It is undeniable that wonderful scenic photos, which are outnumbered on many platforms for photography in Vietnam, have effectively contributed to advertising Vietnam’s tourism. 

However, there is an urgent call for Vietnamese photographers to feature a deeper, bolder and sharper look on issues of public concern, as well as the changes in the country, in their work.

The Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association in August 2017 announced the winners of its photo contest themed ‘Vietnam from Above’. 

Most of the award-winning photos went to entrants who had used fly cameras to capture the stunning and charming landscapes of Vietnam as seen from a different view, including the photo ‘Ca Mau Cape’ by Nguyen Vinh Hien (first prize), ‘Salt Field by Nguyen Tien Dung (second prize), and ‘Harvesting’ by Duy Bang (consolation prize).

The use of fly-cam drones has become popular over the past few years and has not waned yet. The recently-concluded Youth Photography Festival also awarded prizes for photos taken by drones. Photos using the same techniques even shined at regional photo contests.

It can be seen that over 90% of Vietnamese photos which have won international prizes so far have shared a common feature of promoting tourism. Many foreign photographers visiting Vietnam have also concluded that Vietnam is a perfect country for taking pictures.

Women making fishing net in the Mekong River delta – a photo by Do Tuyet Trinh which was selected for the Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year in 2014, marked the start of photographers flocking to coastal areas, from Phan Thiet city to Bac Lieu province, in order to capture fishing nets. 

The stereotype then rapidly recorded triumphs in many arenas in Smitsonian (the US), Priofy (Australia) and FIAP in Europe.

Another typical example is the image of catching fish on Tuyen Lam lake, Da Lat city, in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, in which a fisherman boating on the lake with his fishing net casting a shadow on the lake’s surface which is shrouded in a curtain of hovering mist. Such photos have been duplicated like mushrooms at exhibitions and galleries so frequently that they look exactly the same. 

Then there are the frames of terrace fields, salt fields, spectacular sunsets and picturesque sunrises.

Are those photos beautiful? Of course, they are. However, when the photos are seen every where from forums to galleries, they can become boring for viewers. 

They may provide a fresh look to international judges, who might not have yet observed the scenes.

While assessing tourism photography, the examination of a new place, cultural practices and the daily life of local residents are always highly appreciated. 

That is the reason why portraits of ethnic groups in mountainous regions, the Central Highlands and northwest areas in their traditional costumes with their eyes wide open were the favourite theme of many Vietnamese contemporary photographers.

The overuse of photo editor applications is another concerning issue among Vietnamese contemporary photography. It seems that the obsession on making glossy and perfect frames urge the photographer to apply technology every time they shoot.

For many years, there have been countless pictures with dramatic editing submitted to photo contests, even when the organisers make a clear announcement that photoshop is not allowed. 

A number of photos featured a fishing boat struggling in a heavy storm and enormous waves but it turned out that the storm was a product of photoshop and that the photo had been taken in tranquil weather.

The photographers’ sophistication in applying photo editing has become more professional so that the retouches on their photos are unrecognisable. However, the “professionalism” is not encouraged and cheating among young photographers is unacceptable.

Looking at the entries sent to a number of photo contests today, it is sad to realise that the contests are no longer a platform for photographers but for “photoshop-graphers” instead.

The dominance of photos on natural landscapes, portraits, and daily cultural practices might have created impressions on viewers at first sight, but they look so familiar that they have failed to nail an unforgettable experience on viewers.

There are quite a few photographers who pursue photojournalism but their works have not yet captured the “decisive moment” in photography.

In addition, not many Vietnamese photographers have developed long-term projects or shown advantages in their photo collections. 

Most of them have struggled in expression or in setting out a clear arrangement of their photo collections, which should open with an introductory photo and then follow with key photos. 

Instead of telling a compete story, their photo set is a group of single photos featuring the same theme but from different angles.

Vietnamese photographers have not invested much in writing captions for their photos. 

They simply describe their photo generally rather than providing viewers with detailed information on the photos, where it was taken, how it was taken, or the story behind it.

The development processes have brought about challenges to human life in various fields of environment, urbanisation, and the explosion of technology. 

However, such pressing issues have not yet been fully captured through the lenses of contemporary Vietnamese photographers.

Nhan Dan