With a 20 photo set themed “Concern of the Environment”, Hoang Quoc Tuan has been granted the title Master Photographer by the International Federation of Photographic Art.

“Su tran tro cua moi truong” (Concern of Environment) is the result of nine years‘ work. The collection was inspired by the first one taken in 2001 showing a fish in the dirty sea with only its bone, which earned Tuan an award for excellence from the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists. Most photos in the collection were made from a square tray before a mixture of watercolors and pastel was poured on top as Tuan said he wanted to show the feeling of being imprisoned and surrounded.

According to Tuan, the square tray symbolizes stuffiness. The materials to make the background were liquid paints and pastels. The major objects in these photos are leaves, chicken feathers, corals, snails or fish bones. The artist had to consider each detail very carefully to ensure they fit with each other. All photos were taken with Nikon cameras.

The idea about living in a stuffy atmosphere came from his experience of travelling on crowded and dusty streets, which “would show more charm if the girls didn’t have to cover up all their faces,” said Tuan, a Ho Chi Minh City resident.

One tray showed logs on a ferocious river and another showed birds’ eggs in a nest flowing in a river. Tuan said he had dreams about these scenes and he would quickly write them down on waking up. He had to shoot the photo quickly, in 15-30 minutes, or the colours would change.

Tuan said he’s loved painting since age he was in his teens. He learnt the skills from a relative and once removed all the doors of chicken cages in his house to make a frame for his painting. When attending the HCMC Education College, he took a part-time job painting portraits and oil paintings, selling them to galleries on Dong Khoi Street. Later, as a teacher, Tuan started to take photographs and since leaving school due to a lung condition, has been living on photography. Tuan said the winning collection was a combination of photography and painting, with occasional help from Photoshop.

In 2003, Tuan was honoured as an excellent international photographer by FIAP.

In nine years, Tuan took hundreds of photos to finally choose the best 20, which convey the message: We have to change, to change, to change to make our earth green forever!

Tuoi Tre introduces some works by Hoang Quoc Tuan:

The first warning about rivers that destroy life.

Big fish, small fish.

“Our Earth”, which has won many international photo awards.

Green buds for you. This work is not in the 20-photo collection but it is very special with the meaning that generation by generation has to protect the life.

Water-ferns adrift: The environment is seen as adrift water-ferns, which are worthless and trampled.

Unstable: A net of eggs clings to a twig and swept away. The life is very unstable…

Mushroom flowers: Mushrooms grow well in wet environment and suitable temperature. In good environment, everything will grow well.

Shoulder to shoulder: the mutual support in environment.

Young girl in the storm.

Seeking each other

The universe

VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre