In focus: The black and white photo Ngong Me (Waiting for Mother) won Le Hong Linh from HCM City, a member of the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists, the gold trophy at the international photo contest hosted in 2009 by the Chinese Photographic Association of Hong Kong (YMCAPS) under the sponsorship of the USA Photographic Association.

HA NOI (VNS)— Vietnamese photographers are celebrating the 60th anniversary of national Photography Day.

Artists should work on their techniques and get closer to reality so they can capture the country's integration and development progress, said Vu Quoc Khanh, president of the Viet Nam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA) yesterday at a ceremony to mark the occasion.

On March 15, 1953, President Ho Chi Minh signed a decree to set up the National Photography and Cinema Enterprise in Thai Nguyen Province. The enterprise grew quickly and paved the way for the development of the country's photography industry.

Photographers struggled during the wars to show the world the country's plight against the French and American invaders. Their contribution helped the Government and Communist Party to gain international support that ultimately led to victory. A total of 47 Vietnamese photographers lost their lives during the war with the US.

According to Khanh, despite the fast development of the industry in modern times, the most famous photos in the country were those taken during the war and the revolution, some of which have won prestigious international prizes.

Like their colleagues in the cinema industry, many of the most outstanding photographers of the last 25 years did their apprenticeship on the front during the American War, working side by side with first-generation war photographers.

Today, images captured by Le Minh Truong, Vu Ba, Dinh Ngoc Thong, Van Bao, Mai Nam and Nguyen Huu Thong are cherished as an important part of Vietnamese heritage.

The VAPA was set up in Ha Noi in 1965 to promote photographic creativity, theory, criticism and training in support of the revolutionary struggle and in line with socialist ideology.

The association's membership has increased rapidly, from 51 people at the beginning to 920 members today. Since 1987, a year after the beginning of the renewal process, countless photos contests and exhibitions have been organised in Viet Nam to encourage artistic creativity. Now a fully-fledged member of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), the association runs numerous short training courses and has achieved international fame. — VNS