Fountain, a photo by Le Tuan Anh (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – A unique exhibition displaying the million faces of Hanoi
has opened in the city’s Old Quarter.
While images of Hanoi taken on modern equipment are familiar, the
show is a rare opportunity to see photos taken on classic film cameras.
The colour and monochrome photos are divided into five themes:
landscape, cultural life, people, daily life, and art and culture.
All of the photos were carefully selected to ensure image quality
and the content they deliver.
The exhibition aims to portray the artistic side and classic
beauty of Hanoi captured by film cameras, an old method largely bypassed in the
current era of digital technology. These snippets of Hanoi reflect the essence
of the city from the perspectives of film camera users.
A few decades ago, classic film cameras and film rolls were
familiar items for photography lovers. However, the boom in digital camera
technology has gradually overtaken film as the chosen method of taking
pictures.
“It doesn’t mean we have forgotten the classic cameras and that
they will disappear, because they have values that digital cameras do not,”
said photographer Trung Thanh.
“One of these values is the actual sentiment of taking a shot,
then waiting and developing it with tender care. The finished photo is all the
more special because it is the one and only reflection of a specific moment
which cannot be adjusted or upgraded.”
The exhibition consists of around 100 photos taken by 30
professional and amateur photographers from Hanoi and other Vietnamese
localities. They are members of the Classic Film Camera and Photography, Vietnam
Film Photo, 36 Lab and Coffee-Zone 5 forums.
In addition, there are many short movie clips about life in the
city that are part of the celebration. “Through the exhibition, we can feel the
love of photographers for Hanoi,” said Le Tuan Anh, a member of the organising
board.
“Hanoi is always attractive and inspirational for photographers
with four distinct seasons, for example, the spring has a cool climate, the
morning mist unfurling on the street, peach flower petals floating on the
breeze; the autumn covers streets with leaves falling, the alternating sun
shimmering through the leaves. Each season has a flower blossom.”
“The familiar corners, the lively street life, the old roofs and
the poetic landscape changing when the seasons shift are an endless inspiration
for the photographers.”
The exhibition Film and Hanoi will run until September 3 at the Ho
Guom Information and Culture Centre, 2 Le Thai To Street, Hanoi.-VNA