Vietnamese photographer wins prestigious international award

A photo capturing a farmer surrounded by drying fish by Vietnamese photographer Khanh Phan has won the travel category of the Sony World Photography Awards.

'Drying Fish' by Vietnamese photographer Khanh Phan
'Drying Fish' by Vietnamese photographer Khanh Phan

The photo, entitled ‘Drying Fish’, was taken in Long Hai Market in the central province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on July 26, 2020. The wooden trays viewed from above look like a giant brocade woven by the farmer.

The Sony World Photography Awards is one of the most competitive photo contests in the world, as it receives 330,000 entries from around the world, among which only the 10 best photos are selected as winners for its 10 categories of open competition.

These 10 best photos will go through further selection to find the best work of the season, with the photographer to be awarded US$ 5,000 along with the latest Sony digital imaging equipment. The overall winner of the competition will be announced on April 15.

Khanh Phan is the first and only Vietnamese photographer to win the open competition of the prestigious photo contest.

She said winning was a memorable experience in her photography career and all winning works by Vietnamese photographers like hers are “tourism ambassadors” for Vietnam.

Produced by the World Photography Organisation, the annual Sony World Photography Awards are one of the most important fixtures in the photographic calendar.

The awards are a global voice for photography and provide a vital insight into contemporary work today. Now in their 14th year, the awards consist of four competitions: Professional (for photographers entering a body of work or portfolio), Open (for photographers entering a single image), Student (for academic institutions) and Youth (for 12-19 year-olds).

The jury will evaluate and award the final first prize to a single photographer with the best work.