Shot of bamboo fishing baskets nets international merit award

The striking photograph by Ly Hoang Long was taken as a resident of Tat Vien Village, Tien Lu District, Hung Yen Province, crossed a bridge with a bicycle carrying several dozens of the bamboo fishing baskets.

Photo by Ly Hoang Long

A photo description on the contest's website notes that after the rice crop is harvested, farmers in Tat Vien Village in the northern province spend their spare time to knit bamboo baskets for fishing. It is a traditional craft preserved through many generations. The baskets are then loaded on to a bicycle for sale in surrounding areas.

The village is in Thu Si, a poor commune, around two hours from Hanoi. The commune is home to around 500 craftsmen who make the traditional bamboo fishing baskets.

The baskets have a tubular shape with two ends tied with knots. They are used to catch fish and shrimp in shallow waters of slow streams and rivers. People place the traps with the open end facing upstream and wait until fish swim into the baskets.

All About Photo, an online magazine dedicated to showcasing the work of photographers around the world, received thousands of entries for the Travel Photos of the Year contest that was judged by a panel of 10 experts.

The first prize with a $500 cash prize went to Russian photographer Yulia Nevskaya for a shot featuring a family of small indigenous people far north of the country.