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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifty Four: Opposing diagonals – composing with triangles > Tourist boats, Halong Bay, Vietnam, 2007
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20-DEC-2007

Tourist boats, Halong Bay, Vietnam, 2007

Halong Bay, a three hour drive from Hanoi, is a labyrinthine seascape of bizarre outcrops, isolated caves, and sandy coves. Thousands of tourists visit this site, creating mini-traffic jams such as this. The picturesque junks carry passengers around the bay, while small barges ferry them to sites on shore. I use triangular composition here as well, only I’ve reversed the triangle so that peak is at the bottom, rather than the top. The little ferry is the subordinate partner here, and the bottom position serves it well. My reverse triangular composition is also echoed by the natural triangle formed within the trees at top center.

Leica V-Lux 1
1/250s f/5.6 at 30.3mm iso200 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Phil Douglis15-Feb-2008 19:43
Thanks, Sofia, for leaving this comment. The orange sails make the picture a special one -- as you say, they are a cultural symbol, as well as a historical one. Boats such as this were once common in China -- they were called "Junks." Now, the only junks are those built for tourism, such as this one. And yes, I was on the fifth boat that made up this little traffic jam-- there were four junks and one ferry here, either at anchor or on the move.
Guest 15-Feb-2008 18:45
A very nice sailing jam, I like the orange sails very much, they are telling about the culture. So you were shooting from the fifth ferry? I nice jam it was! V
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