"The border between art and obscenity is very thin in nude photos. If you can handle the concepts of truth, goodness and beauty, though, anyone can appreciate your idea. I'm happy that my works are welcomed by many people," he said.

Dinh travelled to Italy over the weekend 10-11 May, courtesy of the Italian Embassy to receive the top prize and cash award of 2,500 euros in an International Federation of Art Photographers (FIAP) competition in Italy, the 7th Giuliano Carrara contest. He also won a gold prize and a silver prize in another competition category.

Riccardo Busi, FIAP's general secretary, said 307 photos had been chosen from 3,986 entries from 1,043 photographers around the world.

Dinh, now 41, works out of a small studio and house located on a long winding alley behind Tan Mai Market in Bien Hoa city.

His photos are in various genres, but nudes are his strength.

Music and poetry, he says, are a source of inspiration, and when an idea emerges, he quickly finds a model to take preliminary shots.

Dinh's wife, who in the early period of his career modelled for trial shots, acts as his assistant.

Finding the right model is not easy, he says. She must be not only young, beautiful and sexy but also a good-hearted person, he adds.

One of his best models was found when she visited him for a portrait. Her eyes were sad, but her body full of life, he says.

The woman later became a model for many of the photos that have brought Thinh international acclaim.

"The Creator offers beauty, especially in women. So this is why I use women as models and I want to keep that most beautiful moment of youth," Dinh says.

In January 2006, Dinh's Giac Mo Chieu (The Afternoon Dream) won him the Asahi Shimbum gold medal. The photo has won medals in other international competitions as well, including the recent Italian contest.

The photo's image was taken from a poem by Ho Xuan Huong, a Vietnamese famous poetess in the 18th century known for her unconventional verse. The poem is about an alluring young girl sleeping in the afternoon and a gentleman passerby. In Dinh's photo, the man is represented by a cat.

Dinh graduated from the Dong Nai Fine Arts College. With more than 10 years earning a living as a designer and only five years of photography experience, he has won dozens of international awards.

Last year, his photo, Goi Huong Cho Gio (Fragrance in the Wind), won four awards, including the gold prize in a photo competition in HCM City, a gold prize in Austria, and a gold cup and gold prize in two international competitions based in Hong Kong.

This article appeared on www.vietnamnews.vnanet.vn

May 20, 2008

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