Her newly released photo book Source of Life is a curated collection of her most memorable encounters with the sun - spanning more than a decade. Each image in the book was captured not through meticulous planning, but in moments of serendipity and soul connection.

Thao’s journey has taken her from dense forests to vast oceans, bustling cities to untouched wilderness, and even into the deepest corners of her inner world.

“The sunlight doesn’t just illuminate - it pierces into the stillest places in our hearts, carrying with it life and healing,” she shared.

She now holds over 10,000 photographs of the sun. But for her, the art of “sun hunting” isn’t about the volume - it’s about presence.

“This journey taught me patience, gratitude, and how to let go,” Thao reflected. “Maybe I can’t keep the moment forever, but I can hold on to the emotion it gave me.”

Her photographs, she explained, are emotional imprints - sun-soaked expressions she wishes to share with others through the quiet language of light.

A decade of meditative dialogue with light

For Thao, photographing the sun is more than capturing a sunrise or sunset - it’s a ritual of listening to nature.

“After ten years, I still believe that the most beautiful moments in life are those lit by the light of destiny,” she said.

The images in Source of Life are not staged or manipulated. They are spontaneous meetings - when the sun appears just as the camera, the moment, and her spirit are ready.

Colonel Doan Hoai Trung, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Photographers Association, sees her use of light as something more than technique.

“In Thao’s work, light becomes the soul’s voice,” he remarked.

Rather than seeking grandeur or spectacle, she captures beauty in stillness - in fleeting, fragile gifts from the sky. These are moments that only those with a loving eye and a sensitive heart can recognize, let alone preserve.

Among her works, Five-Colored Clouds moved Doan Hoai Trung the most. He was touched by her intuitive grasp of beauty and the rare emotional sensitivity required to capture such a moment.

In one photo, a split-second vision of ethereal, prismatic clouds was immortalized by Thao’s lens - inviting viewers to witness the sacred wonder of nature and the deep stirrings it evokes in the human spirit.

A book that speaks across generations

Nguyen Thien Nhan, former Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, praised Thao’s decision to turn her photography into a book.

“What touched me was how people of all ages and backgrounds could talk about the sky, about sunrise and sunset, about love, joy, and the little surprises of life beneath the sun,” he said.

“I believe Thao’s book will inspire vitality in us all - whether we’re in our twenties, forties, sixties, or even eighties. Who knows? After reading it, we may all feel like living just a little longer.”

All proceeds from book sales between November 28 and 30 will be donated by Thao to support Central Vietnamese communities recovering from recent floods.

Selected sun photos from the Source of Life collection:

Tuan Chieu