The beauty of Lam Ha through the lens of a photographer

In order to introduce the unique landscape and destination of Lam Ha district in general and Gia Trang Lake in particular in Lam Dong province, Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association in collaboration with Gia Trang Lake Resort Company Limited organized an art photography contest with the theme "The beauty of Lam Ha - Gia Trang Lake".

Lam Ha seen from above

Photo: DOAN HOAI TRUNG

This is the first time the contest has been held in Lam Ha - Ho Gia Trang, after photographers such as Tam Thai, Bao Long, Duy Anh, Manh Hung, An Dung, Thu Ba, Canh Tho, Kieu Anh Dung... came here to create in 2023.

Surprisingly, the owner of Ho Gia Trang resort, Mr. Ho Van Trong, is a martial artist. "I love martial arts and cinema, but I also like to hold a camera to capture beautiful moments," Mr. Trong revealed. Stemming from that passion, Mr. Trong coordinated with the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association to bring members and photography enthusiasts to Lam Ha to compose.

On the evening of August 16, at Ho Gia Trang resort, the group was welcomed by 19 "reluctant models" who were village boys, village girls and village women of the K'Ho, M'Nong, Ma... ethnic groups. Under the flickering firelight, in colorful ethnic costumes, the "models" continuously posed for photographers. Standing out among the "models" was village elder K'The, with a tall figure and white hair.

A corner of Ho Gia Trang, Lam Ha

The next morning, at 4:30, many photographers woke up early to capture the magnificent sunrise in Lam Ha hills. The group then split into two groups. Group 1 went to Cuong Hoan silk garden, Tu Liem bamboo weaving village to compose photos. Group 2 followed the Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association Doan Hoai Trung to Chuon Chuon tourist area in Me Linh commune, Hang Hot village to capture the life of the K'Ho ethnic people. In the afternoon, the two groups went to Da Sar lake to capture the beautiful sunset.

On the third day, the group continued to Gia Tien waterfall to take photos of ethnic models sitting by the waterfall, before returning to Ho Chi Minh City.

The story behind the beautiful pictures

The photographers participating in this composition trip are musicians, journalists, doctors, captains, businessmen, engineers… Everyone, regardless of age or profession, shares a passion for photography. Not only using cameras, many also use flycams to take photos from above, creating impressive photos.

Dawn at Gia Trang Lake

Photo: DOAN HOAI TRUNG

Some people are old and weak but still climb mountains, wade through streams, and cross forests to "hunt for photos". Doctor Tran Truong Thanh, who used to work at Saigon General Hospital and is now retired, fell while hunting for photos with the group. Fortunately, he and his Leica camera were unharmed.

Looking at musician Thai Ngoc Son, who has turned 88 and is still continuously taking pictures, we can see that his love for photography is very strong. He has been holding a camera for more than 70 years and is the owner of hundreds of famous songs of the time: Alley to life, There are sad nights, Love song of rainy nights, Purple pensée color... He also wrote music for many films adapted from the works of Ho Bieu Chanh.

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association Doan Hoai Trung commented: "If the first creative session in 2023 was an impromptu photo hunt, this year is a strategy with careful investment from Ho Gia Trang so that photographers can have the most favorable conditions to exchange techniques and freely "hunt for photos" to collect works honoring the beauty of Lam Ha in general and Ho Gia Trang in particular."

The art photography contest "The Beauty of Lam Ha - Ho Gia Trang" is held from June to December 2024 for all subjects including Vietnamese citizens, professional and non-professional photographers nationwide and foreigners living and working in Vietnam, with no age limit, with a total prize of up to 200 million VND. Contest photos are sent via the website: http://www.lamhahogiatrang.com

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/net-dep-lam-ha-qua-ong-kinh-nghe-si-nhiep-anh-185240824204805854.htm