Vietnamese lenswoman wins $15,000 prize in international contest with water lily photo

Taken in Moc Hoa District in Long An Province last October, the photo shows two women wading in a pond and picking white and magenta water lilies.

Two women wade in a pond and pick white and magenta water lilies in Moc Hoa District, Long An Province. Photo by Khanh Phan

"They have worked as pickers for many years, having learned the craft from their mothers and grandmothers," Khanh said.

The photo came in for high praise from the contest judges.

"A near-perfect color scheme with lovely waves of flowers moving across the frame, this beautiful image is so well composed and balanced, and brings a sense of beauty and calmness," Anne Farrar, one of them, said.

Water lilies, which blossom during the rainy season, are used for decoration and to make tea. Their stalks can be eaten raw with fermented paste or braised sauce or cooked in sour soups and hotpots.

They fetch local people an additional income, especially during the flooding season which peaks annually in October.

Organized by SkyPixel, one of the world’s most popular aerial photography communities, and technology company DJI, this year’s contest received over 65,000 submissions.