Vietnamese photographer snaps unreal beauty in real life

Beng’s shot of two fishermen with shoulder poles and nets walking against the backdrop of a blue and yellow sky that’s reflected in the seawater they are treading has been selected 25th among top 50 shots with the potential to inspire travel to the places where they were taken.

Beng’s photo was taken in the coastal area of Thai Binh Province as the fishermen went inland to take shelter from an approaching storm.

A photo taken by Vietnamese photographer Nguyen Beng captures fishermen shouldering poles and nets as they wade inland to shelter from an approaching storm in Thai Binh Province, northern Vietnam.

The coastal area, around two hours drive from Hanoi, is a part of the Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO in 2004 as a haven for 78 species of water birds and roughly 30 species of mangrove.

Wet rice cultivation and fishing have been livelihood mainstays in the province for hundreds of years.

The top 50 inspiring shots were selected from 800,000 submissions from photographers across the world and posted on Your Shot Photo Community.

"These images evoke wonder and surprise about our world, from India to Iceland," said National Geographic Travel photo editor Brendan McCabe. "The photos we selected convey a sense of place by combining color, composition, and surprising locations to elicit an emotion."

A photo taken by Australian-based photographer Daniel Suarez of a female tourist swimming with dolphins in the turquoise waters of Mauritius topped the list.

Other top entries included the star-streaked, 106-foot-high statue of Jampa Buddha sitting atop the Diskit monastery in India, thick fog on the Hokkaido Mountain in Japan and the Lau Pa Sat food market in Singapore.

Many Vietnamese photographers have of late made a name for themselves with their works frequently honored by NatGeo editors.

Last year, a photo taken by Tran Tuan Viet of a Buddhist ritual was selected among 70 best shots of the year by NatGeo.