HAIRCUT IN THE STREET

THE OLD QUARTER, HANOI

Image number 872

As the oldest continuously developed area of Vietnam, Hanoi's Old Quarter has a history that spans 2,000 years and represents the eternal soul of the city.  Because inhabitants of each street came from the same village, streets developed a homogeneous look. Commoners' homes evolved out of market stalls, before streets were formed. Because storekeepers were taxed according to the width of their storefront, storage and living space moved to the rear of the buildings. Consequently, the long and narrow buildings were called "tube houses." Typical measurements for such houses are 3 meters wide by 60 meters long.

TECHNICAL NOTES

The image was taken with a tripod-mounted Phase One 645 Camera at ISO 35. Exposure of 1/3 of a second and aperture F2.8.  80 mm Schneider Kreuznach lens with a leaf shutter. The image was captured on a Phase One IQ180 80 megapixel digital back.