Pham Huy Trung is a Ho Chi Minh-based photographer whose art focuses on the daily life of the people and natural landscapes. While Mr. Trung’s photographic library boasts quite a collection, featuring photos of natural as well as urban landscapes in a variety of color schemes, his rap sheet is even more impressive.
Not only has his photography been featured in the likes of National Geographic, but it has also won a number of prestigious awards, including the Sony World Photo Awards, SkyPixel Photo Contest, and the 35Award, just to name a few.
The Lilies Harvest collection features a set of photos of the waterlily harvest season, which happens during the annual flooding of the Mekong Delta from around August through to November.
For Trung, taking pictures of this spectacular occasion was a no-brainer as it's a beauty not to be missed: "The most stunning time to travel along the Mekong Delta is flooding season when flowers and fish are coming. Waterlilies are naturally grown in mud, sure, but they are still colorful, of a pleasant scent, soft and beautiful like women."
As it turns out, the lilies manage to grow and bloom on their own without any special care needed from the farmers who harvest them and bring them back to shore in traditional boats. The farmers sell the lilies for extra income to be used as food or home decoration.
Trung elaborated on the process of taking photos of such caliber:
"There are many things to consider when taking photos such as this: lighting, subject (people), the surroundings... I had to wake up at 3AM and be at the flooding fields at 5AM to be ready for shooting. Normally, lily harvest lasts for about 2–3 months in the Mekong Delta and it is a must for the flood to reach a certain level of flooding. I used a drone for the wide angle view, covering a large area. It could not be done with a regular DSLR."
Besides needing the right equipment, Trung also explained that photographing lilies comes with its own set of challenges:
"[Among the challenges] would be capturing of the emotion and broadcasting it from my vision to others. The emotion can be altered by the color, the movement, the patterns and the story behind the scene. But, the emotion can also be felt differently among people, so the photos should match these elements in order to create the beauty of the objects."
Lastly, we've asked Trung what are his plans for the near future regarding his photographic career. He had this to say:
"Ultimately, my plan is to travel around the world and to take photos. I would really love to go to the US, where I know I will find a lot of beauty in the people, the traditions and nature. But, right now, I am diving into the sea to capture the beauty of the waters in Vietnam."
If you’re interested in learning more about Pham Huy Trung’s photography, why not visit his website, Facebook or Instagram. But before you go, let us know what you thought of the photos by leaving us a comment below!
