Mekong River Eel (2 of 6) by bmac62
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Description
Boys pulling a sanpan into deeper water eyeing a large eel in an inlet off the Mekong River.
These eels, while dangerous looking, are not. They are a variety of fish with gills, rather than reptiles.
The long shaft being pulled by the boys has a small propeller. The engine is under the black tarp and conical hat on the boat's rear deck.
I took this photo to capture the boys moving the boat with the typical, thatched-hut fishing village in the background. The eel was an unexpected bonus.
Time and place: 1965, Tra Vinh Province in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam.
Original photo was taken using 35mm film.
Thanks for all your super comments on my last posting, "Ten Faces",...also in Vietnam
Bill:)
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Comments (28)
seems to suit b&w quite nicely.. good use of the boat as leading lines
Another very revealing foto. These must bring back a lot of memories.
So very interesting! It's great that you took pics while you were there!
Great photo of boys at work. Is the eel edible? Are they thinking "food?"
Responding to drace68's questions: The eel is edible and the boys are probably thinking food. Nobody went hungry in Vietnam. Rice, fish, fruit and even vegetables were plentiful. Throughout the years of US involvement there, we did provide great quantities of rice but that was to overcome distribution problems caused by transportation problems due to the general lack of security.
A must zoom for such fine detail. I really can't get enough of these Bill. War and politics of the time aside how many would swop the hassle of city life for country life.
A very interesting photo of your time there, and great job, Bill, getting such good quality from an old photo!
Fantastic image Bill! I'm sure you have alot of stories to tell. :)
first rate photography!
A fine black and white image Bill!
Just like photo journalism from the days of Nam, I remember as a child seeing these kind of images in the national papers and on TV, nice slice of that world here Bill, great black and white, I chuckled at Adams comment, thinking it was 1965 and probably not a choice and was taken on Kodachrome/agfachrome film?
Very nice POV !! Excellent work ! :)
You're three for three with these shots in my book, my friend. My fingers are fairly itching to go through that shoebox, but I warn you ... I would pump you mercilessly for information and bombard you with questions!
Fantastic series Bill! Very interesting shots!
Great shot!!
A rare treat, thank you!
excellent and entertaining capture .products are readily available in the Philippines but the people can not afford to buy and I am sure many other parts of the far East
Stellar shot. Stellar, indeed and the eel is a Nat'l Geographic flair. Fabulous documentary photo.
Great capture and information Bill!!
Bill, thank you so much for sharing. Fascinating picture!
Awesome shot, Bill... and a great memory! Thanks for the info!
The Mekong River, a waterway similar to the one Martin Sheen took upstream to terminate Marlon Brando -- with extreme prejudice -- in the 1979 movie, Apocalypse Now. Fine variety of Vietnamese subject matter (sampans, grass thatched-roof huts, boats, tropical foliage, etc.) on display in this fine capture, Bill. Brings back similar memories of my stint in the PI.
Just OUSTANDING!!!! More please, Bill! Love these. Great history... Rob
yes, I agree, more, more. This is a very fine shot Bill, you have this massing of village huts, shoreline, etc, which opens up to the water in the right side of the shot, and which flows up and away like a release. It's finely seen, I think; and, in that pre-digital b&w, it feels authentic with all the softness of your film; and it's from a really fine POV. What a treasure. Yes, with Tara, I'd sit for hours as you pulled out all these shots. Your talent goes back a long time...it must've been powerful to shoot these in the midst of war.
The Mekong Towing ;-) Beautiful B&W series
Very nice B&W image Bill.....I like this one 5* :):):)
This is a wonderful series, the images stay with you, curious did you ever go back to visit? I think it would be something to go back and see this all again and recapture the area 40 years later..
I am sure that all the old Nam vets will say, "Yes. This is what it looked like." Your photos should be in a history book!