In early July, Dr. Hoai Anh eagerly awaited the " World Food Photography 2025" trophy from the UK to be shipped to Vietnam. As the only Vietnamese person honored at this year's competition in the "Foods associated with festivals and celebrations" category, his work surpassed 10,000 entries from 70 countries to become one of 20 outstanding works displayed at the Mall Galleries, London.
"I was really surprised and happy," he shared on July 3.
"Banh Hoi" was taken during a trip to Phan Thiet with his family on the occasion of April 30. For more than an hour at noon, he patiently recorded the moment a shirtless man prepared a traditional dish that often appears in holidays, death anniversaries, and weddings in many regions of Vietnam. The photo belongs to the series "Sunshine and Smoke" - a work he devoted a lot of effort to creating in memory of his grandmother who passed away nearly a year ago, capturing the moments of sunlight shining through the fragile, hazy smoke.
"I sat and watched the men and women working at the bakery and waited for the right moment to take the photo, completely spontaneously and without any planning. The midday sunlight from the blinds created a beautiful and peaceful working scene," he said.
In the introduction to the work, Hoai Anh confided that he could not clearly remember seemingly important milestones such as the day he passed the entrance exam to Hue National High School for the Gifted, the day he completed his university program or when he received his master's degree in medicine. Instead, he remembered "most clearly and intact the memories of the early mornings sitting next to his grandmother, watching her light the fire in the tin-roofed kitchen filled with sunlight and smoke" in Hue.
Before "Banh Hoi", his list of achievements recorded many impressive awards such as first prize - Promising Author Noirfotocontest 2024, Silver Prize Prix de la Photographie 2023, third prize in the category of People Photography The Chromatic Photography Awards, encouragement prize The Monochrome Photography Awards and bronze prize Prix de la Photographie 2022.
The most memorable is the photo "Twilight" which won third prize in the international color photography contest. The work was created after he woke up at 4am to hunt for clouds in Da Lat but failed, then accidentally caught the moment of workers picking tea in the dim light at dawn.
A literature lover with many short stories published in newspapers and literary awards during his student days, Hoai Anh turned to photography when he began his medical career at Thu Duc City Hospital. Stemming from his love for art, he started with a phone bought with his first salary, then upgraded to a professional camera and self-taught himself more knowledge online. Photography has become a medicine to balance life after stressful working hours, the pressure of holding patients' lives between life and death.
With many years of experience in the field of emergency resuscitation before moving to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, the doctor realized the meaningful contrast in life. That is, every day in contact with sick people, but when holding a camera, he immerses himself in the joy of healthy, hard-working people. Through the lens, he realized that love - hate, joy - sadness are all experiences of life.
"In the same frame, when happy, you will see a brilliant sunrise, and when sad, it will become a gloomy sunset. The true emotions in each moment are the most precious thing," he contemplated.
The medical profession has trained Hoai Anh to have sharp observation skills - a key factor in photography. When receiving patients, doctors must pay attention to their facial expressions, breathing, and perception to make timely judgments. Recently, he discovered a case of bile duct cancer when he noticed the unusual yellow skin of a patient who only came to the clinic because of a sore throat. Similarly, in photography, he must recognize the beautiful angles, harmonious composition, light, and materials that can evoke the viewer's emotions.
Through the 9 photo series he has created, the photographer gradually finds his identity and expresses profound ideas. "The dim light" helps him find peace in sadness from the light flickering in the vast space. "The person walking in the light" exploits the meditative emotions through forest trails with sunlight illuminating the depths of the soul in the quiet space.
Currently, he is moving towards abstraction with a series of photos about the disappearance of people in the hustle and bustle of urban life, using long exposure techniques. In that bustling stream of people, from professors, businessmen, artists to vagabonds, all are swept away by the invisible flow, without distinction - reflecting the hundred-year-old law of human life.
"Practicing medicine heals the body, helping patients relieve pain, and making art heals the soul. That is the biggest common point between the two fields I pursue. Both aim for a positive lifestyle, reminding myself to live well, and help people more," the doctor confided.
HQ (according to VnExpress)Source: https://baohaiphongplus.vn/bac-si-o-tp-ho-chi-minh-thang-giai-nhiep-anh-the-gioi-415556.html
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