LookAtVietnam Bridge – Not until he was 50 years of age did he discover photography.  But Bui Van Chung quickly found his place as the discoverer of children’s beauty. 

A photo with Silver Medal at FIAP (Croatia), a Honor Medal at FIAP (France), and Youth Medal (Portugal) (source: vietnamculture.vn)

Four major prizes and 11 works taking part in international exhibitions in 2006 testify to Van Chung’s talents.  As a doctor working at the Kien Giang Province Department of Health Services, daily work almost keeps him locked him inside the four walls.  But without much time to look for subject matter as well as lacking professional knowledge of photography, Van Chung has still succeeded in capturing the golden moments of childhood.   

Young in the profession, Van Chung always brings new things into his works.  He can’t approach childhood from a wide variety of angles like other photographers, but working in a hospital where every minute he witnesses a child struggling against death, he looks at children in the subtle and profound way of a doctor.   

With the whole heart (photo: Van Chung)

Perhaps it is a doctor’s love for children that urged him to record the images of naked country children washing in the stream in “summer moments”, or of premature infants quietly fighting for life in electric heaters in “with all the heart.”   

Van Chung is a sensitive photographer, which was reflected most clearly in a work titled “Childhood.”  This photo was taken by chance at a party the Department of Health Services organised for children of people working in the department.  According to Mr. Chung, the children gathered in a conference room, and were told to sit in the back rows. Suddenly, a tiny child in the last row craned his neck to see what was happening on the stage.  Van Chung took a snapshot of it.   

When enlarging the picture, he saw the child’s twinkling eyes and perfectly round “sweet” corner of the mouth, which tempted him to send it to photo contests.  It brought him 3 international prizes: the silver medal at FIAP in Croatia, the honour prize at FIAP in France and the Youth Prize in Portugal. 

To us all, Van Chung’s photos are indeed warm-hearted reminders of childhood and children. 

Source:  Tien Phong