Gert,

du har tydligen gjort resan runt om varlden och lammnat ditt spar, som denna foto fran sydra Vietnam. Men jag maste erkanna att jag uppskattar mest dina foto fran Belgrad, kanslorna formodar jag.

Branko

stevesaba (8019) 2011-06-21 3:42

Hi Gert!
A great photo from Da Lat. I am feeling smug because I guessed the location when I first saw the photo....must have been the steps. I was there in 2006. But you are right, the rest of the city is quite different, but the market itself is typical: noisy and crowded! This is a very fine photo, full of interest, with a wonderful pov that the steps provide. In as much as the hats often can hide faces in Vietnam, they sure add much to a photo, and in this one plenty of faces are in plain view! Another winner, warm regards,
Steve

Waylim (22357) 2011-06-21 8:12

Hi Gert,
Another classic scan image. 1993, though not too long ago, but at the time there was not like ton of tourist flocking to Vietnam either. That is probably the best time to see it in the traditional way of life, not gear toward tourism. Anyway. I like the daily life quality, showing life as it was and still is. Great quality as good as any digital camera. Thanks.
Way

agjika (4011) 2011-07-07 15:35

Hi Gert,

A very pleasant image indeed. I was trying to think of a reason (there is usually at least one for everything!)as to why these conical hats are so popular in Asia. Maybe because unlike European or Mexican hats the point of contact with the head (the sweaty bit!) is the smalles possible due to the concial shape.

Thanks for sharing

Aleks

fanni (13868) 2011-07-09 12:12

Hello Gert,
omg, what a view!:)
conical hats everywhere!
A curious, interesting scene; so much to see (I even see one umbrella ;) )
As I've already said before, I like such photos very much! they tell a lot about the place... and often about people too.
I wonder if you bought such a hat for yourself, too... ;)
varma hälsningar,
Elena
PS. still rain in Moscow....

kato (6777) 2011-07-24 7:36

Hello Gert,

You're capturing well this market by a good composition, so it's impressive and interesting to see the spectacle to sell fresh vegetable on the stairs in town. It's interesting in traditional hat, too. A lot of vegetables are sure to be piled up in the basket, and women who have come to this place for sales to be hard worker.

Regards,
mikio

Merou (4716) 2011-08-15 10:19

Hi
I like this composition with green layer in the foreground
TFS

sevy (13273) 2011-08-18 4:05

Hello,

The title goes well to this photo, it is really iconic. But what makes really the interest of this shot is the stair which allowed to provide a great readibility to the scene.

Yves.