“The Shadow” by Cao Ky Nhan was taken in January 2020 on Hon Ba Islet of southern Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province.
“From above, the people’s silhouettes seem to pour into the sand,” Nhan said about his shot, adding if he won the contest, he would spend half of his prize money to help those suffering from the epidemic and natural disasters in Vietnam.
According to Agora, the 50 finalist photos in the #BestPhotoOf2020 contest were selected from over 35,000 submissions and are now competing for the grand prize of $25,000, which will be awarded to the image having the highest number of votes from platform users worldwide. Photo courtesy of Agora/Cao Ky Nhan.

Photographer Nguyen Ngoc Hoa captured the moment Vietnamese farmers harvest sedge, which is later used to weave mats. Photo courtesy of Agora/Nguyen Ngoc Hoa.

A woman wearing an ao dai and walking on a paddy field of central Quang Ngai Province was captured by photographer Duy Sinh. According to Sinh, portraits with ao dai are usually only taken with a terrestrial camera, but using a drone showed a different, broader, and wider view of the vast meadows. Photo courtesy of Agora/Duy Sinh.

“Smile of Mom” by Manh Cuong Vuong in central Khanh Hoa Province. The photographer took part in a community project, which captured people in need, printed and sent their portraits to them to give them a belief and joy in life.
“This woman was extremely happy to be photographed for the first time. If not also a little embarrassed, it was a special moment for me, as it is for her. Through the pictures we know, happiness often comes from very simple things. Everyone’s happiness is different,” Vuong recalled. Photo courtesy of Agora/Manh Cuong Vuong.

Early November, Agora also revealed the best animal photos of its users in the #Animal2020 contest, including one taken in central Quang Binh Province by Nate Pham. Organized by Agora, a platform for photography lovers worldwide, these contests have attracted dozens of thousands of participants worldwide. Photo by Agora/Nate Pham.