Photographers in Vietnam are learning to explore their craft as both a commercial enterprise and artistic form, with digital technology creating more opportunities to express themselves beyond what were relatively static ideas, a leading photographer suggests.
Nguyen Hai Dong says he thinks of himself as a photographer, rather than an artist.
"In Vietnam, they often think that art photography is found at photo contests. I only care whether the photo is good or not. If they're good, then they're all art," he said.
Photographer Nguyen Hai Dong
As technology develops, more and more photographers are learning new ways to capture and manipulate images. Dong said there has been a growth in the number of images of Vietnam's beautiful landscape. But that does not make them outstanding, he added.
Dong suggested that photographers were being constrained in how they see Vietnam due to the limited themes afforded by photographic competitions, which are constraining the view of the country.
For decades, organisers of competitions have focussed on landscape, daily life, traditional craft, festival and ethnic minorities, and offer little guidance to photographers beyond what has previously won prizes.
"Contestants will mostly copy the style of the previous winner ... or try to learn about the judge's preferences to help them win." He said many young photographers were afraid to experiment, though some had broken out over the past decades and were creating their own, original work.
Dong said momentum and emotion remain the two crucial factors of any photograph, and he does not mind some set-up to get a perfect picture. He said, "It may be difficult to wait for all three parts to come together: a yellow wheat field, an amazing sunset and a group of playing children all happening at once. I see nothing wrong with asking some children to come out to play to complete the scene in my head."
"I think there are still two main trends in photography in Vietnam, and photography in general. The first is scenery and people. The second lies taking the form to film and painting," he said.
There has been a growing interest in the presentation of the Asian form in nude photography, in a way that is distinctly Asian and celebrates simple beauty without the need to copy western forms or preconceptions.
But Dong said models often had to work in secret.
"It's great that the nude photo collection of Thai Phien has just been published and received acclaim," he said, but acknowledged nude photography is an art in itself and may "only be for some people who can really appreciate" the form.
