Hanoi's rare images in the eyes of French photographer Sebastien Laval
The Hanoi 18h/6h Hue 18h/6h photos of French photographer Sebastien Laval are being introduced at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi until April 23, showing Hanoi in a different way with quiet alleys, lonely railways and shops with fluorescent lights.
French photographer Sebastien Laval recently introduced a collection of 30 photos that illuminate Hanoi and Hue at night in the Hanoi 18h/6h Hue 18h/6h exhibition.
Unlike the common images of a bustling daytime Hanoi, more peaceful nighttime images of Hanoi capital by French photographer have been on display.
Laval produced all of his haunting images between the hours of 6pm and 6am, using a digital camera and no dedicated artificial light source. Each photo conveys a memory of a specific location, space and moment.
The oldest photos in Laval’s collection date back to December 2007 when the photographer first ventured onto Hanoi's streets with his camera.
Unlike the common images of a bustling daytime Hanoi, more peaceful nighttime images of Hanoi capital by French photographer have been on display.
Laval produced all of his haunting images between the hours of 6pm and 6am, using a digital camera and no dedicated artificial light source. Each photo conveys a memory of a specific location, space and moment.
The oldest photos in Laval’s collection date back to December 2007 when the photographer first ventured onto Hanoi's streets with his camera.
He discovered a new urban landscape, transformed by the absence of harsh, flooding daylight into a more magical place, alive with colours and textures that required the company of starlight and moonlight for resolution.
“By taking photos between 6pm and 6am, I want to show Hanoi in a different way. Even if you are familiar with a place, at night, under a different sort of light, that location has a different atmosphere,” Laval said.
The photographer also determined the difference between the capital city and the former imperial city.
He said that while Hanoi is always bustling and constantly moving, Hue is generally quiet and shy, this difference can be showed even at night in some of my photos.
“By taking photos between 6pm and 6am, I want to show Hanoi in a different way. Even if you are familiar with a place, at night, under a different sort of light, that location has a different atmosphere,” Laval said.
The photographer also determined the difference between the capital city and the former imperial city.
He said that while Hanoi is always bustling and constantly moving, Hue is generally quiet and shy, this difference can be showed even at night in some of my photos.
Laval picked up photography in Paris as a young man. He made his first trip to Vietnam in the early 1990s, documenting the lives of the ethnic minorities, and exhibited these works at the Hue Festival in 2008 and 2010, and then again in 2014.
After the exhibit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, the photos will be presented at the Art Vietnam Gallery on 24 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hanoi.
The Hanoi 18h/6h Hue 18h/6h photos will travel to the MGallery La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa for display from April 29 to May 4.
After the exhibit at the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, the photos will be presented at the Art Vietnam Gallery on 24 Ly Quoc Su Street, Hanoi.
The Hanoi 18h/6h Hue 18h/6h photos will travel to the MGallery La Residence Hue Hotel & Spa for display from April 29 to May 4.
14:57, 2024/11/16
Architectural treasures in the Creative City
Hanoi should intensify its efforts to promote the value of its precious heritage and unlock its potential to drive economic growth and diversify local tourism offerings.