Saigon 1966: Just hanging out

I shot this photo of young men hanging out in downtown Saigon in

1966 while one could hear, on the outskirts of the city, the

explosions of 500-pound bombs being dropped by American planes. Your

comments and critiques are always appreciated. Thanks. Bill

Wow that looks old. Oh, I see, it *is*. Old-style mopeds, and a scooter. The central, nearest, guy is looking away AND his head is just a featureless black blob, which I find weakens the picture.

I saw it as circular: the guy on the right is looking right, the middle guy is looking to the rear and the left most guy is looking left. This was enhanced for me by the wrinkles across the front of the shirt of the guy on the right, I believe, as well as the opposed directions of the several standing vehicles and the smooth shininess of the middle Vespa--I think it's a Vespa. Well, that's just how I saw it.

Hy Bill, I realise that you were a very active photographer and the kind that can't be frightened. I think it was very brave from you, going to Vietnam in those dark years of the Vietnam war. I have to say that I admire you for that matter. BTW, I am on leave now and I came home from Germany to Transylvania, to make a photo trip again and to document what is still left from the traditional peasant life and work here. I hope that in some months I will come up with new black and white pictures from this region again. You'll be welcomed to see my pictures than. For a while I will be away and I won't upload any pictures in July.