Documenting the Journey: Vietnam
In 2023, I came back from a big trip focused around photographing the Dolomites. When editing the photos, I had this sudden realisation I had very few photos that showed the in-between moments on this trip. The majority of my shots were technically perfect, solid compositions, and epic subjects. But the photos I enjoyed the most were those that focused on documenting my day and the events surrounding it.
Since then, I have been focusing on projects that are photo journals during my time exploring somewhere. This has helped me remember details about a trip that often vanish very quickly. Rather than focusing on getting solid bangers, these images may not be the most technically perfect, but they bring back the feelings and atmosphere of the trip in a way that a perfectly composed landscape shot just can’t.
Shifting my mindset to documenting my travels rather than curating highlight reels has changed the way I shoot. I’m more present, more observant, and ironically, I find myself enjoying photography even more. There’s less pressure to “perform” and more freedom to simply capture what resonates with me in the moment.
So with that, here are a few shots documenting my time waking up at home in Sydney, slogging through the airport, and eventually arriving at my destination.
The day started like most days when you are planning something other than photography. An epic sunrise happened while I lay in bed with a small fur ball.
The packed bag and the break from routine. The cat knew something was up. She eventually learned her fate would be a trip in the cat carrier.
With the cat offloaded, I was off to Sydney International Airport. My paranoia that I might miss a flight always results in me getting there super early and aimlessly wandering around the airport. I swear the time I trust fate and get there later will be the day I miss my flight. So the early airport arrivals continue.
Using the extra time at the airport to take a few shots of my budget flight (which wasn’t that cheap flying just before New Year) and editing some photos. All in all, the time flew by, and off I flew to Singapore.
This trip, I decided to take with only a few days of actual departure. Consequently, the available connecting flight options were limited. As it was during the night, I wasn’t compelled to leave the airport. Instead, I explored some new areas. Eventually, I found a quiet area to rest. Since sleeping in a noisy airport is challenging, I managed to catch some sleep on my connecting flight.
Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was a better wake-up than a triple shot of coffee. A mix of the heat and chaos from all the traffic and people trying to sell me SIM cards was a blast to the system.
Since I arrived at 8am, the hotel didn’t allow check-in until 2pm but I was relatively well-rested. So I dropped my backpack at the hotel and I was off to explore Saigon with my camera.
Since I was walking from District 1, which is a more touristy area, with lots of hotels and bars targeted at foreigners. There was a lot of Grab drivers keen to give me guided tours.
While avoiding all the Grab offers, I found this huge line for a Bahn Mi shop. Asking the Grab drivers, they told me this is the best Bahn Mi in Saigon. I wasn’t keen to line up, so I continued my exploration on foot on an empty stomach.
Before arriving, I had a few places I wanted to explore. Since I had the better part of the day to explore, I used the time to walk from District 1 (where my hotel was) to District 3. On the map, it showed a 30-min walk time. Of course, this was Saigon; every street crossing was an epic adventure to not get run over. The chaotic roads and my constant photo stops meant that 30 min was more like 1 hour.
My real-life game of Frogger finally led me to District 3. This place interested me from the research I did beforehand, as it had lots of fascinating architecture, much of it from the French colonial era. It definitely had a European feeling to it all, but the Vietnamese culture peppered all throughout.
The exploring and getting a better sense of the city. I found myself in a photography flow state. Subject after subject, all led me to the next scene, which led me to the next subject. I found myself in the markets. I knew I would be hitting plenty more markets on this trip, so I didn’t linger for too long.
As the day drew closer to my hotel check-in time and snapping out of the flow state, I found myself really hungry. I think it was around 16 hours since I had eaten. So I started to make my way back to the hotel and in search of a quick Bahn Mi.
The search for Bahn Mi was immediately abandoned when I found myself in another photography flow state. After checking into the hotel, I was now starving. Luckily, a Pho restaurant was right next to the hotel. I proceeded to smash down two Phos and had a quick nap before heading back out.
I hope you enjoyed this photo story of my journey to Vietnam. It’s those in-between moments that help shape our journey. Why not bring a camera and document them?
