From mountains to seas of clouds, sunrises at many tourist destinations are captured with emotion through the lens of Vietnamese photographers.
Bui Xuan Viet, a photographer living in Dong Nai, has traveled across Vietnam and captured sunrises. He believes that sunrises and sunsets are the most beautiful moments in photography because of the high contrast, creating impressive contrasting colors.
Sunrise in Lao Chai, Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam
Each photo has its own story. In the photo above, the sunrise scene at Lao Chai village, Mu Cang Chai in September 2019. At that time, the village was still primitive and lacking, but he received hospitality from an ethnic family. They treated him to a meal, and despite his pleas, they refused to accept any money as a thank you.
Oolong tea hill at dawn in Sa Pa, Vietnam
Photo taken of oolong tea hill at dawn in Sa Pa during cherry blossom season – usually early December – 2019. Anh Viet regularly checks information from travel groups to update the exact blooming time. If you are lucky enough to go on a sunny day, the flowers will have beautiful colors and will have better photos. To “hunt” for cherry blossoms, he said you need to decide quickly because the flowers fade early.
Sunrise in Lao Cai, Vietnam
The photo was taken in Ngai Thau Ha in August 2019, a village famous for its beautiful scenery surrounded by mountains and forests in Lao Cai. Viet remembers seeing smoke from the kitchen creating beautiful rays of light. However, he could not take a photo because the frame was empty and lacking emotion.
“Suddenly, the mother and daughter walked up hand in hand and the gift I received was this photo,” he said.
Sunrise in Tuyen Quang, Vietnam
Viet wants to complete a series of sunrise photos across Vietnam but admits it is difficult to do because not everywhere can find an impressive angle.
The location in the photo is the terraced fields in Nam Hong in September 2022, Hoang Su Phi, Tuyen Quang. The houses in the photo are homestays built on top of the hill so that visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the terraced fields.
Ripe rice season in Chu Va, September 2020, Lai Chau, Vietnam
This trip was not very successful for Viet because the weather was bad all week. Viet stayed with the local people, going fishing with them every day to wait for the weather to be sunny again.
Early morning mist in Cao Bang in October 2020.
According to Mr. Viet, the sunrise in Cao Bang and Lang Son left the most impression but he did not have the opportunity to take a good photo. This photo is also the only sunrise photo he kept after three visits to Cao Bang.
“The weather is not in my favor so I hope I can do it again next time so I don’t have any regrets,” he said.
A famous angle in the photography world at Hang Rai, Khanh Hoa, January 2018.
According to Mr. Viet, finding a shooting angle is not difficult, but taking beautiful photos is a process. During the wave season in Vietnam from November to February, the scene here will be the most beautiful.
The photographer must watch the tide on low water days, at dawn so that the water does not flood the rock table, and at the same time there must be strong winds – strong waves hitting the rock table, then flowing down, creating a waterfall in the middle of the sea.
Dawn on Phu Quy Island on a January 2021 day
The sea wind was gusting at level 8, strong waves made the whole boat, from passengers to crew members, vomit continuously.
“Although I was tired, I was still happy because thanks to the big waves, I had a beautiful set of photos,” he said. When hunting for waves, photographers must be careful because strong waves can wet people and damage equipment if not protected carefully.
Sunrise on the moss field in Co Thach, Lam Dong in February 2020.
This destination is about 100 km from Phan Thiet. This moss field has only emerged in recent years, visitors need to wake up early from around 5am to have beautiful photo moments.
Klong Klanh Pass, Vietnam, taken in November 2018.
This place is about 50 km from Da Lat. To get this shot, he had to leave at 2:30 to capture the sunrise and the sea of clouds.
According to Viet, if you want to capture the sea of clouds, the photographer needs to pay attention to all weather factors. For example, a few days before, it needs to rain, then have sunshine to have enough humidity and the cold night will cause the fog to appear at dawn. The wind blows gently, under 5km/h, causing the clouds to condense.
Dawn in Da Sar, Lam Dong (November 2018).
The Vietnamese photographer continues to try to complete a series of sunrise photos across Vietnam. After the merger, the number of provinces and cities has significantly reduced, making the goal somewhat easier to complete.
However, he said the biggest challenge is still finding the right angle and the right time. Favorable weather is an important factor.
Photo: Bui Xuan Viet
Vietnamese text: Hoai Anh
