HÀ NỘI — From septuagenarians to teenagers, more than 4,000 photography enthusiasts flocked to the final leg of the three-part 2017 Canon PhotoMarathon held in the capital on Sunday.

“At 70, I still attend this competition as a good way to keep fit, health and of course, to fulfil my passion,” said Trinh Than Phi.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Dao Thi Van, whose is passionate about candid photography, said he was making his debut and doing it for the experience. “Win or lose doesn’t matter,” he said.

They contestants hit the streets of the capital city on Sunday morning. They will record images under three themes and submit them by 5pm in the evening.

This year has shattered all records for the 12-year-old contest with over 1,200 and 7,000 ‘racers’ in Đà Nẵng and HCM City, respectively, representing a 50 per cent increase over last year.

Leading Vietnamese and Viet Nam-based photographers Hải Đông, Hải Thanh and Justin Mott, who have spent this year’s PhotoMarathons in the judging booth, will join the contestants on the streets of Hà Nội. 

Later, they will evaluate the submissions based on four criteria: creativity, composition, colour and adherence to the theme. Winners will be announced within the day.

Hiroshi Yokota, CEO of Canon Marketing Vietnam said: “The PhotoMarathon strikes just the right chord between photography, flexibility and creativity.  The contest has gone on to flourish not just in Viet Nam but all around the region. 

"As we celebrate our 15th anniversary in the country and our 80 years of development, the PhotoMarathon is one of the most powerful ways that we share our message of cultural development, positive living, and passion for photography with photo-lovers here and abroad.”

Canon PhotoMarathon 2017 features several new categories including the admittance of images from drones, and a separate section for online entries for those unable to attend the event in person.  

Winners will be announced on the Canon Vietnam fanpage on November 15. More information can be found at: www.canon.com.vn/PhotoMarathon.

Along with their fellow-winners from Đà Nẵng and HCM City, pictures taken by contetants in Hà Nội victor will present Việt Nam at Canon PhotoMarathon Asia Championship in Japan along with 16 regional champions. Winners can win awards of up to US$5,000 and have their work throughout Asia. 

All registration fees will be transferred to a charity programme called “For Future Generations” that aims to build schools for poor students and make photography a ‘bridge’, and a meaningful ‘instrument’ to support the community. — VNS