Vietnamese gay photo wins world press photo award

After many years of absence from the world's leading photojournalism contest, on February 15, Vietnam received good news when female photographer Maika Elan, real name Nguyen Thanh Hai (Hanoi) won first prize in the "Contemporary Issues" category at the 2012 World Press Photo contest.

Female photographer Nguyen Thanh Hai and the character in the photo series The Pink Choice at an exhibition

The award-winning photo series by female photographer Nguyen Thanh Hai, titled The Pink Choice, introduces the private lives of homosexuals in Vietnam. The series was first introduced to the public at an exhibition in Hanoi in November 2012 and received many positive responses for approaching a sensitive issue in a very romantic, sympathetic and sharing way. Along with Nguyen Thanh Hai, Swedish photographer Paul Hansen was awarded the 2012 World Press Photo award for his photo of two Palestinian children killed in an airstrike in Gaza.

According to (vnmedia.vn) - HL