The photo ‘A fish seller displays his goods’ by British photographer Jon Enoch won the grand prize of the 17th annual Smithsonian magazine photo contest. — Photo Smithsonian magazine

HÀ NỘI — A photo capturing a Vietnamese driver on with his scooter with a delivery of ornamental fish has won the Grand Prize at this year’s Smithsonian Photo Contest.

Entitled A Fish Seller Displays His Goods, the photo is included within the Bikes of Hanoi series that was taken by London-based photographer Jon Enoch in Hà Nội during his trip to Việt Nam in February 2019.

Surpassing over 36,000 other entries by photographers from 145 countries and territories, the photo claimed the US$2,500 top prize in the prestigious American photo contest.

While exploring the city, Enoch paid special attention to the bikers selling ornamental fish that appear on every corner.

 “The riders have an amazing ability to transport all kinds of goods in astonishing quantities. I spent a week chasing down riders and their cargos and convincing them to pose for the camera,” Enoch said about his series in Smithsonian magazine.

According to the editors of the magazine, Enoch’s photo “crystallises a tradition, one that may not exist for much longer.”

“Hà Nội has plans to ban motorbikes by 2030 to cut down on emissions, something that is wonderful for the environment but will certainly change how business gets done,” it added. 

The Smithsonian Photo Contest is the leading prestigious photography award in the United States, held annually since 2003. This year's competition attracted 36,000 works by photographers from 145 countries and territories competing in six categories of Natural World, People, Travel, The American Experience, Altered Images, and Mobile, as well as a Readers’ Choice award.

Harvesting Water Lilies by Nguyễn Tấn Tuấn taken in Long An Province. — Photo Smithsonian magazine

In addition to the top prize, Việt Nam also appeared in many works within the top 60 of the competition. In particular, the Travel category has three works – Cave Fishing by Thai photographer Natnattcha Chaturapitamorn taken in Kiên Giang, Harvesting Water Lilies by Nguyễn Tấn Tuấn taken in Long An Province and Blooming by Nguyễn Ngọc Thiện taken in Phú Yên Province. In the Altered Images category, a photo entitled Follow the Herd by Nguyễn Tấn Tuấn is among the finalists. — VNS