Bac Ha (elevation 900m), 144 km from Sa Pa, is a new paradise for tourists and dreamed destination for photographers where you can see 10 minority groups at Sunday Market, a weekly hill tribe event that draws locals in from all over the surrounding area.
Unlike Sa Pa, it is not staged for tourists and far fewer tourists make it up this way... It is warmer than Sa Pa and much less tourism industry than Sa Pa. The bad thing is the infrastructure in Bac Ha is not as good as in Sa Pa (hotel and power are in worse condition). Minority men are heavy drinkers and it is amazing to see groups of tribal women heading home, each one leading a horse behind her with her drunken husband on the saddle. Anyway, the people and landscape are far more interesting than Sa Pa. It may be nicer in the middle of the week but you can not go to any market and if you want to see minority groups, you sometimes have to walk for 20 km.
These minority people live highest in the mountains, and are renowned for their musicality, songs and word-play. The women wear tunic-style dresses of hemp fabric, dyeing with natural indigo to a deep purple-black. They wear strips of indigo cloth as leggings, and stunning silver bangles around their necks and arms.
This photo shows a little girl slowly focusing her happiness on the cold lemonade drink in a booth, after a long trek from tribe this morning, and after several hours selling family products under direct sunlight. If you lived in a place without electricity, I am sure you will get the exact feeling when you got ice?
I cannot guarranty that I always be a good photographer, but I could tell you that I am a good listerner, especially to the best advice like the one you gave to me.
What I am saying is that when you type in a title for an image try to think about the meaning of the image rather than a description. For example, the image above could be named: Drink time....or....lonely drink....or....a cup of lemonade...something like this...
The only advise that I might give you if you do not mind...is to change your selection of the image titles.. Your images are very unique and colorfull and I believe with some better selection of the titles they can attract more attention and get more people to view and criticize....good luck..BY the way did u see my recent photo entitled "The power of poverty"...This is the kind of titles I am recommending.... good luck
Dear Shehabeldin: Thanks for your critique, but I wonder what do you want me to do with my camera next? FYI, we are planning to return to Bac-Ha by the end of Feb 2005 (to correct some photographic mistakes I made in recent trip). Any advice or suggestion for me?
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