Having an interest in flying camera (fly cam) techniques for many years, photographer Lam Tu Khoa is now the owner of numerous film strips and photos capturing the central and Central Highlands regions, particularly his Da Nang.

Lam Tu Khoa and his panorama taken by a fly cam

Khoa has had more than 20 years of experience working as a technician at the Viet Nam Television in Da Nang, his passion for photography and fly cam techniques started in the days when he joined his colleagues as they travelled everywhere for work. As a graduate from the electronics faculty, he likes exploring the structure of cameras and equipment related to filming. He decided to borrow the money to buy a camera and searched every corner of Da Nang to learn about photography. He also spent days rambling around the traditional festivals of Central Highlanders, where he produced many special photo collections.

At that time, he had to climb to the top of a building to take an aerial photo. He first discovered fly cam while watching a foreign film with a scene screened from above, intrigued he searched for the necessary equipment and technology, as he badly wanted to have a camera of this kind.

He bought his first fly cam four years ago when this kind of camera was still unknown in Viet Nam. He found that mastering the equipment required users to be swift handed and eagle eyed enough in order to seize the right frame and the right angle from above.

He quit his job at VTV in order to spend more time on his passion and his dream of travelling across the country to capture the beautiful, natural landscape of Viet Nam from above. He started by filming waves, fishermen, long beaches and landscapes in Da Nang beach, then travelling to Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Nha Trang and the Central Highlands provinces.

An overview of Co Tu people’s village in Nam Giang District, Quang Nam Province (Photo: Lam Tu Khoa)

Da Nang, in particular, is a dynamic city no matter whether it is observed from the sea or mountain view, according to Khoa. The makeover and development of modern Da Nang is the result of joint efforts of the city authorities and its people.

The sea is another highlight of Khoa’s photos. He said that the sea is a typical image in throughout Viet Nam’s central region. If a photo is taken from the ground, it can only capture a part of the beauty of the sea and ships. But if the angle of the view is heightened and widened, the ships, the fishermen and the sea will be brought to life. This is why his photos on them are often a combination of ships, sea, fishermen and fishing village.

While controlling the fly cam, he tries his best to capture the essence of the scene and people so that viewers can feel the movement, spirit and vitality of the subject in that moment. Each trip has brought him a different experience and feelings and helped him bring home stunning clips that truthfully capture the land and it’s people with a new aerial view.

The more he travels, the more he realises the charming beauty of his country. All of his photos and films aim to inspire people’s love of Viet Nam, while achieving daily changes in the country. The fatherland provides an endless source of inspiration for artists, and for Khoa in particular, he loves to admire his fatherland from above.

After years of travelling, Khoa wants to open a private museum of his own to introduce to the public the fruits of his work. Works on display at the museum will focus on the two themes of the Central Highlands and Da Nang. He is afraid that if they are not displayed, his clips and photos will be forgotten as time goes by. Life happens constantly, but in photographing and filming the same angle at different times can bring about different views.

Khoa also has plans to print 30 of his panorama photos on Da Nang onto cloth, so that tourists can wrap them and bring them home as a souvenir of their trip to the coastal city. He promised that the tourist product will be sold at very reasonable price.

The 64-year-old amateur photographer has nurtured in his heart an endless inspiration and passion for work. He never rejects any invitation for filming or photo shooting. As he explained, if a person wants to succeed at something he has to have passion for it, otherwise he will never reach his target.

(Source: NDO)