TITLE: The streets of Hoi An

The river runs through the city of Hoi An in central Vietnam. A thoroughfare, a centrepiece. Connecting and dividing. The young boatman picks up a lantern from his young daughter and sets it on the river for good luck, on his way to the last delivery of the day. A sense of calmness. A stone's throw away on the river banks, hubs of activity. Everyday life, sharp and uncompromising, like the chicken plucker under the bridge, the furrowed face of an old lady or the pensive street vendor having a cigarette break. As the night falls, the lights come on and people gather. A throng of humanity, like a painting by Hieronymus Bosch. The lantern sellers peddle their wares, inviting us to release the little lights on the water so that our dreams come true and hopes fulfilled. Paths cross momentarily and then diverge. Moments shared and then forgotten. But something remains and the pictures the memories carried within.

AUTHOR: Vakis Papanastassiou (Cyprus)

I am a medical professional, a neurosurgeon, and an amateur photographer. For me photography is a release, a relaxation and a challenge. It gives me the opportunity to travel, observe, watch and capture moments. It takes me to places I wouldn't have thought to go otherwise. It taught me to see the world in a different way, to find beauty even in the ugliest of circumstances. It poses the often impossible task of trying to realise in an image what I see in my mind's eye. On the few occasions that I manage that, the sense of achievement is indescribable. I have had a camera since a young age, which accompanied me in my travels around the world, but started being more serious about photography fifteen years ago initially by documenting nature (wildlife and landscapes) and gradually adding street photography and architecture. I hope that when I hang up my scalpel in a few years, I will be able to devote more time to what is increasingly not a hobby but a passion.