Many contributions

Contacting photographer Truong The Dung, Thanh Binh Ward (Hai Duong City) is difficult. “My ward is holding the Suot Temple Festival. I have to follow the festival activities closely to record the customs and practices of the people through images. This is also a way to preserve traditional culture for future generations,” said Mr. Dung.

In 1988, Mr. Dung was in charge of filming and photography for the Hai Hung Cultural Department. During his time as a reporter, he made many contributions in reporting important political, economic and social events of the province, especially the receptions of many heads of state. He is currently the Head of the Photography Department (Hai Duong Province Literature and Arts Association).

Photographer Hoang Hiep in Ngoc Son commune (Hai Duong city) is one of the "lucky" artists with many prestigious awards: Silver and bronze medals at the Red River Delta Regional Art Photography Festival in 2019, 2020; first prize in the Hai Duong News and Art Photography Contest in 2023, 2024; A prize in the 8th Con Son - Hai Duong Literature and Art Award (2016 - 2020); C prize of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Art Associations in 2022...

With the concept that a true artist must be creative, find the difference in the place where he lives and with his love for his homeland, he has spread the image of Hai Duong to the world. He once published a book with 100 photographers from Korea, Mexico, and Türkiye. "I am proud because the first pages of the book are images of beloved Hai Duong," said Mr. Hiep.

Unlike previous generations, although not yet famous in major competitions and exhibitions, Mr. Dinh Nhat Vi in Quang Trung ward (Hai Duong city) and a group of friends boldly expressed their love for photography: creating a fanpage Check-in Hai Duong with beautiful, impressive images, and a unique perspective on the land and people of Hai Duong. Mr. Vi and his friends spent effort, time and money to create many photo collections with very ordinary stories but captivating every Hai Duong resident. "Following your page, people see a very peaceful, uniquely beautiful Hai Duong and love this land even more", commented Ms. Le Thu, a teacher at Ngo Gia Tu Secondary School (Hai Duong city). Currently, the fanpage Check-in Hai Duong has attracted over 19,000 followers, is loved and spread by many people.

Passion

Mr. Truong The Dung has a bachelor's degree in cultural management (University of Culture), but has no specialized training in photography. Working at the Department of Culture was a chance for him to get acquainted with photography.

Mr. Hoang Hiep started out as a worker at Vicem Hoang Thach Cement Company. In 1988, he and two friends opened a photography shop to serve the people.

Mr. Dinh Nhat Vi is currently a worker at Nam Sach Electricity Company and has taken up photography as a hobby...

Many people are not professional photographers, but they all share a passion for art.

Because they work in jobs unrelated to photography and without any formal education, they face many difficulties and pressures in their work. However, their love and passion help them overcome these difficulties.

Photographer Van Ca Quyet in An Luu ward (Kinh Mon) was lucky to be born into a family with a tradition of photography. His father is the famous old artist Van Quang Duc. In his time, the internet was not yet developed, and there were not many books and newspapers, so learning from the previous generation was very important. "In addition to a little talent, an artist needs to be passionate about research, and over time, he will accumulate experience," he said.

As for Dinh Nhat Vi, in addition to learning from predecessors, today, young people are also fortunate to have access to technology. “Photographers can rely on technology, learning from the most basic things such as composition, mastering equipment, then to advanced issues such as light processing techniques, environment, photo editing, etc. However, no matter how much technology develops, it is still a supporting tool. People need to be creative and make constant efforts,” Vi said.

Photography is also a profession that “eats up” money, time and effort. In 1988, Mr. Hoang Hiep’s first camera cost 2 taels of gold. Up to now, the amount of money he has invested in machinery and equipment has reached a billion VND. “There are many cases where it is impossible to do without equipment. For example, to capture the vivid beauty of birds, you need a telephoto lens, which can cost several hundred million VND. Artists enter the profession as if it were a game,” Mr. Hiep said.

Not only investing money, to take satisfactory photos, artists also have to invest time and effort. Artist Van Ca Quyet once spent 7 years to successfully take the photo "Countryside Painting" at Cao An Phu Temple. Before that, he spent a lot of time finding the right moment to see the most beautiful scenery: trees, blue sky and clouds, golden rice fields... Many times when he went to the top of An Phu mountain to take photos, the sky was clear but suddenly it rained or was foggy...

The photo won first prize in the Hai Duong News and Art Photo Contest in 2011. Or many times conquering Na Lay peak (Lang Son), hunting clouds in Y Ty (Lao Cai), he and the artists walked in the forest, facing the risk of landslides, danger to life... Although the trade-off was huge, the artists received significant cultural and spiritual values, which were recognized by everyone.