Photos from 8D7N Hanoi Halong Bay & Sapa Valley Photography Trek

[pentriot]

While walking along the street on the first night out one of our mates got his wallet and hp snatched literally away from his hand by a local on a bike.

I travelled to HCM & Hanoi almost every month for work.
I was adviced by my Vietnamese buddies to carry my bags facing the inside of the street. HP better keep in pocket.
In Vietnam we walk mostly on the streets as the pavements are occupied by motorcycles & street vendors.

 

[euterpe]

Hi, Euterpe! Thanks for coming by.
You are still around. I thought you would have been out enjoying yourself far South-West by now... hahaha...!



Sounds great, acpical!
Well, our friend Euterpe is still here, so we'd better post some more before Euterpe decides to venture off....!


Well, anyway...

Going off in a few weeks, quick pple, post up more photos - I wanna see!!!!

 

[divinemoment]

Hi Doc,

Just wonder what program you used to montage these pics. Very nicely done and seemless.

 

[limwhow]

Spyder or no Spyder.
This is great work.
The feeling, the mood. The story that it tells me. The wisp of incense smoke drifting outwards.
Classic!

 

[limwhow]

Hi Doc,

Just wonder what program you used to montage these pics. Very nicely done and seemless.

Aiyoh... don't like that say leh...
Pai seh.
Just my good 'ol CS4.
Put two photos together into separate layers. Then create a mask for the layer on top.
After that use Gradient tool to create a gradual black to white gradient mask in that mask.
That's all.

 

[divinemoment]

You too! Quickly post some leh, both acpical and divinemoment. Waiting for masterpieces leh.:bsmilie:

Yes Sir....

I internationally used a slow stop to capture the little hand movement.

Not sure this work, just highlight the embroidery as main focus, with feinting of hands again. Boring !!

 

[stevepow]

We're still in Hanoi :bigeyes::bigeyes::bigeyes:

Last pix from the doc we're at the train station to Sapa...

Acipical better upload fast or you're gonna miss the train:bsmilie::bsmilie:

 

[theRenaissance]

I'm loving all of the pictures post up so far, seems like its alot to take and immerse in! Hope vietnam dont disappoint me as I will be heading to the same exact place as you guys! Meanwhile, more pictures please!!

 

[acpical]

Aiyoh... don't like that say leh...
Pai seh.
Just my good 'ol CS4.
Put two photos together into separate layers. Then create a mask for the layer on top.
After that use Gradient tool to create a gradual black to white gradient mask in that mask.
That's all.

Think you can use the ol' eraser tool as a substitute for the gradient tool, if one doesn't need uniform edges. Just use a soft brush and set the opacity to less than 100%.

 

[limwhow]

We're still in Hanoi :bigeyes::bigeyes:

Last pix from the doc we're at the train station to Sapa...

Acipical better upload fast or you're gonna miss the train:bsmilie::bsmilie:

Oh oh... Uncle Stevepow late for his Hanoi Beer liao....
Die die die... We'd better start moving to the train station otherwise this Regiment Sergeant Major Encik is going to come down hard on us liao!

Here we go, Encik!
The last picture at the train station!

limwhow #116-#117

And yes, acpical - here I used the brush tool to erase away the edges... as you have rightfully mentioned.
And also, FYI - the words in the Speech Bubble was exactly what stevepow shouted out to me as I was panting as I ran with my big luggage...
You see the way George and divinemoment laughed, you could tell how awkward a state I was in...
trying to capture the great man with the highest of ISO's....
And also, that lovely young sweet thing to stevepow's right side....
well, that was a last minute bonus to add more flavour to our group... Courtesy of Adrian! HAHAHA...

 

[acpical]

You too! Quickly post some leh, both acpical and divinemoment. Waiting for masterpieces leh.:bsmilie:

Wa, dun need to work one isit?

 

[SereneXMM]

We're still in Hanoi :bigeyes:

Last pix from the doc we're at the train station to Sapa...

Acipical better upload fast or you're gonna miss the train:bsmilie::bsmilie:

If you've missed the train then you'll know Hanoi are gone. You can hear the whistle blow at Sapa liao! :bsmilie::bsmilie:

 

[divinemoment]

I can't catch up. I got to slow down.

I'm stucked at first night. This a much longer exposure. A typical busy street of Hanoi.

 

[SereneXMM]

Wa, dun need to work one isit?

WORK, of course must work! How's your bruises?:think:

 

[limwhow]

I'm loving all of the pictures post up so far, seems like its alot to take and immerse in! Hope vietnam dont disappoint me as I will be heading to the same exact place as you guys! Meanwhile, more pictures please!!

Thank you, theRenaissance, on behalf of my team.
It is indeed a lot to take in, especially if your camera's fps runs a little too fast...
But honestly, Vietnam's Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa are beautiful places.

I can't catch up. I got to slow down.

I'm stucked at first night....

Hey, divinemoment. No worries... just slot in your earlier photos along the way.
I have also got some earlier photos that I may simply slot in, regardless of
where the Travelogue has arrived at.

And that's a nice long exposure night shot of Hanoi from the City View Cafe!

 

[limwhow]

T R A V E L O G U E ~ Day 4 night to Day 5 morning: On board the midnight train to Sapa...

These fellows that I was travelling with - they were a bunch of highly energetic people.
They didn't need much sleep.
They didn't sleep much in the hotel rooms.
They hardly needed to sleep in the train cabin.
They just.... ate, talked, shot photos, ate some more, talked some more, shot some more photos,
and generally continued to live their lives as usual!
Wonderful people!

Wah lau... I myself? I was so tired liao.
Adrian was a kind man. He put me into the Ladies' Cabin.
No wonder I also suddenly couldn't sleep that much that very night... ahem... too excited already.


limwhow #118 - #124
The train up north to Sapa took 9 hours.
The King's Cabin that Adrian arranged for us were, surprisingly not bad at all.
Came with free mineral water and tea.

Actually, at this juncture I must say that a Record Photographer's job is usually highly tiring and
(ahem... hehe...) least appreciated. But I had the fortune of being with this great bunch of photographers.
That's why my camera never stopped. I shot almost everyone and everything while we travelled.
Like stevepow said, we ended up shooting each other... hahaha...

 

[stevepow]

1) View from my hotel room's window

2) Tearing down of the old to make way for the new

Uncle Ho will probably never dream or believe his beloved country present stage, if he is still alive

Oh yes manage to get the borders for my pix at last but done in the very primitive way by double canvasing, first the white then the black. It did serve its purpose anyway

 

[limwhow]

Yes, stevepow! Black border. Great!

 

[limwhow]

Yes Sir....


Not sure this work, just highlight the embroidery as main focus, with feinting of hands again. Boring !!

It certainly works!
I like this very muc, divinemoment.

 

[LowLights]

Finally a glimpse of Sapa :lovegrin: