First Impressions of Hoi An’s Market

Hoi An has a rhythm all its own, and nowhere is that more alive than in its open air market. The morning I walked through, the air was heavy with the scent of lemongrass and fresh fish. Woman in colorful clothes and conical hats called out aggressively, bargaining with customers who darted from stall to stall. I felt like I had stepped straight into the city’s pulse and was stimulated by all five senses. There is a reason Vietnam’s markets are so famous, because there is nothing else like them in the world!

It wasn’t staged for tourists. It wasn’t polished or quiet. It was busy, messy, colorful—and absolutely real. Come to think of it, I can’t remember seeing one other person at the market who wasn’t Vietnamese. As a photographer, that kind of energy is gold. Every direction I turned, there was a new scene unfolding: a pile of dragon fruit glowing under the morning sun, women throwing water on their fish, and scooters weaving through crowds loaded with fresh greens.

The Details That Make It Special

Markets like this are all about details. The textures of weathered hands scooping rice, the metallic shine of fish laid out on woven mats, the soft lines of conical hats leaning in the corner. Light spilled in from gaps between tarps, bouncing off everything—bright oranges, deep greens, pale pinks.

I slowed down, tried to blend into the background, and let the camera do the watching. The result was a series of photographs that capture not just what the Hoi An market looks like, but what it feels like to be there. These are the kinds of images that carry memory and emotion, long after the morning rush has faded.

Hoi An Market Photography and Prints

Photographs from Hoi An’s market aren’t just travel snapshots—they’re visual records of daily life in Vietnam. For collectors, designers, or editors, these images translate into striking prints or versatile editorial visuals.

Whether it’s a wide scene of the market’s bustle or a close detail of produce piled high, these photographs work as fine art wall prints, as editorial spreads for travel publications, or as authentic imagery for brands looking to highlight Southeast Asian culture.

Authentic Vietnamese Market Images for Licensing

For anyone searching for stock photos or licensing imagery of Vietnam, authenticity matters. These photographs were taken on the ground, in the real flow of the market—not staged or recreated. That means they carry the credibility that audiences are drawn to.

Editors can use them to anchor travel stories. Brands can bring them into campaigns that celebrate culture, color, and connection. Interior designers might even use them to create a vibrant focal point in a restaurant or office space.

If you’re looking for images that convey the spirit of a Vietnamese open air market—colorful, crowded, and deeply human—this collection is available for licensing and prints. Contact me for details.

Vietnam Basketball Hoops

Street Courts, Local Culture, and Basketball Photography from Vietnam

Basketball is often thought of as an American export — born in a Massachusetts gymnasium in 1891 and carried outward through schools, cities, and eventually professional leagues around the world. While traveling through Vietnam, I was struck by how naturally the game has taken root there, not as a spectacle, but as part of everyday life.

Across cities, towns, and quieter neighborhoods, basketball hoops appear in unexpected places: schoolyards, narrow streets, open courtyards, and community spaces where the game feels woven into the rhythm of daily life. This series documents basketball hoops in Vietnam as quiet markers of a global sport adapting to a local landscape.

Basketball Culture in Vietnam

Basketball in Vietnam doesn’t announce itself loudly. It exists alongside scooters, street vendors, and the constant motion of city life. In larger cities like Ha Noi, formal courts sit beside improvised spaces where a single hoop is enough to gather players at dusk. The game is played casually — pickup runs, after-school games, and neighborhood meetups — less about structure and more about presence.

What stood out most was how accessible basketball felt. You didn’t need a gym or a polished court. A hoop mounted to a wall or standing alone on cracked pavement was enough. These small courts and informal hoops reflect how basketball culture adapts when it travels — shaped by space, environment, and community rather than uniform design.

Vietnam Basketball Hoops as Photographic Subjects

As a photographer, basketball hoops have long fascinated me as cultural objects. In Vietnam, they become especially compelling. The hoops themselves often show signs of wear — rusted rims, faded backboards, uneven surfaces — but they feel purposeful, still actively used and cared for.

Photographing these hoops wasn’t about action or athletic performance. Instead, it was about the spaces around them: the architecture, the light, the way people move through the frame even when they aren’t playing. These images sit somewhere between travel photography, documentary work, and fine art basketball photography.

Each hoop tells a quiet story about place. They suggest where kids gather after school, where communities overlap, and how a global sport finds a local expression far from its origins.

Street Basketball Courts in Ha Noi and Beyond

Many of the basketball hoops in this series were photographed in and around Ha Noi, where dense urban neighborhoods create intimate court environments. Others were found while traveling through smaller towns and less-touristed areas, where hoops feel more isolated — standing alone in open spaces, waiting for players to return.

These locations reveal a side of Vietnam that isn’t always highlighted in travel photography. Basketball courts become landmarks, offering insight into daily routines rather than postcard views. They act as subtle entry points into understanding local culture through sport.

A Global Game, Seen Through Travel Photography

Basketball’s global reach is often discussed in terms of professional leagues and international competition. What interests me more are these quieter expressions — the places where the game exists without spectacle.

This project fits within my larger body of work documenting basketball hoops across different regions, from small towns in the United States to international locations like Vietnam. In each place, the hoop remains recognizable, but the environment reshapes its meaning.

Vietnam basketball hoops feel rooted, practical, and alive. They are not nostalgic relics, but active participants in daily life.

Prints and Licensing

These photographs are part of an ongoing documentary and fine art series exploring basketball culture through place.
Fine art prints of select images from this Vietnam basketball hoops series are available for collectors, and the work is also available for editorial and commercial licensing.

If you’re interested in prints, licensing, or learning more about this project, feel free to get in touch.

View my basketball photography prints

Explore more Vietnam travel photography

Contact Rob