A lack of skills and creativity are resulting in dull photos with nothing to say

Picture perfect: Pink Choice by Maika Elan won the World Press Photo prize in the contemporary issues category.

HA NOI (VNS)— The Viet Nam Journalists' Association has been called on to organise more photography training courses under the instruction of domestic and international professionals with a view to improving standards.

The call came at a seminar focusing on problems and solutions to press photography, co-organised yesterday by the Viet Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations' Centre for Development Communication Study and British embassy in Ha Noi.

Viet Nam's press photos lacked professionalism, said veteran photographer and photography critic Vu Huyen at the seminar.

He said professionalism must be seen through the prism of training and employment of press photographers and the subsequent use of their photos.

"Press photos are an independent type of journalism," he said.

Viet Van, from Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper, said Vietnamese photographer Maika Elan's recent first prize at the 2013 World Press Photo for contemporary issues was only an individual success.

He said press photographers were taking uninteresting photos which did not say anything, lacked information.

However, it was difficult for Vietnamese photographers to express their skills because they had to cover so many fields: culture, art, sport and politics.

Ngo Huy Toan, inspector from the Ministry of Information and Communication, said the use of private images in press products was necessary to make them more interesting. However, one must be careful to use private images in accordance with legislation.

The participants agreed that press photos should not just be seen as illustrations. — VNS