“A Good Day's Catch”
Location: Vietnam
Date: March 2025
Photographer: John Butterfield
Affiliation: Alumni
Home Country: United States
Category: People
Award: Honorable Mention
2025 International Photography Exhibition
“This photograph was taken near Nha Trang, a coastal resort city in southern Vietnam. I traveled with a guide by motor bike about 30 minutes north of the city to an area that was formerly a thriving commercial fishing center. When we arrived in the late afternoon, there were only a few locals fishing, and my prospects for a photograph didn't look promising. Then two fishermen pulled their small basket boats to shore and began unloading their gear and catch for the day. One ran passed me and buried his bait in the sand. My guide approached him and asked if I could take his picture. He beamed with pride. I took several shots of him with his boat and fish. This photograph was my final one. The diffused light created a special glow on his wrinkled, bronzed face that showed the effects of the sun and wind from his life at sea. But it's his eyes and subtle smile that for me covey the satisfaction he felt of a good catch and the joy he derives from his life as a fisherman.”