March
01
Tags
Ballet – Saigon style
This month I got the chance to work with some of Saigon’s young, talented ballet dancers for a series in the March issue of Oi Vietnam which featured them in some well-known locations around the city doing random things.
It was a fun two hours of shooting, and I also had fun seeing the inventive ways the dancers had of changing costume in a public space.
Anyway, here’s some of the shots from the day…
While the shot above does have some flaws, I still like the overall look of the photo, especially the strong colour of Notre Dame Cathedral in the background and the athletic and graceful poses of the male and female dancers respectively.
The one I was looking forward to the most involved a ballerina at a typical Vietnamese noodle store doing the splits between two chairs whilst enjoying a bowl of noodles. I wasn’t sure if it was a realistic request, but thankfully it worked out beautifully!
When I went to shoot with a lamp post I’d spotted the day before, I never expected that the magazine’s editorial staff would love one of the photos so much that it would end up bumping off the planned photo to take its place on the cover of the March issue of Oi!
The last few shots were in the park…
including another of my favourites from the day:
It works for me because you can feel the connection the two have. Actually, the guy in this shot only came along to support his friend, but I roped him into joining in anyway!
The thing I love about this job is that you never know what you’ll be doing next! Be sure to check out this month’s issue of Oi Vietnam online or download a PDF copy here.
Adam Robert Young 
These shots are amazing!! Makes you wonder how can the human body do such things??!!! I was away from the blogging world for a while but now after seeing these photos I’m really happy I came back!
Wow, that’s some high praise! Glad you liked them.
it’s wonderful you have a “job” you love! love the cover, very great photographs.
Yeah, it almost feels criminal to get paid to do this (but then again, what they pay IS criminal)!
Wonderful series. It is nice see some of the cultural activities.
I have a feeling there’ll be more of this kind of thing in future issues of Oi, so I’m looking forward to it!
Wonderful shots! And that red dress makes a great cover. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks. Yeah, I was really pleased with how the shot looked as a cover photo. It was definitely an interesting assignment!
Reblogged this on A Love For Vietnam.
Love this series! Great photographs, and the various poses in each of them. Truly does emphasize the story behind image, as well as the wonderful culture that’s illustrated. Just beautiful.
Glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate your support (not just for this post, but many in the past).
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Oh my word, what incredible shots! What a talent (both you and the dancers!!)
It’s pretty easy to get good shots when you’re working with such talented subjects!
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Love the combination of ballet and da cau in the cathedral shot.
Yeah, although I’m not happy with the alignment of the two in the photo, looks a bit off due to some technical issues.