Flower Hmong Man smoking traditional water pipe, near Bac Ha

This was an attempt to create a deliberately low-key image. It was taken inside this man's hut and lit by light coming in through the small doorway (and the flame used to light the pipe).

I wanted to respect the delicate lighting conditions and isolate the man from the background. The longest exposure I thought I could get away with was 1 second (otherwise too much risk of subject movement), so once I had my tripod in position I set the exposure for 1s at f/2.8, knowing that this would really underexpose the background. Do you think this exposure is OK?

Note that this was shot on B&W transparency film (Scala), so I have exposed for the highlights and let the shadows go black. Would you have tried to get more detail in the shadows? If so, what would that imply for the man's face?

I would also welcome comments on the rest of my Vietnam folder, which I am gradually adding to. Thank you very much.

The photograph is beautifully lit. The long exposure really brings out the flame. It is amazing how little the man moved during a 1 sec. exposure.

I think this photograph works as is. Nice job.