[Photos] Visions of a Dynamic Vietnam Through My Deaf Eyes

Vietnam inspired me to take photographs of places, people, cultures and landscapes that I've never seen before.

I had traveled to 23 countries since 2005 before visiting Vietnam in 2019. It changed my life.

As a deaf man, I cannot hear the noises in Vietnam. I have to focus on places and people with my natural skills. I was able to capture different aspects of culture by simply walking out of my hotels in many places in Vietnam 2020 to really see what's out on the streets.

I learned the everyday life of Vietnamese people, and noticed people and things that were ever-changing before me. It's an astonishing feeling to be able to capture the dramatic movement of Vietnamese people, landscapes, and cultures.

Boys laughing hysterically on the streets of Vung Tau.

Clouds seemingly sent straight from Zeus dramatically storm Saigon's skyscrapers.

A massive cargo ship dwarfs fishing boats off of Vung Tau.

Saigon's Landmark 81 aiming for the sky.

I remember not being to sleep all night in a hotel room because of this green light. I thought it was thunder and lightning, but it's just a party that took place almost every night!

A sinister-looking crocodile, its eyes perfectly symmetrical, in the Can Gio Mangrove Biosphere Reserve.

The sun sets behind a mammoth cargo ship off Vung Tau.

A dragon rises above the sea.

People collect fresh seashells at sunrise in Vung Tau.

A customer looks at his phone as a street barber cleans his ear. Can you spot me in the mirror?

A woman tries to pull her partner into the waves in Vung Tau.

An older woman exercising along a Vung Tau street.

Top photo: A fisherman quietly prepares to dock his boat in front of a gigantic setting sun.

Jose Saldana is an American photographer from Philadelphia. Visit his website to see more of his work.