The strong transition to digital platforms with the popularity of smart devices has forced Vietnamese newsrooms to change to keep up with the trend. Accordingly, visual images have become a key factor in attracting readers and effectively conveying information.
According to many studies, readers usually only take a few seconds to decide whether to continue reading an article or not. A memorable moment, a clear statistical graphic or a short video can help readers quickly understand the content and increase the level of engagement. Therefore, the production of images plays a very important role in an article or news.
In many cases, images can convey a message better than text. Over the past five years, newsrooms have invested heavily in photo and video editing, graphic design, and photography equipment.
In an age where news is updated every minute, every second, photojournalists must be “lightning fast” to catch the moment. A quality press photo must not only be taken at the right time, but also be authentic, conveying emotion and context.
Domestic photojournalists today work on many topics, in many contexts: from large-scale political and social issues, natural disasters, epidemics, to cultural, sports and life events. Each moment has its own value and the competition here is who can "see" the story behind the photo faster and more deeply.
Not only do they record events, many photojournalists today are also highly regarded for their personal perspectives and creativity in composition and lighting. Competition is not only about “who took the first shot” but also “who took the best shot”.
Many famous photojournalists in Vietnam have left their mark thanks to their unique style, expressing characters' emotions or creating unique perspectives on sensitive social topics.
On the occasion of the anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, June 21, VietNamNet contacted a number of young, talented and dedicated photographers to hear them share their thoughts and feelings about their profession and memorable working memories.
Nguyen Thanh Khanh 7-10 years ago was a phenomenon in the photojournalism world when he occasionally produced "super product" moments, causing a stir among colleagues and readers.
Graduated from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi ), talented, handsome face like an actor, but it also took him many years to go from an intern, collaborator and then become a reporter for Tuoi Tre newspaper .
Nguyen Khanh is considered a "hotboy" in the photojournalism world.
On a summer afternoon in early June, talking about journalism on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, photojournalist Nguyen Khanh told VietNamNet about his early days in journalism. The late 8X photographer has had a passion for photography since he was in college.
In 2010-2011, the turtle in Hoan Kiem Lake often surfaced from the water. Khanh took a photo of the turtle crawling to the edge of the lake with a severely injured foot. The photo went viral and was highly appreciated by colleagues in the editorial office. For an intern, it was a great joy and pride.
As time passed, the young man from Hai Phong took on the responsibility of reporting, writing articles, and taking photos of countless events, big and small. 2025 also marked Nguyen Khanh's 15 years of dedication and dedication to the profession, with countless memories that cannot be told.
The most recent incident was the Yagi storm that hit the North in September 2024. Khanh was assigned to work at the center of the storm in Quang Ninh.
While reporting on the storm, Khanh was stuck in Cam Pha City at the most terrifying moment. He and the driver sat in the car helplessly watching the electric pole fall in front of them, trees falling all around, and corrugated iron flying everywhere.
After finishing his work and safely returning to the capital, with only one night's rest, the young man was then "ordered" to go to Lang Nu (Lao Cai) which had just been wiped out by a flash flood.
Not stopping at reporting on the process of searching for the victims in Lang Nu, Khanh spent the next 3 months pursuing the topic of this place.
“I witnessed the scene from desolation and desolation, the end of pain, to the day when Lang Nu was inaugurated in the happiness of the people. That was a special emotional journey that I can never forget in my life as a journalist,” Khanh confided.
Nguyen Khanh during a reporting session on the Covid-19 pandemic in Hanoi.
Another memorable moment was in August 2018, when Khanh was sent to Lombok Island (Indonesia) to report at the scene of a strong earthquake that killed many people.
In the middle of a hot summer afternoon, he moved into the devastated village, resting under a house that looked quite intact. However, just after he left for about 1 minute, the house collapsed. "To be honest, at that time I was stunned looking at it, because if I had been a few dozen seconds slower, my life would have been lost," the 8X photographer recalled.
Later, when they told their friends about it, many people realized that being a photojournalist was not as glamorous as they thought. As for Nguyen Khanh, he did not think it was hard work. "Photojournalist is a job that requires constant travel and requires a lot of energy, but that is happiness, because you can do what you love and contribute to your career ideals," he said.
Indeed, behind the hardships that outsiders see, many times "going to battle", the male photojournalist of Tuoi Tre newspaper always takes emotional photos, when posted on his personal page, he receives thousands of likes and complimentary comments.
Sharing his views on the profession and evaluating photography in general, Khanh said that a press photo, in addition to its informational and aesthetic value, must also be a work that makes the photographer feel moved when looking back, and the viewer moved. "I don't like to participate in many photo contests. I know how to choose, know who I am, what position I am in, where to compete, and which contest to enter," Khanh confided.
In a conversation with the "hot boy of the photojournalism world", Khanh happily revealed that he had been informed that he had won the A prize at the 2025 National Press Awards, an honor that not every photojournalist would want to have.
“I am a very practical person. I always consider myself a photojournalist, someone who lives with events and is behind the scenes. I also do not like noise and chaos because it distracts me. My happiest feeling is after finishing a business trip, sitting in a small corner sipping a cup of coffee,” Khanh shared.
“For me, the ideal career, the biggest purpose when choosing this job is to live with passion. When I take a photo, besides reflecting objective reality, can it help anyone? That is the humanistic value, the kindness that I want to aim for,” he added.
The journalist born in 1989 affirmed that the press is moving towards “visualization”, meaning that readers want to hear and see more, instead of reading articles with thousands of words like before. Therefore, the role of photojournalists is increasingly important. “Young people who have just graduated from school and want to pursue this job and stick with it for a long time should not be afraid of hardship. You have to be “more resilient”. Practice and get involved in real life a lot,” Khanh said.
Photojournalist, Captain Tuan Huy in casual clothes.
Among young photojournalists, we cannot fail to mention Nguyen Tuan Huy ( People's Army Newspaper ).
Although he graduated from the Academy of Journalism and Communication in 2014, it was not until September 2019 that the male captain officially entered the journalism world. Right from the beginning of his career, Huy was conscious of learning the strengths of his previous generation colleagues, finding ways to improve his photography techniques, perfecting his perspective, and drawing conclusions about how to approach events.
Tuan Huy wades through mud to work in Nam Buong village (Viet Vinh commune, Bac Quang district, Ha Giang) after a landslide that left many people dead and missing in September 2024.
Being both a soldier and a journalist, Tuan Huy is often under a lot of pressure and requirements regarding timeliness, honesty, and objectivity when reporting news, while also having to fulfill the requirements and duties of a soldier serving in the army.
He often works in the midst of events and incidents, especially always being on the front lines, ready to carry out tasks in areas affected by storms, floods, and natural disasters when requested, promptly reporting breaking news about rescue activities of the people's armed forces.
When it comes to Huy's photojournalism, colleagues and readers are often impressed with the photo series about training activities, combat readiness, and exercises of officers and soldiers. He has twice won the B prize of the National Press Award in 2023 and 2024. In addition, this captain - journalist born in 1992 has also received many other prestigious press awards.
Tuan Huy during his work trips, reporting on training activities and combat readiness of soldiers.
During his business trips to military units, Huy often carried out difficult projects, recording images of training activities and combat readiness. Many times, this soldier holding a pen and a camera had to endure the pressure of explosions, artillery shells, and explosives to get good angles, capture beautiful moments while still ensuring strict compliance with safety regulations during training.
The young man's memorable work experience in recent years is the parade event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory in 2024. That day, Huy carefully prepared for the work, calculated the workload, determined the working positions, chose the means of transportation, the positions to welcome the parade, recorded the moments and emotions of the people...
Before the Grand Ceremony, he and his teammates had to continuously carry out side tasks of the event.
When asked if Huy could stick with this tough job for a long time, being both a soldier and a “shooter”, the 9X journalist confided that he loves his job very much. Being able to do the job he is passionate about and being a soldier at the same time is something the young man is very proud of.
"Every day I painstakingly pursue difficult topics, accept sacrificing time, effort, and even having to spend a lot of my own money, but I'm still very happy. To have good, quality works, I have to work continuously and persistently," he shared.
“I want to create quality press photos, works that are truly aesthetic, have good technical expression, and at the same time must ensure effective transmission of content and messages, bring good values, and contribute to society,” Huy affirmed.
Compared to young talents Nguyen Khanh, Tuan Huy, Pham Ngoc Thanh belongs to a more mature generation of journalists. The early 8x generation journalist has spent nearly ten years working at VnExpress . In the past two years, he has been assigned the responsibility of photo editor by the editorial board, in charge of editing and scanning photos on the daily page, contributing to ensuring the aesthetic quality of the image section.
In addition, Thanh is the person who organizes news stories, develops topics for reporters and collaborators in major news events as well as events and communications of the editorial office.
Unlike many photojournalists who were trained in the right field, Thanh graduated from the Information Technology Department of the National Economics University in 2005, when online newspapers were starting to change. Thanks to the opportunity to participate in building a database for the To Quoc online newspaper , only 1 year later, the young man became a photojournalist.
When he had the opportunity to move to VnExpress , Thanh decided to leave the newspaper he had been working for for 11 years, hoping to try his hand at a new working environment.
As of 2025, Pham Ngoc Thanh has 18 years of experience in the profession. Like many other photojournalists, he often works in hot spots of natural disasters, storms, floods, flash floods, and fires.
There are times when risks strike. For example, the time he reported on the fire that lasted for hours at Rang Dong Light Bulb and Thermos Flask JSC (August 2019). At that time, due to his haste, he did not have time to prepare protective gear, and rushed into the scene, approaching the burning material, a light bulb containing mercury.
Some scientists have warned that inhaling too much heated mercury in gas form can be extremely dangerous. “In the days after the fire, my mind was not clear. I was haunted by the thought of being susceptible to cancer and my hair has turned gray ever since,” he said.
Recently, Ngoc Thanh was also mobilized to participate in the flash flood incident in Lang Nu. Having to witness the scene of 33 households buried, 40 families affected, 60 people dead, 7 people missing has haunted him for a long time.
“During the days of working in hot weather, everywhere was the smell of death from people and animals buried under thick layers of mud. After returning, I still felt shivers for many days after,” the male photojournalist recalled.
However, Thanh shared that due to the nature of his work in the news, he really enjoys high-pressure work. “A good photojournalist is someone who has a perspective, is hardworking, can work independently, and has the time and financial resources,” the 8X reporter said.
Pham Ngoc Thanh during his work
Ngoc Thanh works during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking of the economic factor above, many of Thanh’s colleagues must know that he lives in a “well-off” family. He takes full advantage of that condition in his work, to satisfy his passion for the profession. In 18 years of journalism, the reporter from Dien Bien has bought dozens of different cameras.
Since 2020, Thanh has spent more than 1 billion VND to invest in and own Leica cameras of the Q and SL series (the world's number 1 camera brand). This can be compared to a photojournalist who buys a luxury car worth tens of billions to... run a taxi business.
“From someone who did not major in journalism, switching to become a photojournalist at a time when online newspapers were forming changed my life and thinking, giving me many opportunities in life, being present at hot spots of current events, society, politics, sports, etc.,” he added.
Discussing his profession on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press Day, Thanh affirmed that photojournalists must always take pictures to keep the fire burning, and must always think in new ways or else they will fall behind the trend. As for major newspapers, press photography is one of the criteria to affirm development. The editorial office will be stronger when it has photojournalists with thinking, perspective, experience, and good equipment.
Photojournalist Tran Thanh Dat has the nickname "Dat the carp"
Thanh Dat, a photojournalist for Nhan Dan Electronic Newspaper, started his career quite late. Although he is nearly 40 years old, he has been reporting and taking photos for less than 10 years.
On a rainy afternoon in early June, Dat happily shared about his career with VietNamNet . He had just returned from a meaningful trip to Truong Sa on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day.
Dat said he graduated from the Fine Arts Department of the Hanoi College of Arts, Fashion Design. After graduating, he had to "play around" for more than a year, his family was in financial difficulty so he couldn't invest his own money to start a business.
By chance, he was able to become an apprentice at the lab of the Photo Center - VNA, developing film and printing photos every day. Thanks to his talent and having been trained in composition and color when studying Fine Arts before, he was able to develop his abilities in this environment.
Every day exposed to news photos of photojournalists, he gradually became passionate about this profession without realizing it.
Starting to learn about cameras, going to Hoan Kiem Lake to practice taking pictures with negative film cameras, Dat said that although the photos were not beautiful at that time, he was very excited.
Exactly one year later, he managed to buy his first digital camera, a Canon 50D with a 24-105mm lens, and started taking pictures of everything he saw in the most innocent way. “I didn’t have a real photography teacher, nor was I trained properly. I just knew how to take pictures based on instinct and feeling, and that’s still the case today,” he said.
After that, Dat took pictures to earn money, from funerals, weddings, modeling... During this time, he took exams and studied journalism at university.
Before becoming a photojournalist, a chance came to the young man born in 1986. A brother who was a photojournalist for VNA invited him to prepare his equipment and flash to go to the Presidential Palace to work together to take portraits of high-ranking leaders.
Recalling that situation, Dat said he was so happy that he cried and thought he had misheard, but he didn't think too much about it because he didn't fully understand the pressure of taking pictures of politicians.
“The photo series was very successful. After that, he encouraged me to transfer to the Photo Department of VNA to become a professional reporter. I confidently applied for a job transfer and officially started working as a journalist in 2016, the turning point in my life began,” Dat recalled.
After 5 years of apprenticeship and maturity, in 2021, Thanh Dat moved to work at Nhan Dan electronic newspaper.
Thanks to the wide range of activities and the editorial office's unconstrained field, Dat works in all genres from politics, culture, society, economics, sports...
"Embracing" many areas, at first he said it was quite difficult, but later he knew how to distribute his energy and filter topics better.
Dat said that after nearly 10 years in the profession, he realized that the role of a photojournalist has changed a lot. In the past, a person holding a camera only needed to fulfill the role assigned by the editorial office, but today, they have to be more versatile, able to do many genres, even need to be able to do both content and video.
“With the changes in modern journalism and multi-platform journalism, I think photojournalists need to improve themselves more to avoid falling behind current trends,” he confided.
In addition, according to Dat, photojournalists also need to have patience and perseverance to persistently follow a topic or event to the end. Only then can a photojournalism fully depict the issue or story.
“A photojournalist needs to have a sharp eye and be sensitive to the subject. He needs to be more calm and focused than the average person. He doesn’t just take a picture of whatever he sees. I always imagine the image in my head and take it, but whether it happens or not is a matter of reality,” Dat laughed out loud.
“Keeping a cool head, when faced with a tragic event, you need to suppress your human emotions to firmly press the shutter. A photojournalist’s job is to record history through images. That means I can’t put down the camera to wipe away tears when taking a picture of a tragic event,” he added.
Dat said that because he has worked many times at the scene after horrific incidents both domestically and internationally.
The most memorable working experience in Dat's career as a reporter was the "march" to Türkiye to report on the rescue work of the Vietnam People's Army in the neighboring country after the historic earthquake in February 2023.
This was a work trip beyond his imagination and calculations before coming to this land. He and his colleagues had to learn how to survive and work in conditions without electricity or water. At that time, all the means was a makeshift tent left by our army.
He said: “The experience gained from this memorable trip is truly too much. You have to survive and ensure your own safety first before thinking about working. In the sub-zero cold of Türkiye at night, reporters have to carry firewood to chop and make a fire to keep warm, boil water, and cook every day.”
In addition, the lesson when working abroad is that reporters must thoroughly understand the culture and customs of the local people. Only then can they adapt and communicate, interview, exploit information, and even integrate into their lives.
During the recent earthquake in Myanmar, Dat was mobilized to join the rescue team of the Ministry of Public Security to help the neighboring country and go deep into the devastated and especially dangerous scene.
When he was there, the buildings did not collapse completely, but usually only the first floor or basement, the structure of the building was almost broken inside. Just a small aftershock could cause another collapse without warning.
Dat said that once he and his soldiers entered a collapsed basement to search for the bodies of the victims still trapped when suddenly someone outside shouted an alarm: "There's an earthquake, run outside immediately..."
“Fortunately, nothing unfortunate happened. Everyone understood that in just one unlucky moment, they would be lying right under that inch of ground. After that, the soldiers changed to another plan, which was to completely destroy the scene before continuing the search,” Dat recalled.
At the end of the conversation with VietNamNet , Dat confided that he still loves his job as a photojournalist. In the past, many of his brothers, uncles, and predecessors had been working with cameras for decades, and every day they still carried more than ten kilograms of equipment on their shoulders, everywhere, at all times.
“It is a lasting love for photography. Every time I hear hot news, my heart beats fast, restless and restless. The machine is ready, just waiting for a command from the editorial office to get going,” he shared.
Hoang Ha - Vietnamnet.vn
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nhung-phong-vien-anh-tre-mau-lua-cua-lang-bao-viet-2408561.html
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