Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN)–If you live in a coastal area, you’ve probably seen boats dangling from fishing nets, while fishermen wait for fish to get caught.
Although this scene may be familiar to you, what is certain is that you have never seen it from the air.
Beauty can only be seen from the air
Photographer Thien Nguyen Ngoc documented the hidden beauty of green fishing nets through his lens in Vietnam.
One of his photos, “Anchovy Catching” in the Southeast Asian category, won the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year competition recently.
The image in the middle of the water shows a local fisherman along the coast of Hon Yen in Phu Yen Province during the high season.
The boat uses a large fishing net to catch the anchovies that swim in the sea currents. “Anchovies are the most important ingredient for preparing traditional Vietnamese fish sauce,” the photographer told CNN in Arabic, making the image appropriate for the contest’s theme, namely food.
His image combines various visual elements in one frame, such as the gray layer of smoke and green fishing nets, and the photographer believes that these combined elements paved the way for his image to win.
Ngoc pointed out that he was able to take this particular picture, after the boat had a small accident, explaining, “(The picture) was actually documenting an accident that occurred during the towing of the net, and when the boat’s engine was overloaded, a lot of smoke was emitted into the air. “.
Hon Yin is located in Tui An District, 17 km northeast of Tui Hua city centre, which is an attractive destination for tourists and photographers thanks to its quiet beaches, unique natural features, and beautiful shallow coral reefs scattered along the coast.
The photographer visited the shooting site more than 10 times during the 3 months in the peak fishing season in order to monitor the fishing activities.
The photographer stressed that the observation process is not easy, but requires “patience, and a little luck,” noting that “many days passed, during which I waited from early morning until sunset, during which I did not see any fishing boat for many reasons, such as the absence of anchovies fish. On that day, or as a result of bad weather, or the strength of the waves.”