Text and photos by Lester V. Ledesma
It all started on a dusty sidewalk in Hanoi.
Having just finished shooting a travel assignment, I was relaxing with a magazine editorata roadside bia hoi beer stall. Around us was the capital of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, a city I’ve seen many times before, and whose quirky, gritty character we had been documenting for the better part of a week. We sat on knee-high chairs right on the sidewalk, watching a constant stream of Hanoians go about their daily lives. Motorbikes loaded with all sorts of cargo (baskets, flowers, even pigs) criss-crossed our field of view, while sellers with their shoulder poles and conical hats stopped by to offer us deals. Kids with their parents in tow ambled past as old folks looked out from the windows of aging colonial mansions.
Our cameras and notebooks piled on the table, we sipped our bia hois and blissfully took in the exotic feel of this neighborhood. We were, at that very moment, living the romanticized notion of the travel journalist. No travel story, no matter how beautifully written or photographed, can ever match the experience of actually being here.
My friend must have been thinking the same thing when she threw me a remark. “You should do tours of the places you’ve been to, Lester. It would be great to know a city from a photojournalist’s point of view!”
PhotoTreks Ver. 1.0
A few months later, I found myself back in Hanoi. This time I was at the arrival hall of the Noi Bai International Airport, waiting to greet 10 people whom I’ve never met. Admittedly I felt like a fish out of water. My career training was that of a teacher, a photographer and a journalist—professions that unfortunately didn’t prepare me to do airport pickups or tourist service.Despite having with me a veteran local guide, this was my show—the first ever PhotoTrek—and this was my itinerary. It was me who would be doing most of the talking, the meeting and the greeting.
And so the first batch of PhotoTrekkers appeared. I was not quite sure what they expected at first, but they looked excited to be here. These were folks from different walks of life —IT professionals, company managers, a lawyer, and a pair of photographers, all wishing to sample this place the way a photojournalist would.
For the next few days I immersed everyone into my version of Hanoi. We photographed old-timers doing their morning exercises at the Hoan Kiem Lake, and surly merchants hawking their wares at the Dong Xuan market. Later on, we practiced our portraiture skills with Vietnamese coeds at the Temple of Literature.And we gorged on grilled bun cha by the streetside, and dined on sizzling fish cha ca at a centuries-old house. In the following days, we chased sunsets around Halong Bay on our own cruise boat, and in the evenings engaged in photography discussions. I ended the tour in a familiar fashion—with a delicious dinner at a roadside stall, surrounded by the motorbikes, the pole vendors, and the old-timers amidst the grand, aging colonial mansions. This, too, was where one of my participants summed up her recent experiences.
“This is so cool!” she gushed. “I feel like a local already. Thanks for showing us your favorite spots!”
Needless to say, I had just laid down the template for all my future PhotoTreks—a local’s viewpoint, guided by a journalist’s curiosity.Lots of photo-opportunities, and special experiences that no other tours can give. This is far from regular touristy stuff, mind you. In Cambodia I drenched my PhotoTrekkers with a Buddhist monk’s water blessing. In Bhutan we hung prayer flags at a mountain pass that offered a stunning view of the Himalayas.At another destination—Yangon, Myanmar—we mixed cityscape photography with sunset drinks at a private rooftop bar. My philosophy as a travel photographer has always been to shoot an experience, not a list. And by offering my PhotoTrekkers these unique travel experiences, I was hopefully feeding them inspiration that no guidebook – or package tour—could ever provide.
The Essence of Travel
It’s been three years since that first PhotoTrek, and my travel photography tours are still going strong. The same spirit of adventure still guides me with each trip that I organize. And it’s been nothing but fun all along—sharing my personal experiences and shooting secrets, and meeting with people blessed with my kind of wanderlust. Marco Polo said he never told half the stories he encountered during his trips. And yes, no travel story, no matter how beautifully written or photographed, can ever match the experience of actually being there. In both cases, the best way to share an experience is to actually give it to others. And the photographs we take? That’s proof that we’ve been there, done that!
Lester V. Ledesma’s PhotoTreks travel photography workshop-tours will soon announce its calendar of photography tours for 2018. This year’s exciting new destinations include Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Siquijor, and other exotic spots. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/PhotoTreks/