Snap happy: Children on Moc Chau Plateau, a photo by Nguyen Viet Thanh is one of 50 images on display at an exhibition in the US titled Charming Viet Nam.

HA NOI — Fifty photos depicting Viet Nam's countryside, people and culture have gone on display at an exhibition entitled Charming Viet Nam in the US.

The exhibition features photos taken over the last two years by Viet Nam News photographer Nguyen Viet Thanh and his friend Hoang Hai Thinh.

While Thanh focused on capturing scenes of daily life and people's emotions, Thinh is exhibiting wide-angle landscape shots. Together they have managed to portray the rich texture of Vietnamese culture.

The exhibition held during the opening of the Viet Nam Culture House in Houston.

Thanh, 42, is the first Vietnamese photographer to win the Golden Prize at the Asia Press Photo Contest. This is the fourth time he has had his work displayed in the US.

"My photography is simple, the combination of a good eye and a sensible approach," he said.

Meanwhile, in 2010, Thinh won the Best Culture Photo at the Garuda International Photo Contest in Indonesia.

Thanh and Thinh call themselves "photo friends" because they have spent a lot of time together and have similar views on photography.

Le Dzung, Vietnamese consul-general in Houston, said: "These pictures taken by two photographers have captured not only the beautiful images of the land, but also the spirit of its friendly, tradition-oriented and energetic people."

Before travelling to Houston, the photographers published a bilingual photo book in Viet Nam in which they present photos that are being displayed in the US with the same title as the exhibition. — VNS