BTVF: Who are you, Hiep Than Trong?
H.T.T.: I’m a self-taught photographer. I started about 15 years ago. My initial goal was to photograph my two sons, who had just started playing football, to leave them with memories. I almost exclusively photographed football for about 10 years until they stopped. Later, to step out of my comfort zone and continue with photography, I wanted to try other sports. I’ve since discovered between 15 and 20 other sports, including baseball.
BTVF: Sports photography requires numerous techniques and a sense of framing and timing. Tell us how you approach this art?
H.T.T.: Technically, photography isn’t difficult, at least not to learn how to take a sharp photo. But to create an original photo, to find unique frames, you need to be creative to always offer something new, and that’s what’s most challenging. Personally, after 15 years of photography, I’m still learning and I think I’ll never have enough of a lifetime for it.
BTVF: Baseball offers a wide range of possibilities for a photographer. How do you approach it?
H.T.T.: Indeed, some sports are more photogenic than others, and baseball is one of them. However, the most challenging aspect, for safety reasons, is being able to move around the field during the game to offer different angles. I try to manage during the game changes, but I might have found an alternative solution with a new 600mm telephoto lens to be further away from the action, but I haven’t had the chance to use it yet.
BTVF: The development of your photos is very refined and often gives the viewer a near-studio angle. What is your artistic approach?
H.T.T.: Indeed, I try to achieve the most aesthetic result possible. It’s another aspect of photography, namely software development. For me, the capture is just one step, even if some purists wrongly claim that a so-called ‘natural’ photo should not be retouched out of the camera, which is not the case at all. There are things to correct, but that’s another debate. In any case, through this means, I try to add a personal touch to personalize my photos as much as possible.
BTVF: What can we wish you?
H.T.T.: Right now, I’d say a permanent resumption of all professional and amateur sports at the start of the school year to continue taking sports photos as before, with the public also being part of my shots.
