Still photography in Hanoi
What makes Hanoi city beautiful and unique? One of the things that make Hanoi like no other cities are flowers sellers on bikes.
These sellers wake up from early in the morning (3 or 4 or 5am) to travel to Quang Ba flower market to buy flowers with wholesale price, then carrying the beauty of flowers with them on the back of their bikes, they travel to different corners of Hanoi city to sell.
Some of them stay at some fixed locations, while the others are just driving around. Some drive motorbikes, while others use bicycles.
It’s not an easy job, because they’re not easily allowed to sell by polices, but most of them just try to make a honest living for themselves and family.
Still, they carry beauty and hopes and dreams around the city.
Appreciating this beauty of Hanoi, Ken Hermann – a photographer from Denmark, had spent several days to take photos of 23 flowers sellers on bikes and their bikes.
Through my work with him, I had chance to enjoy the beautiful flower bikes, as well as had chance to speak with sellers and learn about their stories, their wishes, and dreams.
Many of them come from the same village in Bac Giang province. Bac Giang is hometown of a lot of fruits such as lychee and custard apple. Some of them are from Hung Yen, Nam Dinh and even Thanh Hoa.
Many of them are family or relatives. There are few couples that both husband and wife selling flowers, as well as mother-daughter, sisters, in-laws, cousins.
Many of them do farming besides selling flowers.
Also, creating beautiful and unique pictures aren’t easy job. It requires a lot of creativity and testing new ideas.
We have a photography assistant works with us, he helps to carry equipment and install lights and hold light as well help with setting camera. He’s part of a local crew.
In this project, I’ve helped the Client to:
+ Renting some photography equipment
+ Contacting flower sellers in advance and arrange for them to come.
+ Interpret between the Client and the flower seller about his ideas of how he wants to take pictures as well as compliments and gratitude.
+ Answer Client and flower sellers’ questions.
+ Help to make payments and takes notes about expenses.
