More than Meets the Eye: What’s Behind APEC’s Most Popular Photo of 2024

Do Ba Hung shares the technique and inspirations that led to his photo becoming the most liked on Instagram in this year's APEC Photo Contest.

"Do something different and unexpected." This philosophy has been guiding Do Ba Hung, the Vietnamese photography enthusiast that earned him both this year's coveted Popular Choice Award and the Influencer Award-titles that APEC grants to the photo contest finalist that garnered the most likes on Instagram.

Hung's winning shot features an ascending airplane reflected on the delicate, curved surface of an onlooker's eye, with light blue tones mirroring the sky above. "I wanted to play with multiple contrasts: still versus moving, small against large," he explained. "This gives it depth and character for a stronger impact."

Hung's photo is more than just interesting. It also serves as a gentle reminder of how vast the sky is. Its calming blue color invites people to reflect on a visual story about seeing something bigger than ourselves. In many ways, it mirrors Hung's own photography journey.

An ongoing exploration
Starting five years ago, Hung first set his eyes on his lens when he captured photos of his children. "Taking photos was how I immortalized key moments in time as they grew up," he shared. "Photography became a bonding opportunity."

Balancing photography and family with his main work in logistics, however, has been a constant challenge. "It's not easy," he said. His already limited time was further cut by travelling to different places. Once at a location, he often has fewer opportunities to wait for the perfect moment, unlike professional photographers who can camp out and stay for as long as they need.

"There were moments when I felt frustrated trying to perfect my composition with such limited time, but each challenge became a lesson that pushed me forward," he shared.

Learning photography techniques was equally time consuming, but Hung persevered by watching video tutorials and reading through articles and tips that he could find through internet search. He also practiced by taking photos during his break time at work, something that occasionally led to an award as he actively joined contests. "Doing something unexpected from a non-creative space also helps to broaden my perspective," he reflected. "Even now, I continue to explore and figure out my style."

A simple trick
Hung's winning shot is a product of his ongoing explorations of different photography techniques like landscapes, portraits and streetlight. How his photo came to be, however, was rather surprising.

"It's not photoshopped or AI-made," he clarified, adding that professional competitions normally verify this by checking the raw files. "It took me countless shots for more than two hours just to get the right composition I was satisfied with," he added further.

What Hung did was to employ a technique called macrophotography, which allows photographers to capture detailed close-ups of very small subjects to make them appear larger. "Since it's difficult to time an ascending plane, what I did instead was to employ a simple trick. I used a video of an airplane and showed it on television, which was then reflected on the eye - my wife's eye," he enthusiastically narrated.

Unexpected
"I was truly surprised," Hung said when asked about what he felt upon hearing that he won this year's Popular Award and Influencer Choice Award. As a private person, he normally keeps his photo collections only on his private social media account which can only be accessed by his family, relatives and friends.

He, however, saw this unexpected blessing as an opportunity and inspirational push to further broaden and develop his photography skills. "I'm looking into capturing daily life or maybe even policy and politics, challenging myself to capture these subjects creatively," he said. His approach, whether through his technical experimentation or exploration of new subjects, reflects his ongoing journey of growth in photography.

Hung's story of balancing the many struggles that hobbyists and enthusiasts face is a reminder that creativity and perseverance can lead to unexpected rewards, no matter where you start. Hung's message to his peers is clear and simple: "Stay long to capture the best moment."

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_{Out of a total of 1,800 photos from 17 different economies, the images submitted to the APEC Photo Contest illustrate the region's journey toward sustainable and clean energy for a brighter and prosperous future. The entries reflect the public's interpretation of the APEC Peru 2024 theme of "Empower. Include. Grow." and the policy priorities focusing on trade and investment for inclusive growth, digital innovation, and sustainable and resilient development.}

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