The Story Behind the Shot: My Journey to National Geographic

On February 2017, I received an email that made my heart stop. The subject line read: “National Geographic Magazine photo permission.” After dozens of emails back and forth with the editors, my photograph of decoratively dyed incense bundles drying in a courtyard was officially selected to be published in the magazine. It was a massive milestone for my photography career. Since then, many people have asked me about the story behind this image. So, I want to pull back the curtain and share exactly how this photo came to be, using the 5W1H method: What, Why, When, Where, Who, and How.

A Hallmark of Heritage

The photograph features decoratively dyed bundles of incense drying in a sprawling courtyard in Vietnam. To the untrained eye, it looks like a vibrant field of crimson flowers, but these are actually bamboo sticks tightly bound together. This aromatic material is deeply ingrained in Vietnamese culture, burned to mark significant life events and connect the living with the spirit realm—a tradition that has endured for thousands of years.

I wanted to capture this scene because incense is an intrinsic part of the Vietnamese soul. Red incense is used by almost every family in Vietnam during all the major milestones of life: from births and weddings all the way to our final moments, where we burn it to pray for departed souls.

Interestingly, while many associate incense strictly with Buddhism (which makes up about 13.3% of the population), it is just as vital to the irreligious and those who practice Vietnamese folk religion, who make up the vast majority (around 76.5%) of the country. I wanted to capture a visual representation of this shared spiritual thread.

A Race Against the Rain

The image was taken in Quang Phu Cau, one of the oldest and longest-standing traditional villages dedicated to incense making in Hanoi. At the time, it was a quiet, working village. Today, it’s a completely different story. After my photo went viral globally via National Geographic, Quang Phu Cau became world-famous. Now, photographers and Instagrammers from all over the world travel there just to capture the vibrant red courtyards.

The magic happened on a cloudy afternoon in December 2016. A friend and I were visiting the village just as the weather began to turn. Because it was about to rain, the workers frantically started collecting the bundles of incense sticks to move them safely indoors. This overcast, urgent atmosphere is actually the secret to the photo’s lighting—because the sky was heavy with clouds, the lighting was completely even, casting no harsh sunlight or deep shadows across the vivid red bundles.

Capturing the Moment

The main subject of the photo is a woman standing amidst the sea of red. At the time I pressed the shutter, I didn’t even know her name. It was only much later, after the photo was published and I traveled back to the village to find the people in my image, that I learned she was Mrs. Lien.

Getting the shot wasn’t easy. I was shooting with a Canon EOS 1Dx paired with a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II lens. At first, the workers outright refused to let me photograph them. Because of my large, professional-looking camera, they mistook me for a photojournalist investigating pollution—a sensitive issue the village was facing at the time due to the incense production process.

Once I finally gained their trust, I had to figure out my composition. I wanted a higher point of view to truly capture the scale of the bundles, so I climbed up and stood on a cart that the workers used to transport the incense. Shooting at f/2.8, I clicked the shutter over 200 times as Mrs. Lien worked. Suddenly, everything aligned perfectly. I realized I had the shot, and I stopped.

I eventually uploaded that final, perfect image to Nat Geo Your Shot, National Geographic’s photo community. From there, the journey was surreal. It was chosen for the “Daily Dozen,” voted the best photo of the day out of those 12, and subsequently featured as the official Photo of the Day on the National Geographic website. Ultimately, it found its way onto the printed pages of National Geographic Magazine.

View more:

Incense Image, Vietnam – Photo of the Day on National Geographic

Incense Image, The Most Stunning Visions of Earth – National Geographic

A Global Milestone: Smithsonian Magazine Winner

The journey of this image reached a prestigious peak in 2017, when it was named the Winner of the Travel Category in the 15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest.

Out of nearly fifty thousands of entries from photographers around the world, this vibrant glimpse into the heart of Quang Phu Cau resonated with the judges for its symmetry and cultural soul. Having this tribute to Vietnamese craftsmanship recognized by such an iconic institution remains one of the proudest moments of my career, proving that our local traditions have a beauty that speaks a universal language.

Photography is about more than just pressing a button; it’s about preserving culture, understanding your environment, and sometimes, balancing on a transport cart just to get the perfect angle.

“Making Incense” on 15th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest