The decisive moment…

This is a proud recognition for Ta Hai after the "moments" that he devoted himself to searching, waiting and dedicating.

“Someone once said: The suffering of the photographer is to be proud of a result that is never real, the reporter creates a situation on purpose, then the value is not as good as an ID photo, because at least it has one thing present, which is authenticity, instead of those arrangements and setups. Is this statement a bit too much when talking about press photography, sir?”

“It’s not an exaggeration at all, for photojournalists like us, the moment is decisive. That moment happens when visual elements and real-life emotional expressions simultaneously occur “unexpectedly” and “quickly”, creating a perfect synthesis to express the “essence” and “soul” of a situation. It’s a moment that cannot be recovered once it’s passed. Photojournalists must be present at the scene, searching, using skills and experience to “capture” those moments.”

And that's how our story begins…

Author Ta Hai received the Gold Award in the Social Life Category at the 2022 "Press Moments" Awards Ceremony.

6 days 5 nights on the big construction site

After nearly 50 years of national reunification, for the first time, a highway running across the country is being invested in and built. The aspiration of having 5,000km of highway by 2030, set by the 13th National Party Congress, is being realized day and night by workers and engineers in the transport sector, and the shape of the highway is gradually taking shape.

Carrying their backpacks on the road in mid-May 2022 in the hot and humid sun with the directive of the Giao Thong Newspaper Editorial Board: "If you cannot find a new perspective, a good story about real people, real events, don't go home" , Ta Hai and his colleagues understood that this was a mission, but also an opportunity to immerse themselves in the lives of "road workers" - hard-working and diligent workers alongside heavy machinery and equipment - they may be forgotten by the stormy development of high technology .

Ta Hai said, from the center of the capital, after more than 2 hours traveling by bus to Doc Xay ( Thanh Hoa ), another 10 minutes following the shortcut leading to the construction site of the Mai Son - QL45 component project, appearing before their eyes was a straight road that had taken shape, no longer the desolate fields and dense forests like two years before.

“In front of us was a long line of road rollers, one after another, compacting the top layer of crushed stone. Each vehicle operated as if pre-programmed, moving forward and backward like a shuttle. A driver with dark skin and cotton-covered ears got out of the vehicle. The image left a deep impression on me,” said Ta Hai.

Talking to the roller drivers, Ta Hai learned that the men who have been driving rollers for a long time and sitting on the rollers at this construction site will most likely be hard of hearing and suffer from many other diseases, from mild neck and shoulder pain to severe kidney disease and spinal degeneration. These are all endemic diseases of the roller driving profession, also known by the more beautiful name of "earth compactor" operating engineers. And yes, the increasingly long straight roads are the imprint of years of hard work of the engineers operating those "earth compactors" .

For 6 days and 5 nights, photojournalist Ta Hai "went with" - ate, slept and worked with the "road workers" on large construction sites from North to South, and the sound of machines was bustling day and night.

“Each kilometer of road is not only made with sweat and tears, but also with the dedication of youth, the hidden personal happiness of thousands of cadres, engineers, workers, and laborers in the transport industry… I feel that very clearly and want to express that emotion through each photo” - Ta Hai expressed.

“Hello, is it safe?”, “Is it safe?”, “3…2…1… bang… bang”, the sound of mines exploding tore through the night as if it wanted to burst the chests of the people nearby. That is the atmosphere that takes place every day at Thung Thi tunnel - the largest tunnel project and one of the most important items of the North-South expressway section Mai Son - QL45” - also the precious moments captured by Ta Hai in his photos sent to the “Journalism Moments” photo contest of the Journalist & Public Opinion newspaper…

When the “moment” comes to “The Moment”

Until now, when telling the story to me, photojournalist Ta Hai still shivers many times, his emotions are as emotional as when working that night. To ensure safety, the construction unit required Ta Hai to work 500m away from the blasting site. It was the first time he witnessed the preparation for blasting to clear the mountain. "The emotions at that time were hard to describe, I looked around, carefully adjusted the tripod. And started waiting for the "moment" to come and press the shutter" - Ta Hai shared.

The North-South Expressway construction site with a series of tunnels through mountains that have been dug and are being opened not only helps the expressway have an optimal route but also makes the country's vital highway more majestic. To increase the construction output day by day, the construction at Truong Vinh Tunnel and other tunnels through mountains is often carried out at night.

The night blasting work was carried out meticulously, ensuring absolute safety - a photo in the award-winning photo series.

Many people think that capturing moments in this story or that event will be easier if the camera has a high “fps” (frame per second)… However, for photojournalists like Ta Hai, they come to the scene with the spirit of bringing the most authentic images but must also convey the most authentic emotions, so “fps” is just a tool.

A series of photos taken like a machine gun can sometimes be useful and increase the chance of capturing the so-called “right moment” photos, but the excitement that the photographer gets when observing a moment, calculating its rhythm, relying on their instincts, holding their breath, waiting, deciding when to press the shutter… and then bursting into tears when seeing the finished product is priceless. “It is truly priceless because it is an experience that any true photojournalist wants to experience in their life. And the happiness is multiplied many times when the works, the moments that I have been searching for, waiting for, and longing for are honored at a Photo Award - a rare playground for photojournalists in the country - the “Journalism Moment” Award - Ta Hai said.

The days of working under the hot, scorching sun on the construction site mixed with the smell of asphalt, the nights sleeping on beds in temporary camps, covered with mosquito nets, and hasty meals with road workers on the route from Ninh Binh to the end of Nghe An have become unforgettable memories for Ta Hai.

Don McCullin - a famous British photojournalist once said: "Photography is not about seeing, but about feeling. If you can't feel what you're seeing, you won't be able to make the viewer feel anything when they look at your photos." Ta Hai, after days and nights of seeing and feeling the images and stories at the North - South construction site, is now standing on the podium to receive the Gold Award. When the "moment" he devoted himself to bringing to readers was recognized and awarded by "Press Moment " - that was also a "moment" of glory, pride and worth for photojournalists like Ta Hai with their dedication and desire to conquer difficulties, go to the most dangerous places to capture the most valuable moments.

Hoa Giang

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/khoanh-khac-quyet-dinh-post278841.html