These award-winning drone photos of Vietnam will take your breath away

A shortlist of the most breathtaking photos of Vietnam as seen from above has been produced from thousands of submissions to a photography contest.

The contest, themed ‘Vietnam from Above’, called on local photographers to submit their best drone photos of Vietnam for an upcoming calendar collection.

Organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Photography Association in coordination with Phuong Nam Calendar Company, the contest received nearly 3,400 submissions by 358 photographers after launching in the middle of 2017.

The best 100 photos were shortlisted and entered in the final round, where the top 16 prize winners were selected by a panel of judges.

"As the winners will be featured in calendars, bright and refreshing photos were preferred,” said photographer Bui Minh Son, a member of the judging panel. "Photos that are well executed but gloomy don’t fall into the scope of this competition.”

Nguyen Vinh Hien, one of the earliest drone enthusiasts in southern Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, was awarded first prize for his photo of Cape Ca Mau, the southernmost point of the Vietnamese mainland.

"I camped for three days at the location to wait for favorable weather conditions and capture Cape Ca Mau at its most stunning,” Hien said. "The photo’s high quality was thanks to my VND150 million [US$6,600] drone.”

The second prize was shared by Nguyen Tien Dung from south-central Binh Dinh Province and Nguyen Hoang Nam in southern An Giang Province for their respective photos of salt flats and an alluvia-rich river.

Three third prizes went to photos by Ho Chi Minh City-based photographers Giang Son Dong, Nguyen The Duong and Nguyen Minh Tan.

Hien also won two out of ten consolidation prizes for his photos of the My Thuan Bridge over the Mekong River and a pottery village in southern Vinh Long Province.

‘Ca Mau Cape’ by Nguyen Vinh Hien – first prize

‘Hien Luong Bridge’ by Nguyen Minh Tan – consolidation prize

‘Salt flats’ by Nguyen Tien Dung – second prize

‘Saigon skyline symphony’ by Nguyen The Duong – third prize

‘Fatherland sea and islands’ by Huynh Van Truyen – consolidation prize

‘Mysterious Ha Long Bay’ by Nguyen Minh Tan – consolidation prize

‘Vinh Long pottery village’ by Nguyen Vinh Hien – consolidation prize

‘Eco-tourism’ by Mai Thanh Chuong – consolidation prize

‘Alluvial colors’ by Nguyen Hoang Nam – second prize

‘Mu Cang Chai terraces’ by Nguyen Minh Tan – third prize

‘Early sun on the paddy fields’ by Nguyen Hoang Nam – consolidation prize

‘Flamboyant Saigon’ by Nguyen Xuan Trang – consolidation prize

‘Floating houses on Lan Ha Bay’ by Giang Son Dong – third prize

‘Harvest’ by Duy Bang – consolidation prize

‘My Thuan Bridge’ by Nguyen Vinh Hien – consolidation prize

(Source: tuoitrenews.vn)