Arts - February 6, 2019 | 05:00 pm PT

Spaniard discovers the geometry of photography in Vietnam

An intent to get instants that will never happen has kept Victor Morante longer than intended in Vietnam. 

Morante left Spain on January 31, 2016 for an Asian trip and is yet to return home.

He has also been in Vietnam for longer than he intended at first.

"Vietnam is an easy country to live in and I'm staying longer than I could ever have expected, and when it comes to photography, it's still growing gradually compared to other countries in Asia," he said.

Morante learnt photography on his own and started on this career path in Bangkok, Thailand. Very soon, he learnt that he has a passion for street photography and daily instants.

"It’s kind of meditation, I must be totally focused and ready to react almost instantly in order to catch that instant. I can freeze a moment that will never be going to happen ever again," he said.

Morante said at some point, without even realizing it, the vibes of Saigon changed his photo structure.

"I found out that the streets can offer all the composition I might need. Lines lead the eye to the subject, and any object framed properly, can be a line. I became obsessed and selective, I seek those unnoticed geometrical shapes whenever I’m out."

Below are photos that he took in the downtown of Saigon in 2018:

Parallel lines segue from the wall on to a woman wearing a striped shirt and a conical hat, caught below a semi-circle. 

A cyclist with a crutch is caught in triangle and rectangle of light.

A worker repairs the ceiling of a building, breaking the monotony of a geometrical design.

A woman hastening into a shopping mall in District 1 is caught within a play of shadow and light.

Another woman in front of an office building captured through twists and turns.

A man casts his silhouette onto a poster while sitting framed against a bus's window.

A woman caught for an instant in the triangles of a super structure.

Concentric circles provide the backdrop for another silhouette of a woman wearing a straw hat.

A female security guard on duty is framed by series of shapes that look different from different angles.

A juxtaposition of walking and flying.

Light falls on the polka dotted dress of a woman against the backdrop of an intricate Vietnamese motif.

By Minh Nga