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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Twelve: Using color to express ideas > Market colors, Long Xuyen, Vietnam, 2008
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06-JAN-2008

Market colors, Long Xuyen, Vietnam, 2008

One of the things I search for when visiting any travel scene is density of color. I certainly found just that in the Long Xuyen market, a river town deep in the Mekong Delta. The goods were colorful, the clothing even more so. And here one of its vendors is having breakfast from a richly painted red bowl. Greens, blues, reds and yellows dominate the image. These colors give the image an energy and beauty that no black and white version could equal.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/500s f/6.3 at 21.3mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time06-Jan-2008 19:12:44
MakeLeica
ModelV-LUX 1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length21.3 mm
Exposure Time1/500 sec
Aperturef/6.3
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis24-Feb-2008 00:26
You make an excellent point about the role of color here, Vera, in defining detail. No, this would be just a very cluttered image in black and white. Black and white can abstract form to make it stand out, as you say. But it is hard separate detail as easily in black and white as it is in color.
Guest 23-Feb-2008 13:28
This picture is certainly rich in color but it tells the story so well of the Vietnamese people. They live and work in the same place so often, doing so with what appears to be comfort. In North American stores it would be inappropriate to eat while at work. You move off to a lunch room. Here everything is done on the street. I like how you have captured her little red sitting bench also. I am not sure I would be able to bend far enough to sit in this position. I can definitely see what you mean about the color bringing life to this photo. The color draws us to all the little details that we likely wouldn't notice if it were black and white. I notice how she is dressed, her plastic shows, the little red bench, the wonderful bowl, the mix of items she is selling, etc. I believe if it were in black and white I would be drawn more to the forms. For instance her hat and her posture would likely stand out for me in that case.
Phil Douglis20-Jan-2008 02:07
I think Vietnam is, along with India, the most colorful culture I've seen. You are right -- this is very typical, and very intense. As I said, I look for density of color, not just color. Which means lots of primary colors and those colors filling most of the frame.
monique jansen19-Jan-2008 10:24
Not possible to mistake this for anything else than a Vietnamese market - conical hat, woven basket, rich colors.
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