Some Vietnamese photographers have been honored among the authors of outstanding aerial photography photos in the Drone Photo Awards 2021.

Among them, the most impressive photo entitled “Fishing in Mangrove Forest” by Pham Huy Trung won the First Classified Award, People Category of this photography contest.

The award-winning photo by Pham Huy Trung showcases the creative eye of the photographer.

In the photo, a fisherman is on his working day in the mangrove forest in Tam Giang Lagoon in the central province of Thua Thien Hue, Vietnam. In the winter, mangroves lose all their leaves and turn white, showcasing the surreal scene seen from above.

The award-winning photographer started his career in late 2016 and he has been traveling throughout Vietnam since then to capture the country’s natural diversity. Trung has always managed to shoot the scenes in unusual ways, from unexpected angles, and often from height. His outstanding artworks received numerous photography awards locally and internationally.

Drone Photo Awards is the most important worldwide competition for aerial photography and video. It’s a project of Siena Awards, dedicated to a different photographic genre, deliberately separated from being compared to traditional photography.

Around 14,000 images were submitted by photographers from 102 countries for this year's competition. These photos were classified into seven categories, including Urban, Nature, Animals, Wedding, Abstract, Sport, and People.

Notably, despite the name Drone Photo Awards, not all of the photos were taken by drones. The competition is also open to aerial photography and videos that were taken from fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, balloons, blimps and dirigibles, rockets, kites, and parachutes.

Photographer Dao Hoa Nu commented that aerial photography brings diversity, originality, and overall quality to the photos. It is the uniqueness of this photo genre that has always attracted a large number of professional photographers to participate in the Drone Photo contest.

In this year’s contest, in addition to the photo that took the First Classified Award, People Category by Pham Huy Trung, there are also seven artworks by other Vietnamese photographers that won the Drone Photo Awards 2021 in the same category. Let’s join The Hanoi Times to admire the wonderful Vietnamese landscape from above:

“Pray for Souls” by Bui Phu Khanh won the “Highly Commended” Award. In the full moon of July, as part of the Vietnamese culture, women put on the traditional costumes called Ao Dai to join the colored lantern and flower-garland releasing festival on the river to pray for happiness and good luck to their families.

“Buddhists Are Praying” by Khanh Phan won the “Highly Commended” Award. Thousands of Buddhists are joining a candlelight vigil on the occasion of the New Year at Hoang Phap Pagoda in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They light thousands of candles and pray in the night.

“Drying Steamed Fish” won the “Commended” Award. Female workers are drying fish in the yard in southern province of Ba Ria Vung Tau. Drying is the oldest way of preserving food by mankind. Dried fish can be kept for years without spoiling.

“Netting Fish in Bien Ho Lake” by Nguyen Tan Tuan won the “Commended” Award. Bien Ho Lake (Ocean Lake) in Pleiku city of Gia Lai province is a renowned tourist attraction which is considered as a ‘pearl’ in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It not only provides water for the whole region but also is a main source of livelihood for local people.

“Harvesting grass” by Khanh Phan won the “Commended” Award. The women are harvesting grass, a type of grass that grows naturally in lowland areas. Grass can be used as fodder, fertilizer or a material to keep plants moist. Under the wind and sunlight, the grasslands look like ocean waves and bring out the conical hats of the women. A wonderful harmony between man and nature.

“Fishing” by Nguyen Hoai Phuoc won the “Commended” Award. A fisherman in Binh Dinh Province is catching fish in the seaweed season. This is a type of seaweed that grows and reproduces naturally in the waters of Nhon Hai. Algae plants often live clinging to coral reefs, undersea rocks, when the seaweed grows long and old, it emerges from the water to form a large beach.

“Sea Flower” by Vu Ngoc Tuan won the “Commended” Award. Every year from May to June, Phu Yen fishermen, especially in Hon Yen area and An Hai fishing village, are busy casting nets on the large fishing grounds to catch anchovies day and night.

In addition, photographer Nguyen Tan Tuan also won the “Highly Recommended” Award, Series Category. The photo series is entitled “Colorful Terraces” features six photos of terraced fields taken during the ‘watering season’ at some landmarks of Bat Xat District and Sa Pa Town in the northeast mountainous province of Lao Cai, Vietnam.

The Terrace Fields in Thien Sinh Valley, Bat Xat District, Lao Cai Province. Photo: Nguyen Tan Tuan

The Terrace Fields in Muong Hoa Valley, Sapa Town, Lao Cai Province. Photo: Nguyen Tan Tuan