Cold water droplets hit my back, and dark splotches appeared on the pavement around me. I knew from experience I had just a few seconds to find shelter. As I ducked under the porch of a doorway, heavy rain began pouring from the sky. Thick curtains of water fell over each side of the porch. I knew my camera wouldn’t survive even a few seconds in weather like this, leaving me no choice but to stay put and wait for the storm to pass.
Leaning on the doorframe, I watched two young women pass by on a bicycle. The pillion held an umbrella over their heads, and the rider peddled determinedly through the rain. I raised my camera and took a photo. The storm continued, and the street quickly became a shallow river. But bad weather did not discourage the motorcyclists of Nha Trang, and as they battled through the elements, I continued taking photos.
Setting a slow shutter speed on my camera, I panned around to follow each bike as it passed. This technique nicely blurs the background and gives the photo a sense of movement. My efforts were a little hit and miss at first, but I had plenty of time to hone my technique as the storm refused to relent. I ended up with around sixty photos in total.
Though I’ve tried developing these photos in various ways, I find a high contrast, black and white look best represents the way I remember the scene. Under sheets of heavy rain there were no vivid colours, (actually, there wouldn’t have been the high contrast either, but I guess the mind plays tricks).
These images are a few of my favourites from that day. In the end, I spent about thirty minutes trapped on that street corner. It could have been a complete waste of time, but it turned out to be a very a productive half hour. I’m glad I didn't make it back to my hotel before the rain set in; sometimes good luck can come to you in disguise.