Color photo by Maika Elan, woman watching television, from Inside Hanoi

Inside Hanoi A photography project by Maika Elan

Inside Hanoi by Maika Elan, is a thoroughly compelling and deeply affectionate portrait of quotidian life in the Vietnamese capital.

Hanoi is the city where I was born and raised. Every day during my years in Hanoi, I would come across thousands of small alleys where the everyday life of the people there would impact me. In the old quarter of Hanoi, people would eat and sleep in the alley, whispers, laughter, and smells all permeated the narrow streets. My photos try to describe the people, the living space, the joy and sadness at the end of the alley in the heart of Hanoi.

Maika Elan is a Vietnamese documentary and street photographer whose compelling, color-rich images impart the nuances of life in her homeland.

Open for entries

color portrait photo of a sadhu and monkey in Varanasi, India by Mahendra Bakle
© Mahendra Bakle
2025 Visual Story AWARD

Win $2700 Cash Awards & International Exposure

In February, we are looking for photographers who produce compelling narratives in a wide range of genres: portraiture, documentary, street, fine art, travel, and more – Enter today and show us YOUR stories!

  • Win $2700 in Cash Prizes
  • International Exhibition
  • +840k Instagram Feature
  • Free Online Portfolio
Submit Photos
Deadline: 28 February 2025

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