Vietnamese photographer wins second prize in international ocean photo contest

The Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year Awards (OGPICOTY) is an annual photography competition organized by the Ocean Geographic Society and Ocean Geographic magazine, based in Australia. The competition is supported and judged by leading experts in the field of contemporary ocean art and science , with the aim of honoring the most impressive works related to the ocean.

2023 is the 10th year of the contest, with 17 different photo categories, from coral reefs around the world to marine animal portraits, marine animal behavior or the connection between humans and the ocean... with a total prize of 90,000 USD. The results were just announced last weekend.

Nguyen Ngoc Thien became famous for his underwater photography when he won many awards and exhibitions at prestigious international photography competitions. As a result, at OGPICOTY 2023, Nguyen Ngoc Thien was the only Vietnamese photographer to have a winning photo (second prize) in the category "Coral reefs of the world", with the work Hon Yen Coral Garden

In addition, this photographer also won an additional consolation prize in the "Animal Portrait" category with the work Puffer fish and plastic cup taken during a diving trip in Nam Du archipelago, Kien Giang.

Hon Yen, Phu Yen, is a place many photographers choose as a location to compose during different seasons of the year such as the purse seine season, coral season... In the photo is the Hon Yen coral reef scene by Nguyen Ngoc Thien, which was once introduced in the "Beautiful photo of the day" section of the famous National Geographic magazine.

Vietnam has 3,260 km of coastline stretching from North to South, with over 1,100 km2 of coral reefs. In particular, April - August is the best season for diving and watching coral in the Central coastal region. Hon Yen is located in Nhon Hoi village, An Hoa commune, Tuy An district, Phu Yen province, is a rocky island belonging to the Hon Yen archipelago, recognized as a national scenic relic in 2018, possessing rare coral reefs.

"Natural specialty" Hon Yen is a shallow coral reef near the shore, like a "blooming rock garden", exposed right at the beginning or middle of the lunar month, occasionally with prominent starfish appearing on the shimmering water surface.

"At Hon Yen coral reef, on days when the tide is about 3 - 5m high, visitors can swim above and see the coral below through diving goggles and snorkels. Coral photos become more artistic when capturing ocean waves that separate the unique landscape perspective between two worlds - above water and underwater (underwater split-shots) at the same time in the same frame", he shared.

Seagrass beds beneath the waters of Hon Yen. Coral reefs in general in Hon Yen are considered "miniature cities", an ideal habitat for marine life such as fish, jellyfish, starfish... creating a captivating beauty.

In addition to the shallow coral reef, there are also rich coral reefs under the water surface to the east of Hon Yen. This sea area is quite dark and the water temperature is much colder than the west side. Below, there is a constantly moving water current that affects divers, so at least two people should support each other when diving. If you see a lot of jellyfish in the water, stay away and do not come into contact with the mucus floating in the middle of the current, which can cause red spots or burns or skin irritation.

Sharing about underwater photography knowledge, Mr. Thien noted that tourists should take diving courses at reputable training centers to be fully equipped with diving knowledge and practice, including scuba diving and free diving. In addition, it is necessary to invest in underwater photography equipment and most importantly, the photographer's senses, perspective and ideas.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/nhiep-anh-gia-viet-nam-doat-giai-nhi-cuoc-thi-anh-dai-duong-quoc-te-18523061209425798.htm