Photo of Covid lockdown in Hanoi wins int’l award

A photo capturing Hanoi’s street life taken by Indian photographer Prabu Mohan ranked first in the World in Lockdown category at the first annual Aerial Photography Awards 2020.

Indian photographer Prabu Mohan wins first place in the World in Lockdown catergory.

The photo had the background of a residential apartment near Mohan's home in Hanoi. Residents hang Vietnam's national flags on the balcony in support of those fighting the coronavirus on the front lines, he said.

Four entries from three Vietnamese photographers have been honored among the photos with the highest score of the Awards including The Lady of the Sea by Duy Sinh (17.9 out of 20 points), Anchovy Catching by Thien Nguyen (17.5) and Harvesting grass by Khanh Phan (17.11).

The Aerial Photography Awards received thousands of entries from 65 countries, of which Belgium stood out the most (Belgians were winners in 10 categories), Russia (9 winners), and Great Britain (8 winners). 

The Jury awarded 106 photos in different categories such as Abstract, Architecture, Construction, People and Daily Life, Nature, Sports, Travel and Wildlife, and World in Lockdown. The entrants were invited to submit their best images captured using drones, helicopters, kites, balloons, or airplanes, to vie for a share of the US$10,000 prize pool. 

A photo taken by Vietnamese photographer Duy Sinh in the daily life category, shows a fishing net in Phu Yen, a coastal province in south-central Vietnam, thrown from a boat, looks like a woman's face.

Anchovy Catching taken by Vietnamese photographer Thien Nguyen won 2nd prize in the people and daily life category. Anchovies are considered a specialty along the central coast and are used to produce the quintessential Vietnamese condiment – fish sauce.

Thien Nguyen also won fourth place in the nature category for his shot of terraced rice fields at dawn in the most beautiful season in Mu Cang Chai district in northern Yen Bai province.

Vietnamese photographer Khanh Phan won 3rd place in the people and daily life for her shot of a field of grass with leaves standing over one-meter high that look like ocean waves.