The contest received a total of 8,545 pictures from 1,275 photographers from 47 countries and territories around the world. Of the photos, 6,515 were sent by Vietnamese photographers.

The photo named Mua Lu (Flood) of Ngo Viet Ngoc (Vietnam) won the Gold Medal of the Vietnam Artistic Photographers Association (VAPA).

Ngoc said that he was extremely surprised and happy to win the Gold Medal, the highest from the VAPA.

Flood was shot in Tay Nguyen’s (Central Highlands) Kon Tum Province in a rainy day when he took part in a photo camp held by Tien Giang Province’s photographers association.

"The rain was pouring down, and it quickly flooded a large section of the road. I saw some farmers on their carts crossing through the water. I myself experienced a terrible flood in 1978, so my emotions were deep and I shot continuously despite the rain and strong winds," Ngoc said.

Flood shows the daily life of Vietnamese farmers, their hardships and their strengths in overcoming difficulties.

"The harmony between content and expression gives the work its artistic value," said Chu Chi Thanh, Head of the contest’s jury board.

Ngoc is now a photographer in Tien Giang. He became a member of the province’s association thanks to his photo Children in a Flooded Area.

"Another picture with the same theme helped me gain access to VAPA. There seems be a link between my career and my passion with floods," Ngoc said.

Besides a set of awards given by VAPA, the contest had another set that was given out by the International Artistic Photography Federation (FIAP).

Jan Cawley, a UK photographer, with his work Wintry Wood, was chosen for the gold medal, given by FIAP.

Jan said, "I was completely amazed to have been awarded the gold medal. It is my first gold medal and I am very honoured to have my image chosen for it."

He said that he took the photograph in Sweden while visiting his son. "It was early one morning when the temperature was minus 8ºC. I saw that some of the trees in the snow still had some colour in the leaves. I took the photograph very quickly," Jan said.

Wintry Wood features a forest of yellow-leaf trees on a snowy day. Snow covers the trees, and some leaves have fallen down to the snow. The colour yellow pops off the background of white snow.

The landscape presented in the picture is still in motion, which makes viewers feel that both the snow and leaves are gently falling along the landscape.

Sharing the same winter theme, Cold Winter Day from Bosnia and Herzegovina was given the silver medal from FIAP. Its focus is on stalactite-like ice formations.

Photographer Le Hong Linh said that he liked this work most because of the luxurious grey colour, the unique way of expression and the artist’s special techniques.

The contrast between clear huge icicles with dim, small people behind them stayed in his mind, inspiring a closer look to discover deeper abstract feelings, he added.

To some extent, participating foreign photographers’ works were more diverse and sophisticated in expression, affirming the artists’ typical styles, creativity and techniques, while Vietnamese photographers mostly went about capturing scenes of life and humanity, according to Linh.

The 32 works selected for awards by FIAP and MOCST are good and vivid photos; they have aesthetic value, social meaning and profound emotion, according to Thanh, who is VAPA chairman.

"This proves that international and Vietnamese photographers have created their works based on the principles of peace, friendship and understanding among nations," he added.

"I hope the exhibition will give artistic photography lovers a great chance to see great moments of life, nature, human feelings and the techniques of talent photographers as well," said David Tay Poey Cher, representative of FIAP.

Seven Vietnamese photographers will be honoured and given medals/certificates together with foreign ones at the exhibition, where the works are being displayed.

As many as 342 photos selected from the contest, including the award-wining ones, will be displayed in Hanoi until November 7.