Written By - Gabriele De Capitani
To take or not to take
Having left the familiar comfort of Hoi An, it was time to continue on my journey. I had 1 month to collect many recommendations and suggestions, and I decided to travel north to Ninh Binh, particularly Tam Coc. What was supposed to be just a few days in a nice private house to relax and recharge from the constant hustle of hostel living became a week-and-a-half-long stay when I, and a monsoon, decided to cancel what would have been a motorcycle tour of the Ha Giang loop.
I wasn’t discouraged, however, as this time allowed me to properly explore and enjoy the natural beauty of that area. I took a few guided and some unguided tours, and for the first time I had to learn to sacrifice comfort to bring my camera, or sacrifice my shoulder and bring 2 lenses, depending on where I went. This became an important decision for the rest of my travels and one I always dread to make. You see, this trip is not just a lifelong dream of mine to explore and to live my life, and it’s also not just a work expedition where my sole mission is to create photos and videos of the places I visit; for me, it had to be a blend of both. But finding the time and the energy to dedicate to both your passion and your will to enjoy the moment is not an easy task. While I love my camera and using it makes me feel empowered, accomplished, and free to express myself, I also love to enjoy the special moments, views, feelings, and emotions on my own. This is why I have to make decisions about when to bring a camera I have to look out for and take care of (especially as it weights 5kg on a good day), and when to go somewhere purely for myself and live the moment without the distraction of the camera.
So when you look at these pictures, dear reader, know that the most beautiful moments, amazing memories, and breathtaking sceneries you will not find here. They are safely stored in my memories, and there they will remain, for me to look back at, tell stories, and some just for me. This is what I have decided, and no one can stop me. I guess the only way you can truly see the beauty, live in the moments, and feel, is to go there yourself :).
This first picture was taken on a little boat floating on the river one late morning through the mountains; a stranger and I were being paddled through the mountains of northern Vietnam. The scenery really reminded me of the movie “Kong”, particularly how the lush and green mountains fall straight into the water, and the openings between them make me expect a giant creature to appear at any moment.
Ngô Đồng River Boat tour - Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Some time later, I climbed 500 steps, atop one of those mountains, and reached a stone dragon overlooking the valley. The only thing separating me from a 150m drop to an epic death was a little metal chain visible in the foreground of this picture. Looking at where I was, from a different vantage point, how minute people looked and how less imposing the mountains seemed reminded me of the effect perspective has on you. Yes, the scenery was still grand, and just the idea of climbing another step to cross those mountains was atrocious to me, but looking at it after having already put in so much effort, and being rewarded with such beauty, made my legs feel less tired and my excitement grow stronger. Take from that what you will :).
Mua Cave viewpoint - Tam Coc, Vietnam
Something Small, somewhere big
While carrying a heavy camera around might be tiring, that tiredness can sometimes be a blessing in disguise. After having climbed the mountain and sweated more than I had ever wished, I found myself forced to walk slowly by the water, regaining my composure and strolling aimlessly to my next destination. It’s after staring at grand views that, I believe, your eyes start looking for something different, and in my case they focus on the smaller things around.
These two pictures were taken at different moments, but with the same mindset. A pleasantly unexpected surprise of something small in a moment when I was committed to capturing something big.
Some mushrooms growing on a tree, and snail eggs on the ledge of a stone path, while seemingly unimpressive and definitely not a tourist attraction, still bring much joy and pleasure to my eyes, and spark a childlike curiosity as I sat or lay on the floor admiring them for a while.
I thought the white, alien-like mushrooms had a great contrast with the green, natural tree. I find mushrooms to be of all shapes and colors that don't belong in nature and yet somehow just make sense. I placed them just in the center of my frame, having their natural placement balance themselves out, with the directly lit ones on the right being supported by the shadowed ones to the left.
Tam Coc- Nihn Binh, Vietnam
Tam Coc- Nihn Binh, Vietnam
These snail eggs also caught my eye, as seeing something this pink in nature is not common at all. I thought the snail made a very unexpected choice, laying them so in the open and in a precarious position right on the ledge of what, for the snail, must have been a very tall, 20cm drop.
I put the eggs on the top left third of the frame, and kept some green grass as a foreground and secondary color element, in my mind, making the picture look less flat as the light wasn’t completely in my favour, while still making the eggs pop from the darker background.