VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Hoang Hiep is still in his early 20s, but he does not dress the same as a typical student, with T-shirt and blue jeans. Nevertheless, we can reveal that this young man has recently won a globally renowned international photography contest.

Whipping up a storm: The acclaimed photo that won Hiep the prestigious 2013 Sony World Photography Award, portrays a young Vietnamese woman standing in the middle of a field, while her hair is blowing in the wind.

Hiep's latest work, Bao (Storm) saw him lift the prestigious 2013 Sony World Photography Award (SWPA), held annually by the World Photography Organisation (WPO) in London.

The 22-year-old who studies architecture at Dong Do University always gives a friendly smile to people he meets. However, this time, his eyes sparkle more than usual, as he is still elated about winning.

"It was beyond my wildest dreams, as I entered the competition with nothing but a desire to learn and share the experiences of the other competitors. It was a real honour for me and gave me the motivation to keep going," he told the Viet Nam News.

Admitting that he only entered the world of photography a year ago, Hiep acknowledges that his obsession for photography comes from the love for fine arts since childhood.

"At school, I chose to draw by hand whereas others would use a computer and I was so into the fine arts that I intended to drop out so I could pursue them further.

Nevertheless, I thought that studying architecture would also help me form an artistic foundation but recently I have been developing an indulgence for photography."

He continues, "At first, I only used a camera to capture the rare beautiful moments in life as well as using it to compliment my studies. However, after accessing a few network forums on photography, I feel like I have become infatuated with it. To start with I tried to master some of the basics such as shutter speed, ISO and balance, however it was very complicated, so I just switched to manual mode instead. It's very rare for me to go out and take a specific photo. I only pick up the camera when an idea comes to mind. You can clearly see the mix of photography and art in my work."

In Storm, also winner in the "Enhanced" category, Hiep portrays a young Vietnamese woman standing in the middle of a field, while her hair is blowing in the wind. The photo is a synthesis of modern trends very like conceptual photography, which is a type of photography that illustrates an idea, or fashion and decor.

Sharpening focus: Having only entered the world of photography a year ago, Hiep acknowledges that his obsession for photography comes from the love for fine arts since childhood.

Through his work, Hiep tries to reach inside the viewers' soul and enable them to feel for his art in their own way.

"Both posed or arranged photos and natural photos are hard to perfect for different reasons. For arranged ones, the idea is mainly focused. But for natural ones, there is quite a lot of luck involved. Conceptual photos are no exception. Although I know my path is littered with many obstacles, I must take it to challenge myself and satisfy my creative urges. The ideas come to me in everyday situations like when I'm listening to music or watch a movie," he adds.

Dimien Demilder, one of the judge's at the contest, welcomes the ideas that Hiep floats through the photograph.

"This is such an outstanding piece, as it is permeated with a primitive, romantic atmosphere in a mystic space, a unique idea by the artist. The photo is beautiful as it shows skill and creativity in harmony with each other, outstanding for an amateur photographer. Frankly, it deserves the title "Best Amateur Photograph of All Time,'" says Demilder.

This compliment is a great motivation for Hiep to move on. Although he has also learnt that earning a living through photography in Viet Nam is extremely tough. "I already foresee a hard road ahead, but that does not worry me at all. The US$5,000 (VND106 million) I received from the contest has been a big help for me and will enable me to realise my dream of becoming a professional photographer."

Young people like to capture themselves and post the images on social networks but I only post the photos I like the best. At the moment, I'm mainly into fine art and conceptual art, but in the long run I want to create my own style," he says.

Source: VNS