1. Please introduce yourself. Who are you? What do you do?

Hi there, my name is Ernest. My work actually has nothing to do with photography. I work in a fintech company and currently live in London.

2. How long have you been into photography, and what drew you to it?

I started getting interested in photography in my late teens, early 20s. I’ve lived in 7 different countries so far, mostly in Europe, and moving around and travelling is what started my interest in photography. (Hopefully, I’ll get to a double-digit number and will expand more continent-wise)

3. In one sentence, please describe what you captured in this shot.

A girl in the rice fields on the hills of Mu Cang Chai in Vietnam during the harvest season.

4. What style of photography would you describe this as and do you typically take photographs in this style?

I’d say it’s a travel photo. Almost all of the photos I take, I’d categorize as travel photography, even though some might say they’re mostly cityscapes and landscapes.

5. When and where was this photo taken?

The photo was taken on the Mam Xoi hill in the Mu Cang Chai region of Vietnam in the mid- September. Mid-September is usually the period when local people harvest the rice in that area and it can offer plenty of photo opportunities.

6. Was anyone with you when you took this photo?

I was actually roaming the hills on my own that morning. However, there was a group of a few local tourists on the hill path at that time. They were right in front of the girl and were taking photos of her with their phones. The girl seemed to enjoy the attention and was posing for the group. Then she saw me in the distance with my camera and tripod and turned her head in my direction and that’s when I captured this shot.

7. What equipment did you use?

I use Nikon D850 and for this shot I used 24-120mm Nikkor lens. I usually carry with me 3 lenses – the already mentioned 24-120mm, as well as 16-35mm Nikkor and 100-400mm Tamron lenses. As to the software, I post-process all of my photos in Photoshop.

8. What drew you to take this photo?

I actually liked how the rice fields curved leading to the hut from that point of view. The rich yellow and green colours of the rice contrasted with the red soil quite remarkably. And the fact the local girl was harvesting on that field at exactly the same time was just an added bonus

9. How many attempts did it take to get this shot? How long did it take you to get one that you were satisfied with?

I have quite a few shots from that spot (definitely more than 20), but I love this one in particular, because the girl turned her head in my direction and is looking into the camera. In total, I spent two mornings on that hill.

10. Did you edit this photo?

I edit all of my photos in ACR and Photoshop. I do not add / replace any elements on my photos and usually remove only minor distractions (e.g. cigarette butts when shooting cityscapes). However, I’d often use techniques such as focus stacking and exposure blending.

11. What encouraged you to share this photo online and with others?

I usually get inspiration for my travels from other photographers’ work, so I’d like to think that one day someone might get inspired to visit a particular place after seeing some of my photos

12. Did you learn anything in the process of taking, editing, or sharing this photo?

I don’t think there’s anything in particular that I’ve learned from this one. It was more one of these photographs that proves that for a good shot sometimes you need a bit of luck to be in the right place at the right time.

13. Do you remember what you had for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) the day you took this photo?

I don’t remember the breakfast to be honest, but while I was on that trip I discovered Vietnamese coffee (made with condensed milk) and liked it so much that I would drink it every morning. I highly recommend it to everyone traveling to Vietnam (not to be confused with egg coffee, which is extremely popular there as well)

14. What would you like people to take away from this photo?

There isn’t anything that people should take away, I just share the way I see different parts of our World and if someone get inspired by any of these shots that would be great.

15. Is there any feedback that you’d like to get on this shot?

It’s always good to hear feedback, especially constructive criticism, that’s how I can improve my skills.

16. How can anyone reading this support your work?

If they want, they can follow me on my social media accounts: Flickr, Instagram, 35photo.pro.

 

Ernest Vakhedi currently based in London, works in financial technology spending most of his time looking at Excel sheets. In his free time though, he enjoys traveling and capturing gorgeous shots of those travels as a hobby photographer. Photography allows him to explore the World around him and share what he sees along the way.