HÀ NỘI — More than 240 artistic photos by 192 photographers throughout the country will be displayed at the Việt Nam Art Photo Exhibition in the northern province of Quảng Ninh between October 30 and November 8.

The biennial event is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Việt Nam Photographic Artists, and local authorities of Quảng Ninh Province.

With the topic ‘Hạ Long – Quảng Ninh – From New Angles’, as well as pictures on any subject, after nearly three months, the organising board has received more than 10,100 single photos and photo sets by over 1,400 professional and amateur photographers.

The organisers will hand out awards to 22 short-listed works in the two categories.

A photo from a set by Trần Nhân Quyền featuring a traditional game in Bắc Giang, which won the Gold Medal in the Free Topic category.

“In this contest, we saw more high quality photo sets,” said Vi Kiến Thành, director of the culture ministry’s Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition Department.

“Taking a series of photos is more challenging than a single photo as each of the photos in a set should have good layout, light and angles… while all photos should connect with one another to convey a logical story.”

Thành also commented that the participants were using better technology like drones to take photos.

Photographer Trần Nhân Quyền, from Hà Nội, the winner of the Golden Medal in the Free Topic category, is one example of a photographer using a drone to take his set of photos of a traditional festival.

A photo from Quyền’ s set.

“I have attended the water ball festival in the northern province of Bắc Giang three times,” he told Việt Nam News. “The event is held every 2nd and 3rd day of the lunar new year.”

“The third time I went, I took photos with a drone to capture the bustling atmosphere from above.”

According to Mã Thế Anh, deputy director of the department and chairman of the contest’s judging panel, however noted that some photographers have still submitted low quality entries, which are not unique compared to previous contests.

The exhibition, which is a highlight of a series of cultural activities in the National Tourism Year 2018 – Hạ Long- Quảng Ninh, will open at Sun World Playground, No 9 Hạ Long Street, Hạ Long City, Quảng Ninh Province. — VNS