TWO DECADES ON ASSIGNMENT

Vietnam Documentary Photography Retrospective

Justin Mott’s Vietnam documentary photography retrospective gathers two decades of work across the country, most of it photographed on assignment for The New York Times.

Night street market in heavy rain; a vendor with a conical hat pushes a cart under a beige umbrella while the wet street reflects lights at night.

The ABD mosquito net program reduces malaria in the region.

A woman relaxes along the edge of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, Vietnam on Saturday May 9th, 2015. Hoan Kiem Lake, meaning the "lake of the returned sword", is a popular attraction for both tourists and locals.

Photo by Justin Mott For The New York Times

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Group of soldiers in ceremonial dress uniforms marching in formation during a parade, wearing dark blue outfits with gold cords and medals.

Man and child ride a motorbike piled with leafy branches, in a rural valley setting.

Mother in a yellow jacket cuddles a baby wrapped in red while a young boy stands nearby inside a makeshift shelter with colorful tarps and blankets nearby for warmth and shelter.

Colorful indoor room with green walls and blue partitions; clothes hang on lines around a purple curtain, behind which a shadowy hand is visible.

Colorful market stall with bowls of limes, onions, shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and assorted peppers and roots arranged in vibrant baskets

Woman with a bandaged leg sits on a bed by an open window, gazing outward in a dim, sparse room.

Twenty years, more than 100 assignments

For two decades, Justin has photographed Vietnam, most of it on assignment for The New York Times. This collection pulls from more than 100 assignments into one running record of the country’s people, landscapes, and change.

It is an ongoing archive. I add to it as I keep working, and one day it will become a book.

Vietnam Documentary Photography, Up Close

The work moves between quiet villages and the noise of the cities: news as it broke, portraits of farmers, fishermen, street vendors, and artisans, and the landscapes people know Vietnam for, from Ha Long Bay to the rice terraces of Sapa.

Shooting for the Times gave me rare access to moments that would otherwise go unseen, and it taught me patience and respect for the people in front of the lens.

This project was featured by the BBC. Prints are available through my online store.