Photographing Tết Nguyên Tiêu with Reggie’s Superia recipe
The meaning of Tết Nguyên Tiêu
Every year in Ho Chi Minh City, the Lunar New Year celebrations don’t end with Tết. A couple of weeks later comes Tết Nguyên Tiêu, a festival that fills the streets of Chợ Lớn with parades and an atmosphere that feels both festive and spiritual. Tết Nguyên Tiêu has its origins in Chinese culture. It celebrates the first full moon of the lunar new year and is traditionally a time to honor the gods and ancestors while praying for good fortune, peace, and prosperity for the months ahead. In Ho Chi Minh City, the celebrations are especially vibrant in the city’s Chinatown district, where temples overflow with worshippers and streets glow with colorful costums.
Testing Reggie’s new Superia recipe
This year, I decided to use this special occasion as an opportunity to experiment with a new film simulation recipe. I’ve always preferred shooting RAW as I like having full control to shape the image afterward. Film simulation recipes never really appealed to me for that reason. But recently, I felt the need to simplify things - to spend less time behind a screen, and more time just observing and shooting. So I decided to give Reggie Ballesteros’ Superia recipe a try.
Film simulation recipes allow Fujifilm photographers to recreate the look of analog film directly in-camera. The Superia recipe is known for its vivid but natural colors and balanced contrast. I was hoping these colors and contrast would match the unique atmosphere of the festival and I think it rendered the colors beautifully while keeping highlights under control. I’m quite happy with the result with a cinematic feel that worked well in my opinion.
A Festival Made for Street Photography
Tết Nguyên Tiêu is always a special moment in Ho Chi Minh City, but experimenting with the Superia recipe gave me a new way to see it. The colors, light, and atmosphere came together in a way that felt very close to what I experienced that day. Trying a new recipe wasn’t just about testing settings but about discovering a new way of seeing a familiar celebration. Overall, I found it quite freeing to shoot knowing that I wouldn’t have to post-process my images on Lightroom back home, so I think I will experiment with other recipes to find the ones I like in the future.
Explore Saigon with me
If you ever find yourself in Saigon and want to experience moments like this - beyond the obvious spots - you’re welcome to join one of my street photography tours. We explore hidden streets, temples, and everyday life, focusing on light, composition, and storytelling. No matter your level, it’s really about learning to see.