This colorful French colonial-era apartment tucked away at 14 Ton That Dam street in Saigon's district 1 is home to some chic cafes and boutiques and happens to be a great spot for shooting video and grabbing a bite to eat.
N°14 Ton That Dam
Saigon in HLG HDR
More luscious HDR goodness, this time shot with the 16-35mm GM, 50mm f/1.4 Planar and 85mm f/1.8 lenses. Mostly architecture around Ho Chi Minh City from the French colonial era. Forget everything you heard about HLG being backward compatible: the clip must be viewed on an HDR display or it will look dreadful. https://youtu.be/3agRiX5kD5g "Ruby"... Continue Reading →
Scouting Locations in Saigon
If you're on the lookout for places to shoot models in Saigon that are safe, quiet and won't break the bank, here are a few suggestions. The Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts in district 1 (above), built in the early 20th century by a French architect, has some lovely light. Admission for... Continue Reading →
30/4 Park Rushes
It's been too long since I've posted any new videos, so here's a peek at the first minute and-a-half of a mini-documentary I'm working on about young people in and around 30/4 Park in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. One thing I discovered is that when converting the ProRes 422 files to QuickTime H.264 using... Continue Reading →
Lunar New Year Vietnam 2014
Phuong, a 21 year-old accounting major studying in Saigon, invited me to spend the Tet holiday in her hometown in Dak Lak province. Located in the Central Highlands, the region is noted for its coffee plantations and a sizable population of ethnic minorities. To get there, you have to catch a bus at Mien Dong... Continue Reading →
Sunday Afternoon in the Park
There are always loads of photographers in and around the park, especially on weekends: wedding photographers, amateurs, fashion photographers and television crews. Last weekend, I had the good luck to run into Thanh, a cameraman with VTV, a Vietnamese broadcasting network. I arrived at the park at around three in the afternoon, where they'd been... Continue Reading →
Party at Anh Duc’s
A rooftop BBQ party celebrating the grand opening of Anh Duc's new rooming house and bar. http://youtu.be/_1_pqfBAM78
My Soon-To-Be New Neighborhood – FCPX Test
This is a short test of FCPX shot in Binh Thanh, HCMC. http://youtu.be/bvRanpDyJj8
A Vietnamese Meal
An extraordinary meal at lunchtime served at Quan 95, a restaurant in Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City. Cost - $6.00 USD. Care to guess how much this would run in the States? http://youtu.be/jP6HA_i3SSY
30/4 Park Revisited
I recently added a new tool to my arsenal - a handheld stabilizer that goes simply by the name of Hand Held. I have no idea where it's manufactured. The Freefly MōVI it is not, but then again, it doesn't carry a $15,000 price tag either. It's elegantly crafted from brushed aluminum (no plastic!), with leather for... Continue Reading →
The Daejeon Chronicles 