hai-lights

We've Moved!!

2011-12-16T22:50:00.005-06:00

This is the last post on hai-lights.blogger.com. You can now find future updates at simply hai-lights.com/blog! The website itself is still under construction, but most of it is already done.

From the Pompidou series in Paris, France 2010

You might remember this couple from a series I did in Paris. What you might not have seen is the picture below. Apparently they were sitting right in front of me (while I was shooting with my 70-300mm lens) before they got up and contributed to my series!

Paris, France 2010

Update Suspention

2011-12-12T18:51:00.003-06:00

Hello Readers!

I'm slowly in the process moving to hai-lights.com. It's not even close to ready yet -- a lot of dead links and whatnot. I'll let you know when the blog is back up though! I suspect within a few days :)

Hai Ngo

DeKalb, Illinois

2011-12-11T11:42:00.001-06:00

Paris, France 2010

Wilmington, North Carolina 2010

Sprinted to the Megabus, yelling out for them to hold the bus yesterday as I frantically scrambled around downtown Minneapolis trying to figure out where the Megabus stops. This morning I'm in DeKalb, Illinois going through old photos (again) trying to pick out which ones I like and want to present as my body of work. Right now I'm not sure whether I want to show personal work on my website or to mix commercial work and fine art. All decisions that will have to be made in the next couple days. These two pictures are ones that I think would go in personal work. Film: Ilford HP400+

-Hai Ngo

Solder

2011-12-10T07:37:00.001-06:00

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

Pictures:
First one is a hand-crank-powered bike. Its usually used be people who have some sort of disability. The girl on the back is selling lottery tickets. People who carry around lottery tickets and sell them on the streets typically are not in financially stable homes.
Second picture is one of my many cousins. He's adjusting the seat height before biking -- he shares the bike with his older sister.
Third picture is two men waiting for business. One transports goods, the other transports people.

Soldered some wires together at my internship yesterday to get some photography equipment to work. Burnt myself (a little) in the process cause I forgot the soldering pen was hot... But the burn is almost already healed!

Hai Ngo

Hans Breder

2011-12-09T08:16:00.001-06:00

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Went to the Walker Art Center for the first time in a while yesterday. Check out Hans Breder's work! (The link is just to a Google search).

-Hai Ngo

Dreamer

2011-12-08T08:31:00.001-06:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2010

After a week of informational interviews with alumni and working professionals, the whole art thing (including commercial photography) is starting to seem pretty scary. Even becoming a successful freelance photographer doesn't seem nearly as appealing anymore. I suppose we all knew the fiscal risks of the field, but its the added marketing and business part of it that really does not seem fulfilling. I just want to be a dreamer, but I'm becoming awfully scared to dream.

I was putting together pictures of Carleton at someone's request, and found the above photograph. I had cropped it really wide originally, but now looking back at it there was no need for the crop. So here it is, uncropped.

Also, I realized I should probably try to optimize search results for "Hai Ngo" a little more, so I'm going to start signing off of every post :)
-Hai Ngo

More Coffee

2011-12-07T07:43:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

In the past few days I've probably averaged 2 coffee shops a day with alumni and working professionals for informational interviews. So far my favorite coffee place (for their coffee) is Tarracino in Minneapolis. The atmosphere there is a mix between edgy art hipster and subtle classiness. I'm not really sure how well those mix, but its a nice enough place.

Most Intellectual Colleges

2011-12-06T07:56:00.001-06:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

Da Lat, Vietnm 2011

This popped up in my Facebook news feed this morning: Huffington Post ranks Carleton College 2nd most intellectual college in the nation. Actually I'm not sure if it's second most (it just appears second), but its top 10 anyways.

Coffee Break

2011-12-05T00:26:00.001-06:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011.

This is a really random post. 1) Above is a picture of Reed, my freshman, sophomore, and senior year roommate. 2) I'm going out for coffee the next four days for informal interviews with various photographers or photography-related people.

Ross Andersson

2011-12-04T21:12:00.001-06:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

Picked up a winter break internship with Ross Andersson today. 8 hour work days. Learned a few things about lighting, got some hands-on experience with some more lighting/studio equipment. The internship is unpaid though...

Step II: Cut and Stitch

2011-12-03T08:42:00.001-06:00

In case you missed it, here's the post for Step I. Step II involved cutting off white boarders from almost 100 tabloid sized sheets...

... and then stitching them together using scotch tape.

We're not done yet. The final product doesn't look anything close to the images above. Special thanks to Linda and Stephen -- Art professors at Carleton -- for letting me use their equipment and facilities!

Blue and Yellow Skies

2011-12-02T21:15:00.001-06:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

You might think the blues and yellows/oranges in this photograph look fake. But its not. This photograph is processed though -- some boosted contrast and a lot of highlight control around the sun.

1st of December

2011-12-01T01:32:00.001-06:00

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

I don't have many of these types of shots -- non-macro abstract geometric shots -- but I find this one is particularly soothing.

Step 1: Prepare the Digital Files

2011-11-30T09:11:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

This the product of the highlights and shadows masks you've seen in this and last week's blog posts:
1) Highlights
2) Shadows (Sneak Peak)

This was shot on 120mm Ektar 100 film. If you're on campus winter term, expect to see this image transferred on to a 45"x45" piece of wood in the library. So far on this project, I've scanned in a lot of film, looked through it all, selected three photos, re-scanned them at super high resolution, and processed them. Step 2 is print, cut, stitch together, and prepare the wood medium. I'll update you as I go :)

Dad

2011-11-29T10:47:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Here's my dad, watching over the bike as I explored the beach with my cameras, lenses, and tripod.

1 Terabyte

2011-11-28T00:15:00.001-06:00

Paris, France 2010

If all goes well, all my pictures will have been successfully back'ed-up when I wake up. And its official. I have over 1TB photos and photoshop files.

The picture above is a portrait of Brian from my Lighting Seminar class in Paris. Shot on Ilford 400 B&W film.

Holiday Cards

2011-11-24T19:03:00.001-06:00

Paris, France 2010

I was cleaning out my basement the other day (only because I needed to move a desk from the basement into my room.) I haven't worked on a desk at home since... well, I don't think I've ever worked on a desk at my house. I've always worked on the couch, on the floor, and sometimes the kitchen table. But now that I'm suppose to work on my senior thesis, I figured I should set up desk space.

Anyways, I found a bunch of blank holiday cards around the house. I never really understood pre-made holiday cards... doesn't have much sentimental value, doesn't say "I tried", doesn't really seem to add any value to one's gift. At best it says, "I saw this specific joke/picture on the shelf and it reminded me of some memory we shared." I guess I'm one of the few though cause Hallmark seems to be pretty well.

More (bad) Photos

2011-11-24T18:59:00.001-06:00

Paris, France 2010

Paris France, 2010

A little bit of a continuation from yesterday's post. Very bad touristy photos, I know. I promise I'll start shooting again! Unfortunately I'm shooting on film ... (so there's a very long turn around time.)

Office Depot

2011-11-24T18:30:00.001-06:00

Paris, France 2010

Fanciest looking Office Depot ever? Was going through some old Paris photos to find a specific one to print for someone as a gift. It's the last picture in this post.

Also, I have a new email address! hai@hai-lights.com

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:31:00.001-06:00

Nha Trang, Vietnam 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! My family's having roast pork and roast duck for Thanks Giving dinner. (We're not big on turkey.)

Highlights

2011-11-23T14:03:00.001-06:00

Here's the other half of yesterday's image. This one is the image's highlights, yesterday's is shadows. Both were manually drawn.

Sneak Peak

2011-11-22T16:39:00.001-06:00

For those who follow hai-lights regularly, you've probably noticed a few similar images to this one. Here's another sneak peak at what I'm working on for my Winter exhibit. (Still a work in progress.)

Also, to the alumni who will receive the Winter addition of The Voice, note that while I am grateful to have my pictures in the issue, I did not have much of a say in the photos that were selected. Also note that the artist-side of the project is not well represented (to my knowledge). But I'm sure the people who are in charge of The Voice will make it great nonetheless :)

Waterfalls

2011-11-21T09:08:00.001-06:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

Now that I think about it, this is one of my first times shooting waterfalls. I recall wishing I had some ND filters because these tourist spots were only open during the day when the was too much sun. The ND filter would have allowed me to slow down y shutter even more to have even a greater softening effect on the water.

Finals

2011-11-20T11:21:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

When I saw this sight in Vietnam, I ran down to the edge of the beach and casually pulled out my camera (I didn't want to scare anyone away). Unfortunately by the time I did this, the fisherman (top picture) was already returning to shore.

Here at Carleton College, finals are starting to wrap up. I figured out what to write for my Kant essay and Aristotle is almost done. (All stuff I'm sure you don't care about.) :)

Kant...

2011-11-19T00:48:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

Here's some random film shots ...(I'm really running low on quality photos to share.) Its finals right not at Carleton College though and I'm struggling to figure out what to write for my Kant essay due in a couple days.

11.18.11

2011-11-18T01:48:00.001-06:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

This guys sharpening his knife to cut up the pig's ribs (or legs?).

11.17.11

2011-11-17T09:26:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Finals time at Carleton College.

Micro-contrast

2011-11-16T00:37:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

I processed the above image and this image in a very similar manner. Looking back at it, I'm starting to wonder if the skin looks too fake -- if I added to much micro-contrast. What do you think?

For those who are familiar with Photoshop, yesterday's post will be illuminating to how I created this micro contrast.

Fovea Centralis Sneak Peak

2011-11-14T20:01:00.001-06:00

Highlights

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Shadows

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Here's a small preview of my winter exhibition in the makings.

12.14.11

2011-11-14T08:43:00.001-06:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

Sorry I've been so bad with updating everyday. Ultimate and finals (essays) have been keeping me occupied. I also don't think I've taken a picture in quite a while...

MLC: Day 2

2011-11-13T23:54:00.001-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

CUT takes 5th at MLC losing in quarters of bracket play to Michigan. I think I was -2 (5 turns, 3 Ds) or something like that. 5 very very stupid turns: One around backhand to the close end-zone corner, one failed inside-out backhand break, one that fell out of my hands when I threw a fake, one that I just dropped, and one that I should have just been more aware of when I threw. Not a great return-to-the-game tournament for me...

MLC: Day 1

2011-11-11T01:35:00.001-06:00

(Near by) Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

(Near by) Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

CUT goes 3-1 losing on universe point to U of M. Sadly, I turned it on the goal line during this game. More bad news, the padding on my $500 knee brace is thinning out and the metal of the brace is starting to dig into my shins. I decided to go without it for the last two games of the day. Good news is that I didn't notice :)

Missouri Loves Company

2011-11-11T00:53:00.001-06:00

(Near by) Ben Tre, Vietnam 2011

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

Driving out to Missouri today with The CUT. First tournament since last winter (cause of the PCL tear)!

Foreshadow

2011-11-09T01:02:00.000-06:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Here's some foreshadowing for the Carleton alumni. :)

Color

2011-11-08T00:37:00.000-06:00

Black & White

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Half Color

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Full Color

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Same picture three times with a different color post processing effects. Half color is my personal pick, but what do you think? (Shot on medium format Ektar 100.)

11.06.11

2011-11-06T23:55:00.000-06:00

(Near by) Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Here's the full version of yesterday's post. f2.8 on Ektar 100.

Layer Mask

2011-11-05T00:28:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

Here's one of the masking layers on a Photoshop file. I'll show you the final digital image tomorrow (See if you can guess what the point of this mask was either today or tomorrow!). The real/full/complete image is a 700MB digital negative (scanned in medium format film at 4,800 dpi and 24-bits of color) that has a 6.8GB Photoshop file.

11.04.11

2011-11-04T00:12:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

This one's from last year. If I remember correctly, the near side of the bridge is being light by one flash through an umbrella, camera left.

Rickshaw

2011-11-03T01:33:00.000-05:00

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

A rickshaw man chatting with his friend as he waits for a customer.

The Weitz Center

2011-11-02T02:48:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

This post is for the alumni who hasn't had the opportunity to visit Carleton in the current academic school year. I had an assignment a while ago to photograph the new and old inside the Weitz Center. In short, the designers were very conscious of keeping old elements from the elementary school and integrating it with the new building. For example, in the last two pictures you can see seat-backs from the old auditorium made into a lighting sculpture and wood panels from the old gym floor being used as siding on wall surfaces.

November 1st

2011-11-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

These aren't great, but here are some other photos that I had submitted to be considered for Carleton's 2012 calendar.

Lingering Film Shots

2011-10-31T01:10:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

These are a few film shots (Ektar 100) that got developed with my Vietnam shots from the previous academic school year. I wish I had developed these shots in time to submit for consideration for Carleton's 2012 Calender.

2012 Calender Amendment

2011-10-30T02:01:00.000-05:00

(click to enlarge)

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

Carleton Alumn Henry Docter sent me this quick scan of the picture-index of Carleton's 2012 Calender. He pointed out how they messed up the credits. March is actually my image as you might recall from Reverse that 50mm. But I also got credit for a photo I didn't take -- September. My guess is that September is John Nolter's shot.

I have yet to see the calender, but I did notice I'm the only student photographer on the calender. (small victories.)

10.29.11

2011-10-29T09:20:00.000-05:00

Nha Trang, Vietnam 2011

So I made it to top 8 for Carleton, but that's where it ended for me for the Watson Fellowship. Now I'm racing to catch back up on all the school work I missed as a result. Beginning to work on comps now too --the huge final project one does to graduate from Carleton.

10.28.11

2011-10-28T00:22:00.000-05:00

Ben Tre, Vietnam 2011

...Yea, I'm starting to run low on pictures to post. Haven't been shooting much.

The Counterfactuals

2011-10-27T15:33:00.000-05:00

Nha Trang, Vietnam 2011

Going to The Cow tonight to see two of my philosophy professors play indie rock* in their band The Counterfactuals: "Daniel Groll and Jason Decker, two otherwise respectable Carleton College philosophy professors, occasionally moonlight as Northfield, Minnesota's Best Band: the Counterfactuals" (Youtube). Not planning on bringing a camera though, so probably no pictures of them this time.

*music classified by a fellow philosophy major.

PS. Ektar 100 film.

10.26.11

2011-10-26T10:22:00.000-05:00

Nha Trang, Vietnam 2011

Shot on Ektar 100 film.
PS. Second Watson Interview definitely did not go as well as the first one...

Quiz Mistress

2011-10-25T09:32:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

Here are a couple shots from The Cow a couple weekends ago -- portraits of the quiz mistress.
PS. I have my next round in the Watson Interview today. Wish me luck!

Diwali

2011-10-24T11:32:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

Carleton College celebrates Diwali in the Great Hall.

A few technical notes photographically:
1) Now that I'm looking these images, I think I messed up on the color correction in the first image.
2) I was intending to use my 70-300mm f/5.6 for the compression, but I forgot I am limited by the cord lengths in my lighting kit. I was forced to use my 16-70mm.
3) I had a back light set up on the other side of those pane-glass doors expecting it to give me a slight glow in the background. It obviously didn't really work out...

X-rays and MRIs

2011-10-22T00:06:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

Here are my x-rays and MRIs from when I partially tore my PCL. The x-rays were to check for fractures, which didn't happen. So the tear should be in the MRI, but I have no idea what I'm looking for... Also, I've recently noticed that my legs bow to the sides noticeably more than my peers'.

Paris Travel Photography

2011-10-21T01:06:00.000-05:00

Parked by the Sacré-Cœur

Paris, France 2010

Peace

Paris, France 2010

Beneath the Candle's Glow

Paris, France 2010

I know you've seen these before, but I've been digging through old photos and I could resist re-posting these. I'm submitting them to a travel-photography photo contest. I think winning photos typically involve a person in some way (just cause people are so interesting!) but I didn't have any great ones with people. It wasn't till towards the end of my study abroad in Paris that I started to enjoy portraiture.

10.20.11

2011-10-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

They're all long exposures, but the last one is also a double exposure. Medium format Ektar 100.

Rediscovering Old Photos

2011-10-19T02:11:00.000-05:00

Paris, France 2010

I was going through my external harddrive to dig up some old photos to submit to a publication, and this portrait of Sasha Sushi. A couple years ago I was too focused on tight crops that I think I lost track of this image. Glad I rediscovered it cause I think I like it more than the one old one -- the one in the triptych above.

Folk Music in Northfield

2011-10-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

Like I said yesterday, Northfield's folk music scene at The Contented Cow was absolutely adorable. It's officially called the Northern Roots Session, where anyone and everyone is invited to come and play or listen. Playing in these pictures is Carleton College's Andrew Bacon ('13) and Anna Chance ('15). Bacon is the furthest right in the bottom picture and Chance is the blonde Rapunzel towards the left.

The Cow

2011-10-17T10:19:00.000-05:00

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

I had a photo assignment from Publications at The Cow last night. I've never gone during the school year and am very impressed with what a great atmosphere it has! Especially the folk music players! Photos to come.

The 3rd Amendment

2011-10-16T07:43:00.000-05:00

Ben Tre, Vietnam 2011

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

A couple posts back I mentioned I had forgotten what the third amendment was, but I remember now. The recent $100 shot was actually for the second picture in Runner Ups.

Traditional Vietnamese Long Dress

2011-10-15T01:18:00.000-05:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

(Near by) Banh Tre, Vietnam 2011

These are pictures of the traditional long dresses of Vietnam. You rarely see males wearing them now and days, but they are frequently the school uniform for all girl schools and catholic schools.

Floating Houses

2011-10-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

Nha Trang, Vietnam 2011

People sleep in these houses to wake up well before the sun rises to go fishing to watch over the fish and shrimp the caught.

Amendments

2011-10-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

Vietnam 2011

A few quick amendments:

1) "So far, Kodak Porta VC 160 ISO is my favorite color film" (Kodak Portra VC 160 ISO). "...I also think I will never use Kodak Portra VC again... Not because Ektar is so amazing (which it is), but because I just don't like how Portra looks" (6x6 Medium Format). It turns out, I think that my most recent experiance with Porta (the negative experiance) might have been because (1) the film was expired and (2) there was x-ray fog. A lot of my film pictures suffered from going through customs at the airport. The signs said that it wouldn't affect my film, but one of them, somewhere between Vietnam and Minnesota, ruined some of my film.

2) Apparently using the traffic horn (found in the latter half of this post) is expected from other drivers in order to indicate their location and close proximity to you; hence, the constant honking from everyone.

3) I had one more, but I forgot... I'll get back to you on this one...

Nha Trang

2011-10-12T09:57:00.000-05:00

Nha Trang, Vietnam 2011

Here's three photos taken consecutively after one another on Ektar 100 film. The long exposure time in file (due to film resperocity) allows for those nice and cull car-light streaks (or in this case, motorcycle streaks.) I'm curious which mix of the natural light from the sunrise and the ambient light from the streetlights/cars you think looks best?

Here are the links to the digital versions of these pictures: Bright Sunrise Nha Trang and Back in Saigon.

My name is ammna...

2011-10-11T08:49:00.000-05:00

Paris, France 2010

This shot is composed of two scans (one positive scan, one negative scan) of the same 4x5 (large format) portrait. It was underexposed and cross processed. The talent's name is actually Kaamna and "My name is aamna..." is just an inside joke. This was what I had intended the original shot to look like.

Runner Ups

2011-10-10T00:18:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

Here are two other shots from yesterday's $100 commission. I haven't gotten the money yet, so I technically haven't gotten the commission yet... Maybe I should have waited on these posts.

The $100 Shot

2011-10-09T07:24:00.000-05:00

Northfield, Minnesota 2011

I got a $100 commission to take this photo over the weekend. It's no living, but its a start (...sorta) :) The top picture is more along my current style of post processing, while the bottom is more my older style. Looking at them next together, I think I might have to say I prefer my old style... (I got the commission based on my old style of landscape photography) ...maybe I should stick with that style...

Vietnam 2011: Travel Photography

2011-10-07T23:36:00.000-05:00

I originally made this for Carleton College's Media Relations department, but because (I think) I'm going in The Voice, they couldn't air this. Media Relations only wanted a pretty low resolution video and so I did everything in low resolution in order to save time in the rendering previews. It felt a waste to just store it in my hard-drive, so here it is. A cheesy voice-over slideshow of my digital photography in Vietnam.

This project was made possible by a grant from The Larson International Fellowship.

Children Playing

2011-10-07T00:58:00.000-05:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Fish or Beef?

2011-10-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

Title says it all. Top picture is of fish vendors at a farmer's market, bottom picture is of a heard of cattle in a parking lot.

On Film, City of Lights

2011-10-05T09:37:00.000-05:00

St. Louis Park, Minnesota 2011

The top picture should look familiar. It's the film version of City of Lights. I'm pretty suprised at how similar they look, but do notice the greater highlight details (where that car is peeking out of the parking lot). Yep, I still have a biased preference of film.

JoeyG: Shot on Film

2011-10-03T02:55:00.000-05:00

St. Louis Park, Minnesota 2011

You might remember JoeyG (also goes by Joe, JoeG, and Joey) from before my trip to Vietnam. For example, JoeG and J.D., 07.10.11, Studio Lights, and 06.12.11. This past summer Joe also picked up the nickname JoeyG: Shot in the knee (because he's been shot in the knee. Supposedly.) Anyways, in the excitment of shooting film in Vietnam, I took a handful of headshots on film before leaving. I completely forgot about them until I saw them pop up while scanning in Vietnam shots! So here you are, JoeyG: Now shot on film (Kodak Ektar 100).

Bill Cunningham New York

2011-10-02T00:32:00.000-05:00

St. Paul, Minnesota 2011

Recommended by a friend, I watched Bill Cunningham New York the movie last night. Bill is the man! He shoots for the New York Times' fashion section ... with a semi-automatic 35mm Nikon and a mix of color negative and B&W film. He also carriers a hand-held manual Vivtar flash when everyone around him has a Nikon D3 with speedlights. He's also the jolliest person with the Carleton quirkiness! (Though he did not go to Carleton.)

I wasn't able to sit down and read philosophy after this. Instead I looked back at my own film shots that I've been scannin in since my return from Vietnam. These pictures above were taken early last summer. I was wearing some CUT gear and the girl fishing in the picture introduced herself as the captain of the UofMN Women's Ultimate team. (Notice the shadow detail that film keeps!!)

Projectors Failed

2011-10-01T02:02:00.000-05:00

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

This one was right outside the gates of homebase. Gates make it sound really nice, but its really just for security purposes.

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

This young lady is selling lottery tickets. It's a way to make an earning. I've rarely seen anyone buy them though...

(Near by) Ben Tre, Vietnam 2011

Pretty sure this little girl is out getting a snack either for herself or someone at home :)

As for news about me, today I went to the Weitz Center to use the school's new photo studio. To my surprise, all the softbox-lights were hot-lights. My goal was to figure out what I can do with a projector and strobes. Well... apparently not a whole lot. I had a lot of ideas, not all of them tested, but many of them failed.

Temple Statues

2011-09-30T10:15:00.000-05:00

(Near by) Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Here are some of the enormous statues in the Buddhist temples.

09.29.11

2011-09-29T09:21:00.000-05:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

Schoolkids

2011-09-28T01:19:00.000-05:00

(Near by) Ben Tre, Vietnam 2011

(Near by) Ben Tre, Vietnam 2011

One of the most pleasant sights I remember from the back of the motorcycle were the flood of children all dressed in uniform going to school and leaving school whether it was the beginning of the school day, lunch time, or the end of the school day.

Meat Market

2011-09-27T09:39:00.000-05:00

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

I don't know if these pictures need a caption, but its a part of the Da Lat sky/farmer's market. These people were beside these fish sellers.

6x6 Medium Format

2011-09-26T00:49:00.000-05:00

Nha Trang, Vietnam 2011

Saigon, Vietnam 2011

I spent most of today changing out strips of film from the film scanner and reading philosophy in-between. I am absolutely awe-struck at how amazing photographs look on 6x6 Kodak Ektar 100 film!!! ...I also think I will never use Kodak Portra VC again... Not because Ektar is so amazing (which it is), but because I just don't like how Portra looks.

After scanning in medium format all day and then some 35mm at the end, I don't know if I can go back to shooting 35mm anymore... But I can't afford shooting medium format here in the states (it costs too much to develop.) *Sigh*

In other news, keep an eye out for me in the next edition of Carleton College's The Voice. Unfortunately this means I cannot release my super cheesy Vietnam-voice-over-montage until that edition of The Voice comes out.

Second Sunday at Carleton

2011-09-25T10:18:00.000-05:00

(Near by) Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

So thumbs up to the new Ideas Lab and PEPS in the Weitz Center -- lots of great equipment, a nice set-up, and knowledgeable-enough people. Thumbs down (well, more sad face) to being closed Saturday and only open from 6-11pm Sunday.

09.24.11

2011-09-24T09:12:00.000-05:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Left if a fishing net in the middle of the ocean. It's left above the water to dry and stay clean. Right is the owner of a well-off farm-side restaurant that (shoot! I forgot the word...) "grows" their own shrimp, crab, clams, mussels, and all sorts of other seafood. She's the owner from the shrimp robbery story.

In other news, I just finished a 3 minute montage with a particularly cheesy voice over for Carleton's Media Relations. Got to use my Adobe After Effects know-how, my very finite Final Cut Pro knowledge, and the new Ideas Lab in the Weitz Center (lots of cool toys!) Expect a post with a link sometime next week!

09.23.11

2011-09-23T08:11:00.000-05:00

Bao Loc, Vietnam 2011

09.22.11

2011-09-22T09:25:00.000-05:00

Buddhist Temple in Da Lat

Catholic Church in Qui Nhon

Back to the knee doctor today. Wish me luck!

Monks and Pagodas

2011-09-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

Qui Nhon, Vietnam 2011

Da Lat, Vietnam 2011

09.20.11

2011-09-20T16:13:00.001-05:00

Top picture is a market place in Da Lat (Vietnam's Highlands) -- they're selling fish. Bottom is a market by Cho Lon in Saigon.

Islanders

2011-09-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

Top pictures is the son, bottom is the mom. At 61 years old, he's a retired scuba-diver-fisherman. Mom stays on the island during the day and then returns to the mainland at night. It's their island because they've been there the longest -- no formal papers, no money exchange. Today, they let tourists come, drink, and rest in hammocks for about $5 USD a day.

Embroidery

2011-09-18T08:41:00.000-05:00

Labor in Vietnam usually isn't worth much relative to The States and embroiderers aren't much of an exception. This embroiderer above is 18 years old, with about one year's experience. It's a full-time job -- 8 hours a day, 6 days a week. Depending on the complicity, each piece can take from a few months to several years. Here's a few other pictures:

Aikido Master

2011-09-17T10:18:00.000-05:00

Aikido master in the dojo I visited in Vietnam. Guns are banned in Vietnam and life is a little grittier in Saigon. Many of my cousins told me stories of being bullied as a little kid. They then took martial arts classes, fought someone at school (which is really common -- people test their strengths all the time), and then were finally left alone. Long story short, a large portion of the population (in Saigon at least) know martial arts. One of my cousins have been studying Aikido for over 6 years.

09.16.11

2011-09-16T08:04:00.000-05:00

Here's the same scene from yesterday's post. Different ship, different time of day.

09.15.11

2011-09-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

Here's another one I just found taken in Nha Trang, Vietnam. I had to do some post processing to remove some swimmers. Also added a faux depth of field by adding a blue -- but I like the look of that effect.

Family Genes

2011-09-14T06:29:00.000-05:00

Com'on, their expressions couldn't get much more similar. Taken from the back of a 100cc motorcycle on the streets of Saigon.

First Day of Classes

2011-09-13T06:54:00.000-05:00

This portrait is from Da Lat markets in the highlands. I had to ask a lot of locals if I was allowed to take their picture before I got a yes. She's cutting up a stack of vegetables to sell in the open market (kind of like a farmer's market).

First day of classes for me today. About 6 hours of classes Tues and Thurs, and every other day off.

09.12.11

2011-09-12T07:25:00.000-05:00

This shot was suppose to be on Carleton's 2012 calendar, but this part of the arboretum isn't suppose to flood like in the picture and so they had to take it out in the end.

Jet Lag in Northfield

2011-09-11T04:19:00.000-05:00

Back at Northfield, this time with roommates again. Still trying to adjust to the 12 hour time zone difference. It's trickier because I took naps after lunch in VIetnam to hide from the heat. That means night time is nap time over here, so I don't have trouble falling asleep but trouble staying asleep.

This photo might look familiar from here. I was going through some old photos and found this one. I really like the mood in these photos, but overall they just aren't working. Not exactly sure why though. Maybe its the pose?

A+ to the Target in Knollwood

2011-09-10T10:25:00.000-05:00

Picture taken from the 8th floor balcony of a hotel in Nha Trang, Vietnam.

Picked up my film from Target by Knollwood Mall off Hwy 7 yesterday. 99 cents per roll plus tax for developing. No visible scratches AND they included a free contact sheet with all the frames! This makes shooting 35mm quite affordable :)

Target

2011-09-09T07:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Andy Freeland commented, "title says walmart, post says walgreens....WHERE DID YOU DROP THEM!?!?!" The answer is neither. I intended to go to Walgreens but then they asked for $5 per roll. On my walk home I dropped by Target. 99 cents per roll and they personally called me about the details of the film :)

Walmart

2011-09-08T15:49:00.000-05:00

About to drop off some 35mm color negative rolls of film at Walgreens. I'll let you know how it turns out...

Pictures are snapshots from the back of a motorcycle around Ben Tre, Vietnam.

And now in Mounds View

2011-09-07T10:38:00.000-05:00

I skyped Vietnam last night from 9:30pm-2:30am from my aunts house. In the middle of it my uncle came home from work. He's recently relocated to Mounds View from Vietnam. Skipping everything in between he says that life was better in Vietnam: He and his wife had a better job, worked less hours, and had more fun. But there's a brighter future for his children here.

During my 7-week vacation in Vietnam little did I know that two households within the extended family moved to Mounds View for a total of 12 aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces within the area. Coming back from a family-culture like Vietnam, this was a very pleasant surprise.

Back in St. Louis Park

2011-09-06T16:35:00.000-05:00

About 20 mins after this shot was taken, it stormed so hard I couldn't see 5 feet in front of me. It's taken from the highest mountain peak in Da Lat. Here's another [not as great?] view from that peak:

Good Bye Vietnam

2011-09-04T07:54:00.000-05:00

A 7-week father-son vacation in Vietnam and we successful (and surprisingly) stayed within budget. Easily the most life-changing trip yet. New perspectives on old subjects, new life-long bonds between family and friends, and a greater understanding of my parents' teachings. Maybe it will all soak in during my 26 hour journey back to the states, which starts with locking the gates of my Father's childhood home located right in the heart of Saigon.

Last Day in Gò Vấp

2011-09-02T20:38:00.000-05:00

I have about 6 more hours here in Gò Vấp -- where about 12 of my cousins live. After this I'll be returning to Chợ Lớn for the last day and a half of my stay in Vietnam. It's been a wonderful and life-changing experience. It's not quite over yet, but here's the best and worst: Best is meeting so much of my family. I met about 18 cousins and about 9 super-close family friends here. The worst is knowing that one of my cousins here is working for about $2.50 (USD) a day, 8 hour days, 7 days a week.

09.01.11

2011-08-31T21:01:00.000-05:00

1) Guy selling knock-off glasses.
2) Two guys on a bike after a rainstorm.
3) Random guy enjoying his dinner at a ...diner?...

08.31.11

2011-08-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

A couple more zoom-blurs. Slightly different technique though. You can compare them to some of the other recent ones in previous posts. Here's one of those posts.

08.30.11

2011-08-30T08:10:00.000-05:00