The challenge of preserving the authenticity of photography
On November 9, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists organized a scientific conference with the theme "Vietnamese Photography - Issues in the New Era" to orient the development of Vietnamese photography in the new period with challenges in the "vast sea" of technology.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations , President of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, emphasized: "We are discussing together the future of Vietnamese photography in an important historical context of the nation - the era of the country's rise with the aspiration to build a strong, prosperous and happy Vietnam."
According to photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong, there are two prominent paradoxes that photography is facing today. One is the “deluge of images”, when anyone can be a photographer, raising questions about the boundary between art photography and ordinary recording photography. The other is the challenge of “authenticity”, when using AI can create “realistic” images but not rooted in reality. This threatens the core nature of photography: documentary and authentic.
“Faced with that challenge, Vietnamese photographers cannot just be observers, but must be active creative subjects, participating in shaping the future. Technology, no matter how powerful, is just a tool. The decisive factor in the stature of an artwork is the artist’s talent, the soul that the artist puts into his work,” photographer Tran Thi Thu Dong affirmed.
In an era where images have become a global language, each photograph is not only a means of conveying information but also a bridge between people and the world . Vietnamese photography therefore needs to constantly innovate its thinking, improve its professional level and apply technology creatively, but at the same time must maintain humanistic values and national identity - which have made up the soul of Vietnamese photography over the past decades.
Promote humanity, creativity and professionalism
At the workshop, managers, scientists, artists and photography experts from across the country had many opinions, exchanged and openly discussed key issues of Vietnamese photography in the digital age.
Opinions and discussions focused on issues such as preserving the identity and creative mission of Vietnamese photography in the era of international integration; enhancing the role of photography theory and criticism to orient aesthetics and build a system of artistic values suitable for the new era; innovating the training and nurturing of the young generation, equipping young artists with knowledge, ethics and professional skills; developing the photography industry and promoting the image of Vietnam to the world, building a professional art market, linking with tourism and creative economic sectors.
Photography critic Tran Quoc Dung asserted that in the new era, it is necessary to preserve the identity of Vietnamese photography. Vietnamese photography has historical, authentic and artistic values. As society develops, under the influence of science and technology, there are many positive advantages, but photography also tends to follow the trend of applying tools, especially image processing software according to the subjective thinking of the photographer, including creating photographic products that then lose authenticity or, more dangerously, distort the historical nature of photography.
Critic Tran Quoc Dung believes that in this era, images have become “an essential part” of life. That requires photography to play a role, however small, in orienting the social life of the whole country. Orientation in photography activities needs to focus on maintaining and preserving the nature of photography, while creating a standardized photography environment, distinguishing types of photography activities, including traditional photography and artificial intelligence (AI).
More specifically, photography critic Pham Tien Dung said that Vietnamese photography needs to go beyond the stage of “taking pictures of what you see” to enter “taking pictures of the world that needs to be seen”, so that the photos are not only “eye-catching” but each photo also creates vibrations, transmitting positive life energy to the viewer. For photography to reach the viewer, photographers of the new era need to avoid the rut in thinking, in the way of shooting, in exploiting the subject, and escape from the illustrative style of photography. Taking beautiful pictures is not enough, but also taking pictures correctly and deeply.
According to critic Pham Tien Dung, Vietnamese photography needs to limit the “seasonal” style of shooting such as flood season, harvest season, cotton flower season… and overly familiar themes such as terraced fields, floating markets, dawn, sunset, casting nets, casting nets… if they do not bring a new perspective. Many photographers still shoot according to competition criteria, while contemporary art photography requires ideas, concepts and personal stories: “What do I want to say to this world through the photo?”.
In the context of cultural diversity and the influence of different art movements, Vietnamese photography needs to clearly define its own aesthetic orientation and preserve the national cultural identity. Artists still need to reflect the beauty of the country, people, history and culture of Vietnam; encourage works with profound artistic and humanistic values, contributing to building a better society such as themes of love, compassion, sharing, reflecting social issues, difficult lives, contributing to raising awareness and community responsibility. Photographers also need to combine traditional photographic techniques with modern technology to create unique and highly creative works.
Photographer Nguyen Duc Toan (Hanoi 2 Art Photography Association), photographer Hoang An (Vietnam Photographic Artists Association of Quang Tri Province), photographer Hai Huy (Vietnam Photographic Artists Association of Quang Ninh Province) all share the same opinion that, in addition to the transformation of photography artists, it is necessary to professionalize the team and work of judges and curators in Vietnamese photography in the new period, expand the source of young judges with modern thinking, well-trained at home and abroad to properly evaluate, guide, orient and create creative motivation for photography artists...
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nhiep-anh-viet-nam-trong-ky-nguyen-moi-giu-ban-sac-phat-huy-sang-tao-giua-bien-lon-cong-nghe-722704.html
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