The Lo Dieu valley. Photo Ngoc Vien

Tran Ngoc Vien was born in 1983 at Hoai Duc commune, Hoai Nhon district. Since graduating from the HCM City-based University of Natural Sciences with a major in Graphic Art, he has worked there. He now owns Hoa Cat Joint Stock Co., an advertising agency.

As a child, Vien was interested in watching anything around him and tried to bear them in mind. “If only I had had a camera to keep them in the photos”, wished Vien. His desire was satisfied as his uncle offered him a mechanic camera as a gift when he was an 11th grader.

“In the countryside, people usually take photos on special occasions. Human beings should be the main subjects. It is extremely weird to gallivant everywhere with a camera, shooting rice fields, flocks of storks, bridges or rivers. At first, being so excited at possessing a camera, I randomly took lots of photos within the bounds of Hoai Nhon. I then saved money to get pictures developed and buy frames. I hung hundred of the photos on my house’s walls. That was my first exhibition”, said Vien.

Studying and working in field of art in Ho Chi Minh City, Vien has more favourable conditions to improve his techniques of photography. Context and theme of the photos are more open. As starting work, he bought a professional camera.

On occasion of summer holiday, Tet (Lunar New Year festival) or weekend, Vien often comes home, wandering all over the province to “hunt” for beautiful photos. “At first, I shot many photos about the landscapes and festivals of the homeland. My way of photographic thinking has gradually progressed and become more professional,” Vien said. “Fronting a subject, the idea, theme and name of the photo flash through my mind at least for the time being. The photography actually do make me see that the life around me is more beautiful and meaningful.”

Vien is not alone in pursuing his hobby. Many Binh Dinh young fellows in Ho Chi Minh admire and join him. Binh Dinh Photo-Art Club was born nearly 2 years ago with more than 20 amateur young photographers.

They open forums to exchange experiences, organize field trips, and select a great amount of Binh Dinh photos taken by many photographers to publicly propagate on the internet.

Nguyen Quoc Dat (from Quy Nhon City), Hoang Dung, Luu Duy Phan (Tuy Phuoc district), Ba An (Hoai Nhon district) are typical devoted member of the club. Not only did they propagate Binh Dinh photos on the internet, but also they actively found places to hang the photos. Many photos about Binh Dinh’s landscapes and people are now present in certain cafeterias, restaurants, hotels, companies run by Binh Dinh-born people.

“Via the internet, we partly want to contribute to the propagation of Binh Dinh’s images across Vietnam and abroad. Many Binh Dinh young people studying or working far away from their homeland like me, I believe, want to search for pictures about Binh Dinh to keep as reference materials, to introduce to their friends or just to view as way to relieve their homesickness. Yet, they all find that Binh Dinh photos on the internet are so few, undiversified and outdated. This makes us uncomfortable and concerned. Whenever we take a photo, we responsibly do it with more meticulous and careful act so that the photo is truly best and lively. Although this is merely a hobby voluntarily pursued by a group of young people, we all realize that we shouldn’t be careless with “painting” the face of the homeland,” confided Vien.

• Sao Ly