As we continue our travels, one of our primary goals is to learn to take better photographs.  So, while in Saigon, we booked the Scoot N’ Shoot tour with Vietnam Photo Adventures.  Arnaud met us at our hotel, chatted with us a bit about photography, and then we hopped on scooters and drove to an area of town filled with apartment buildings and small shops.  (As an aside here, I would like to note that, after riding on the back of a scooter, Robert now has much more respect for my scooter riding skills….).

Old man in the corridor of his apartment.

We started the day at a coffee shop, where Arnaud spent quite a bit of time talking to us about how to take better photos.  Then, we were off to find our willing subjects.

Little kid playing with a box.

Unfortunately, we didn’t find very many photogenic opportunities in our first location so, after a bit, we hopped back on the scooters and headed to Chinatown where we stopped at the bolt market.  Seriously, a bolt market.  We NEVER would have gone there on our own.  But, we found some amazing photography subjects there.

Food vendor at the bolt market.  Do you have any idea how difficult it is to photography these ladies with their hats????

The best part about the market was how friendly nearly everyone was.  Some people even asked to have their photos taken.

Man who had recently been cupped.

Kids followed us around and practiced their English.

Guy lounging on a scooter.

Absolutely nobody seemed annoyed to see us there (although some hid their faces and didn’t want their photos taken, they did so with a smile).

Orange juice vendor.

And, Arnaud was quite helpful.  For Robert, he really brought home the need to take a bunch of shots to ensure the moment is captured.  For me, he really helped with composition — it was amazing to see his photos and how he framed things completely differently (and better) than me.  Bottom line, it was a wonderful way to spend the day.

Just hanging out in the alley.