Urban Hanoi

Since wrapping up my 'Alley' project, I've been developing a new visual story within the framework of the IPA Mentorship program, a very interesting mentorship organised by the Singapore-based photography platform Invisible Photographer Asia (http://invisiblephotographer.asia/). I won't share this series just yet, as I'm still in the midst of creating and fleshing it out. But I do hope to publish this story in the near future, so watch this space!

Working on this new project has brought me to areas of Hanoi that I'd never visited before and that I probably never would visit unless I'd have a specific purpose. Even after four years, there are still many places in the city like that, ready to be explored and photographed. These places are - visually - as far away from the famous Old Quarter or French Quarter as one can imagine. But that doesn't make them any less interesting or 'photo-worthy'. These are largely anonymous neighborhoods, both in the heart and the outskirts of the city, consisting of thousands of streets and alleys where huge numbers of Hanoi's population live their daily lives. These residential areas might seem bland and uninteresting to some, but giving them a closer look - in the right light, and camera at hand of course - can be very rewarding.
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I like to wander these areas after dusk, motorbiking my way around the streets and stopping every so often to catch a scene. Here are a few recent images, which I - for now - consider as small sidesteps from the main series that is under development.