SGGP
The pride of a photographer is not only the award, but also the beautiful scenery of the countryside and centuries-old craft villages on the S-shaped strip of land known to friends around the world.
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| Photographer Khanh Phan |
Conquering the world photography community
In March 2023, the world's largest aerial photography contest announced its award categories. "Beautiful scenery of the flood season" in Vietnam conquered the world photography community with the natural beauty of the landscape and women of the river region.
The photo of two women harvesting water lilies during the flood season in Moc Hoa district, Long An province, was taken by photographer Khanh Phan in October 2022 and named Floral Dress. The work won the Grand Prize (worth 15,000 USD) at the SkyPixel Annual Photo & Video Contest, organized annually by DJI and SkyPixel - the world's largest aerial photography community.
Photographer Khanh Phan shared: “The Floral Dress photo is special because it can be rotated in 4 directions. If the photo is in the normal orientation, the photo seems to recreate the image of women sewing a floral dress. If the photo is turned upside down, it looks like 2 women are tying a large bouquet of flowers, the bouquet seems to be blooming. Rotated horizontally, the photo seems to tell the story of women decorating a veil with layers of brilliant flowers.”
Khanh Phan shared: “Once when I went to Long An to take photos during the flood season, I took a photo of two women harvesting water lilies and named it Flower on the Water, a different angle from Floral Dress. That day, the storm was very strong, my colleagues went home, but I still stayed. The next day, the sky was still covered in dark clouds, and I was starting to feel disappointed. But at 8:30 a.m., the sky suddenly cleared up and there was sunshine. Thanks to the help of the local uncles and aunts along with two new friends I met for the first time, I took the photo Flower on the Water with the water surface clear and calm. Every time I take photos like this, I appreciate and love more the Vietnamese women in labor, the grandmothers and mothers in the countryside of Vietnam, despite their hard work, still have their own unique beauty.”
Positive energy from Vietnamese beauty
Coming to photography after experiencing unhappy days in life, Khanh Phan has now spent more than 7 years holding the camera, receiving a series of major international awards. For her, it is a spiritual therapy that helps her overcome difficulties in life and spread positive energy through each colorful frame.
Khanh Phan expressed: “I came to photography when I was a bank employee and went through a difficult period in my life. In 2019, I went to Siena Tuscan, Italy to receive the first major award in my career as a photographer. Among the many beautiful photos sent from all over the world, photos taken in Vietnam are truly special and attract the attention of the international community. We have valuable materials in photography, which are people in labor, especially traditional craft villages. I was born in a village in Thai Binh, so this image has been with me since I was a child, very close and dear. Therefore, every time I press the shutter, I don't need to think much about the topic, I always focus on recording the landscapes and culture of Vietnam in the lands I pass through."
A beautiful photo requires the artist's effort, each time taking a photo is a creative step when choosing the angle, composition, weather forecast... And the second creative step is the post-production stage. The beauty of each photo is not only contained in visual art, but it also conveys a message that the author puts into it. "Photography not only captures what we see, but also captures what we feel and create. I have traveled to many places and experienced the culture, met the people of the land I visit. The trips have enriched my knowledge, I have captured many beautiful moments and beautiful emotional memories during the trips that have made me attached to this passion", Khanh Phan shared.
As a “layman” who turned to photography, but sometimes starting out randomly, Khanh Phan has created photos in his own style, without being too strict with principles. Khanh Phan expressed: “For me, photography is the fastest way we can convey and spread the beauty of life and in history there are photos that can even change the political situation of the world”.
The journey to bring Vietnamese photography or art to the world is a story that requires time and much effort, but when Vietnamese art practitioners care and ponder over the heritage, identity, and traditional values of the nation, it will certainly become an impressive color in the flow of world art.
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