Vietnamese photography looks beautiful at first glance, but it remains stuck in a rut.

Many award-winning Vietnamese photographs, while visually stunning, still follow a predictable pattern; they may look beautiful at first glance, but they haven't truly created a visual shock or a breakthrough in photographic language.

The power of the "king cobra" Su-30mk2 by Nguyen Tien Anh Tuan - FIAP Gold Medal, Freestyle category for color photography

This is the assessment of photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong, president of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, when evaluating the winning Vietnamese photographic works at the 13th International Art Photography Competition in Vietnam in 2025.

47 winning photographs from this competition (the awards are from the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and the International Federation of Photographic Art), along with other outstanding entries, are currently on display at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology.

Nguyen Trong Tam's " Exploring the Ocean," VAPA gold medalist, Free category for color photography.

The exhibition presents a vivid picture of nature, the country, and its people; it is a place where the subtle beauty of the cultures of various ethnic groups is celebrated.

But this is not just an opportunity to admire outstanding photographic works from talented Vietnamese and international photographers; it's also a chance for the public to compare Vietnamese photography with international photography.

Although Vietnamese authors dominated the competition (34 out of 47 awards), according to Ms. Tran Thi Thu Dong, the winning Vietnamese works lag far behind their international counterparts in terms of contemporary relevance.

Ms. Thu Dong said that observing the award-winning works from countries with developed photography industries such as the Netherlands, Hungary, and Germany, she saw a superiority in conceptual thinking, perfection in technical processing, and profound philosophical perspectives.

Meanwhile, many Vietnamese artworks, although beautiful and eye-catching, still exhibit repetition and familiar patterns.

"We are strong in emotion, but sometimes lack boldness in technique and novelty in subject matter. Some award-winning Vietnamese works look beautiful at first glance, but they haven't truly created a visual shock or a breakthrough in photographic language," the President of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists frankly stated.

Ms. Thu Dong hopes that artists will use the competition as an opportunity for Vietnamese artists to reflect on and learn from international peers, thereby becoming more assertive on their creative path.

"It's time for us to step out of our comfort zone, seek new, more creative, and groundbreaking directions so that Vietnamese photography can truly be 'contemporary' in line with the world ," said Ms. Thu Dong.

A highlight of this year's competition was the FIAP Blue Ribbon award for Marcel Van Balken, who won the most prizes with 10 winning and exhibited works .

Do Thi Thuan's work, "The Eyes of the Steppe," won the VAPA gold medal in the Portrait category.

Yusuf Tatliturk's (Turkey) "A Wonderful Night," FIAP Gold Medal in the Tourism category.

Nguyen Thi Thu Cuc's "Sand Waves" won a silver medal at VAPA, in the Tourism category.

Together with Tu The Duy's fish, VAPA gold medalist in the Free category for monochrome photography.

Marcel Van Balken's (Netherlands) work, "The Spinning Top," won the FIAP gold medal in the Free category for monochrome photography.

Traditional Apsara dancer by Nguyen Xuan Han, bronze medalist in the Free category for color photography.

Early morning sun on the salt fields by Do Duy The, VAPA medalist, Free category for color photography.

THIEN DIEU - Tuoitre.vmn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhiep-anh-viet-nam-nhin-qua-thay-dep-nhung-mai-o-loi-mon-20251207221425314.htm