Lunar New Year, known as Tết in Vietnam, is the only time of year businesses close down.

The days and weeks leading up to Tết are full of excitement and energy as everyone prepares to welcome in the new year. However, the week following brings silence to the streets.

The otherwise bustling markets are rarely seen in daylight with their storefronts shuttered. The two days I spent documenting this time of peace, family and leisure in Hanoi offer a rare look into this annual quiet period.

While a unique environment, shooting street photography on quiet streets often creates long periods of solitude. There are no crowds to blend into and finding multiple moments to document in short succession is rare.

This POV shows what it's like to photograph a city in its quiet period with the time in between meaningful shots noted to give a sense of time scale.

I captured these scenes using my Canon R5 with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and a GoPro mounted on it. I edited all images using CaptureOne.

This video is the final instalment of my five-part series on Hanoi, Vietnam, during the Lunar New Year (Tết). Subscribe to my YouTube for more street photography videos and POV content from all over Asia including Japan, Thailand, and South Korea.

If you’re new to street photography or experienced and looking for a new perspective, I invite you to check out my tips on overcoming the awkwardness of street photography to help make your process rewarding.

This is one part of a five-part series on Hanoi: the first documents how life is on display in the streets of Hanoi, the second shows what a realistic day of street photography looks like in Hanoi, the third highlights the rest of Hanoi’s chaotic markets on Lunar New Year’s Eve, and the fourth walks through Hanoi’s craziest flower market on Lunar New Year’s Eve.

I encourage you to follow my most recent street photography work on Instagram or check out my street photography gallery.

I’ve recently settled in London, England since I filmed these scenes in Hanoi. If you’re into street photography and want to shoot, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Below the video, you’ll find my digital zine, designed to be scrolled, of my favourite images from the quiet days following Tết in Hanoi.