Street Photography in Hoi An

The covered bridge dates from the 1600s and marks the west end of the old town. It is the most photographed thing in Hoi An, so the only time to work it is before 7:00. Vietnam Streets suggests the east side at dawn. Rather than the postcard view, stand on the street and frame the bridge's mouth, then wait for a cyclist or a woman with a shoulder pole to pass through it. Locals eat breakfast along Tran Phu and Nguyen Thai Hoc nearby. The bridge sits inside the ticketed zone, so carry your old town ticket.

The central market sits on the river at the east end of the old town and starts around 5:30. Réhahn describes older women from Tra Que arriving in conical hats with baskets on bamboo poles, and vendors unloading fruit and fish from boats. Get there at 6:00, while the light is low and the unloading is at its peak. Stand at the river edge of the market and shoot toward the stalls so the hats stack up. The rooftop of the market also gives a view over the old town roofs. The floors are wet and slippery near the fish.

Nguyen Thai Hoc runs parallel to the river through the old town, lined with yellow walls and old merchant houses with blue shutters. At dawn residents sweep their doorsteps and school girls in white ao dai ride past on bicycles. This is the street for the classic Hoi An frame: find a colored wall with a doorway, set your exposure and wait for someone to walk or ride through. Mitch Green did exactly this every morning. By 9:00 shops spill their stock onto the pavement and the walls disappear behind tourists. Be gentle with residents, who are photographed all day.

Bach Dang is the riverfront road along the Thu Bon. In the early morning, fishing boats come in and small traders work the bank, with the sunrise behind you if you face east. It is the strongest dawn position in town, according to Vietnam Streets. At night the same bank fills with lantern boats and people selling paper candles to float on the water. Use the lanterns as out of focus color behind a face, or shoot the boats with a slow shutter. Boat touts are persistent, and the river edge has no rails.

An Hoi is across the river, connected by the An Hoi bridge with its big lanterns. It is more residential in the morning, with breakfast stalls serving locals and wooden boats moored at the western tip. From its bank you get the best view back to the old town skyline with boats in front. At night An Hoi hosts the night market, full of stall light and crowds. Stand at the foot of the bridge and use the lanterns as a frame as people cross. The night market is packed, so keep your bag in front.

Thanh Ha has made terracotta pottery for about 500 years and lies roughly 2 to 3 km west of the old town, an easy bicycle ride. Potters work the wheels from about 8:00 to 11:00, and pots dry in rows in the sun. The workshops are dim, so place yourself so the light from the door falls across the potter's hands. Kilns and stacked pots make strong textures even when nothing is firing. This is a working village and some workshops charge for entry, so ask before you shoot inside and buy something small.

Cam Thanh is a water coconut forest east of town, cut by narrow channels. Fishermen pole round basket boats through the palms, and the light inside stays soft and filtered even at midday. The main channels are full of tourist basket boat rides with loud music, which can make fun, chaotic pictures in their own right. For calmer scenes, Vietnam Streets suggests hiring a local boatman to reach the quieter channels. Shoot from a low boat with a longer lens to compress the palms around a fisherman. Keep your camera strapped on: it is easy to drop over the side.

Tra Que is a market garden village a short ride north of the old town, known for its herbs. At dawn farmers water long beds by hand, with watering cans hung from a shoulder pole, and the low sun lights the spray. Arrive before 7:00, before the cooking class groups. Get low at the end of a row so the lines of the beds lead to a farmer in a conical hat. There is an entrance point for visitors. Walk only on the paths between the beds, because these are people's livelihoods.