For over a decade, it has maintained its image alongside the Dragon Bridge.

For over 10 years, Ms. Doan Thi Tho (born in 1966) has regularly brought her camera to the foot of the Dragon Bridge (Da Nang city) to take photos for tourists. In the age of smartphones, this woman continues her profession out of love for capturing everyday moments.

Dragon Bridge at night.

Capture every moment by the Dragon Bridge.

When the lights on the Dragon Bridge shine brightly, around 7 PM every evening, Mrs. Tho is there with her motorbike bearing the familiar sign "Photography in 1 minute, ready to use". The small street corner at the foot of the bridge has become a familiar meeting place for this woman over 60 years old, with her camera and her never-ending passion.

Her journey in photography spanned decades. Before that, she worked for wedding photography studios. During that era, every step of photo editing was done manually, meticulously and patiently down to the smallest detail. Sitting for long hours beside the photos often strained her eyes, but the reward was the joy of completing a beautiful picture for her clients.

In 2013, when the Dragon Bridge was officially inaugurated and quickly became a new symbol of Da Nang, the number of tourists flocking to the city increased significantly. Recognizing the opportunity presented by the city's tourism development, Ms. Tho began bringing her camera to the area at the foot of the bridge to earn a living. In the early years, many tourists sought her photography services.

Ms. Tho shared: “From January to the end of June is the sunny season, so there are many tourists and there is still work. From around August onwards, it rains a lot, so I don't take photos here anymore. At that time, I switch to taking photos for student graduation ceremonies. This job is also very competitive because there are many photographers doing the same.”

Each photograph handed to a visitor represents a memorable moment that Ms. Tho has quietly preserved throughout more than a decade of her career.

Even though the locations changed with the seasons, her camera remained her constant companion throughout the years.

For over 10 years, she has been working at the foot of the Dragon Bridge, witnessing the city's transformations. Da Nang has become increasingly modern, tourism has flourished, and even the profession of street photography has gradually changed under the influence of technology.

From the days when tourists had to seek out photographers to capture memories, to today when almost everyone can take photos with their smartphones, Mrs. Tho still stands quietly there, like a guardian of the beautiful moments of Da Nang city.

Technology reigns supreme, and the joy of preserving memories awaits.

The development of technology has significantly changed how people preserve memories. Previously, to get a beautiful photo at tourist destinations, many people would seek out professional photographers. Now, with just a smartphone in hand, tourists can take, edit, and share images on social media in seconds. This convenience has caused the profession of street photography to gradually shrink amidst the rapid development of technology.

The motorbike with the sign "Photo taken in 1 minute" has become a familiar sight of Ms. Doan Thi Tho at the foot of the Dragon Bridge for over 10 years.

Ms. Tho said that the number of customers hiring her to take photos is no longer as high as in the early years after the Dragon Bridge opened; most of her customers are foreign tourists. Some days she takes more than 5 photos, but there are also days when she sits all evening without a single customer.

What's remarkable is that in her story, she never considered technology to be the reason for the decline of street photography. On the contrary, she saw it as an inevitable evolution of life. Instead of resisting change, she chose to adapt. This woman, over 60 years old, learned to send photo files to clients immediately after shooting, using new supporting equipment to meet the increasingly fast-paced demands of tourists.

It was this proactive approach to change that helped her continue to stand strong with her camera in the digital age.

Throughout her career, what she cherishes most are the encounters with tourists from all over the world . Some haggle fiercely, some change their minds after taking the photos, but she always happily accepts them.

Dragon Bridge is one of Da Nang's iconic bridges, attracting tourists who want to capture memorable moments there.

There's a small anecdote she still remembers vividly. That day, a foreign visitor wanted to buy a souvenir photo but didn't want a frame. Seeing this, she proactively offered to give him the frame as a small gift. A few minutes later, the visitor returned, insisting on giving her some extra money as a thank you. Despite repeatedly refusing, she felt the sincerity and appreciation from that stranger. For her, these are simple joys that not every profession can offer.

In an age where thousands of photos are created daily using smartphones, the value of a photograph sometimes no longer lies in its sharpness or the advanced technology behind it. What truly resonates is perhaps the story of the photographer, the fleeting encounter between strangers, and the emotions captured in each frame.

And perhaps, in this age of ever-evolving technology, people like her remind us that the value of a photograph lies not only in the camera or the phone, but also in the heart of the person behind the lens.

NGOC LIEN – YEN NGHI

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hon-mot-thap-ky-giu-hinh-anh-ben-cau-rong-post966234.html