Running shows continuously
Recorded during the peak days of the Lunar New Year, the spring travel atmosphere in the Mekong Delta capital became bustling. At locations such as Ninh Kieu wharf, Can Tho flower street, Truc Lam Phuong Nam Zen Monastery..., crowds of people flocked to visit and take photos to preserve the first frames of the new year. This bustling atmosphere has created a vibrant service market, in which the hired photography profession has become in high demand.
Mr. Nguyen Hai Nam (a freelance photographer at Ninh Kieu wharf) shared that from the beginning of December to the beginning of the lunar month, he almost has no time to rest.
My schedule is full from early morning until late afternoon. The peak is early morning, when the weather is cool. But there are also days when I have to expose myself to the sun for 3-4 hours continuously to serve customers," Mr. Nam said.
Not far from there, Mr. Tuan Kiet (freelance photographer at Can Tho Flower Street), said that despite the hot sun, the number of customers flocking to the flower street is increasing day by day. His customers are usually family groups. With prices ranging from 300,000 VND to more than 1 million VND depending on the shooting package, this is truly the busiest business season of the year for Mr. Kiet and his colleagues.
Not only photographers are busy, many tourists are also willing to spend money to have a satisfactory spring travel photo set.
Posing with her family next to the miniatures at the flower street, Ms. Le Thi Thanh Thao (Ninh Kieu ward, Can Tho city) said: "Hiring a professional photographer will make the camera angle more beautiful, and you will also be guided on how to pose. Although standing in the sun is a bit tiring and costs an extra fee, but in return having quality souvenir photos, I think it's worth it," Ms. Thao shared.
Income is the motivation to stick to the profession
Although the job requires perseverance and hard work in harsh weather, stable and increased income during Tet is the motivation for photographers to stick with the profession.
According to Mr. Kiet's estimates, with the increasing demand during the Tet season, every day, after deducting all expenses, he can pocket the amount of money equal to a week of working in a normal day. But along with the attractive income is the pressure of photo return time. To maintain prestige and compete with instant services, he often has to take advantage of the evening to process post-production, ensuring that customers have spring travel photos as soon as possible posted on social networks.
Similarly, Mr. Nam also believes that the photography profession today is facing fierce competition. Besides traditional photographers, this year many groups of young people have appeared providing photography services with phones or instant film cameras, serving the needs of young people for speed, neatness, and speed.
Customers are crowded, but there are also many workers. To survive, I not only have to be quick-handed and sharp-eyed to find a beautiful shooting angle, but also have to compete with photo quality and service attitude. Just being slow or lacking enthusiasm, customers will immediately choose a colleague's camera next to them," Mr. Nam shared.
