(VOVWORLD) - Nguyen Linh Vinh Quoc, who has never undergone any formal training in photography, has won numerous photography awards domestically and internationally. His photos are mainly about the culture and environment of the Central Highlands.
 Photographer Nguyen Linh Vinh Quoc during a tour of Ia Mo Nong commune, Chu Pah district, Gia Lai province. (Photo: Ngoc Anh/ VOV5) |
“When I was little, I went to school with friends from the Jrai and Ba Na ethnic group, so I’ve always been deeply connected to the culture and life of the Central Highlands. I’ve never been formally trained in photography, but I’ve been practicing it for nearly 30 years. I grew grew up in Pleiku City and the culture and people here have become a part of me. My photos authentically capture the life and culture of Central Highlanders,” said photographer Nguyen Linh Vinh Quoc.
Quoc was born in 1971 and now lives in Gia Lai province. He has received a number of photography awards during his three-decade career.
In March 2021, Quoc won a gold prize in the photography and storytelling contest “Women in the face of storms” jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Vietnam Women’s Union, and UN Women. The photo depicts a Jrai woman carrying her sleeping child on her back while bravely steering a raft across the Ayun river during a dangerous flood.
 Nguyen Linh Vinh Quoc’s prize winning photo “Hopeful eyes.” (Photo courtesy of Nguyen Linh Vinh Quoc) |
In October, 2017, Quoc won first prize at the 2017 International Photo Contest on the Environment with a photo taken in a landfill in the Central Highland province of Kon Tum. The photo is a poignant image of a girl who is following her mother to pick through the waste for things to use or sell. With a happy face, she looks up at the dark clouds. The girl’s eyes are filled with hope for a better future.
“I was most impressed by this photograph. I’ve also received many other awards, including a national consolation prize in 2014, and a national silver medal in 2020. Central Highlands culture is part of me, so I want to contribute to its preservation,” said Quoc.
Quoc has contributed significantly to promoting tourism in Gia Lai province. He has been instrumental in introducing many groups of domestic and international photographers to Jrai ethnic villages in Ia Mo Nong commune, where they engage in both photography and experiential tourism.
“Photographer Vinh Quoc taught the locals how to develop community tourism and has organized tours to boost their income. He can speak the Jrai language and has a deep understanding of Jrai culture,” H' Uyen Nie, deputy head of the Community Tourism Management Board of Kep village, Ia Mo Nong commune, said.