One of outstanding works of the ‘48h Photo Project’  in Ho Chi Minh City in 2013 (Photographer Tran Thi Thiem).

The remark was made by Maika Elan, one of three leaders of the project, at a press conference in Hanoi on October 30. Along with Maika Elan, well-known French photographer Nicolas Cornet and Binh Dang will also host the competition.

The project is open to talented young photographers aged 18-27, who currently reside in Hanoi.

The event is comprised of three phases. The first phase is the online photo contest at www.facebook.com/ilovemycitymypeople, from October 28-November 2. Each entrant can submit a photo set of seven to 12 photos responding to the contest’s theme, captured using digital cameras or smartphones.

12 outstanding contestants will then advance to the second phase of the project, ‘48h Hours Photo Marathon’, which will be held in Hanoi from November 5-6.

In the third phase from November 25 to December 6, an exhibition of the best photo sets will be on display at the L'Espace Cultural Centre in Hanoi.

The topic, ‘I love my city, my people’, aims to encourage young amateur photographers in Hanoi to express their passion for Hanoi, showing where they were born, grew up or live, and their love of the land, said photographer Maika.

The project was launched in Ho Chi Minh City in 2013, as a part of activities in the ‘French Year in Vietnam’ programme, attracting nearly 500 entries.

Photographer Binh Dang expressed his hope that the project would be organised every year and create a circle to connect photographers in Vietnam.