Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) Winners of ‘Creating the Future’, The Third Edition of HIPA

On March 17, 2014 at DIFC in Dubai the Winners of the Third Edition of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) were announced at the Grand Event Ceremony.

Following the big success it achieved in the two earlier editions, the Third Edition of HIPA yet again raised the bar for excellence in photography. The winning photographs show the power of art communicating extraordinary and universal messages. 'Creating the Future' edition attracted 26,006 photographers from 156 countries with 38,203 submitted photographs.

The Awards were given in the following categories:

• Creating the Future / Grand Prize

• General

• Black and White

• Street Life

• Special Awards

Some of the awards were not awarded this year as Ali bin Thalith, the Secretary General of HIPA explains: "What’s new in our announcement of winners this year, which is in keepings with the principle of transparency we have upheld since the launch of the Award, is withholding awards in certain positions. This move was made in unanimous vote of the international panel of judges on the grounds that the relevant entries were not up to the standard to earn the points required according to the Award’s qualification system to win the positions in question."

The awards that haven't been awarded:

• First and Second winner in “Creating the Future” - Emirati Award Category

• First winner in “General” - Emirati Award Category

• First winner in “Street Life” Category

The judges of the 'Creating the Future' edition were: Caroline Metcalfe, Cheryl Newman, Henk van Kooten, Hossain Mahdavi, Jon Jones, Riccardo Busi, Sanat Shodhan, Susan Baraz and Waleed Qadoura.

Winners of the 'Creating the Future' edition

GRAND PRIZE

Fuyang Zhou, China

Fuyang Zhou, China / Courtesy of HIPA

CREATING THE FUTURE

1st Prize (International) - Ali Al Zaidi, Kuwait

Ali Kh Al Zaidi, 'Teach me', Kuwait / Courtesy of HIPA

Ali Al Zaidi explains his photo: "Despite the difficulties and harshness of the life that some people are surrounded by, although they aim to be educated and make it a priority of living with a hope to make better future."

2nd Prize (International) - Gao Lianhui, China

Gao Lianhui, China / Courtesy of HIPA

3rd Prize (International) - Hannelore Schneider, Germany

Hannelore Schneider, 'Wonderworld Touchscreen', 2013, Germany / Courtesy of HIPA

Hannelore Schneider started her photo hobby 25 years ago. She received her first photo Gold Medal in 2012 at the 4th International Salon of photography in Slovenia, with the photo 'Field in the morning'. The same photo received also a honourable mention by the German Photo-Show DVF. Schneider also received several honourable mentions: Salon Mondial 2012 ESCH Luxembourg, FIAP, PCE and 2 honourable mentions at the 13th International DVF Imaging Salon 2013. Hannelore Schneider explains, "For this picture I had been inspired by your wonderful topic 'creating the future'. It shows the joy of using modern technologies that arouse our curiosity. Technologies which can be used by every child giving them the opportunity of learning for the future and of learning about the past. The picture consists of various of my own photos (all photos are taken by myself including those visible in the screens)."

1st and 2nd Prize (Emirati) - not awarded

3rd Prize (Emirati) - Omran Abdelrahman Al Ansari, UAE

Omran Abdelrahman Al Ansari, UAE / Courtesy of HIPA

In 2006 Omran Alansari started his photographic career. He is a self taught photographer who developed his skills though reading, practice and experience. In 2008 he won Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum photography Award (Golden Jubilee). Omran Abdelrahman Al Ansari explains his photo: "The ray of the sun was like a magic coming from sky to the tree directly, the rare ray was awesome it shows us a line of gold in addition I caught the human at the good time when he enjoys to watch the magic sunset that is what makes the image very powerful and I really had fun at this time."

3rd Prize - Repeated (Emirati) - Mansoor Mohammad Al Mansoori, UAE

Mansoor Mohammad Al Mansoori, UAE / Courtesy of HIPA

"The clearness of the water, with the slow movement of the boat, when I looked at it, I realized that I could look at it as something else, everyone should look at the things from different point of views, like it is said 'Think Outside The Box' ." Mansoor Mohammad Al Mansoori explains his photo.

GENERAL

1st Prize (International) - Vladimir Proshin, Russian Federation

Vladimir Proshin, 'On the river', 2013, Russian Federation / Courtesy of HIPA

Vladimir Proshin has been building his photographic career for the past 15 years. As a self taught photographer he received his first award at the age of 21 in Spain. Now he has more than 100 awards from different countries. Proshin explains his photo: "I made this picture in China. I love this country, with its beautiful scenery, and its wise men. It seems that there life flows slowly. And I tried to convey in my work the mysterious beauty of the East. with their culture, religion, and way of life."

2nd Prize (International) - Muhammad Alamsyah Rauf, Indonesia

Muhammad Alamsyah Rauf, Indonesia / Courtesy of HIPA

In 2007 Muhammad Alamsyah Rauf started his photographic career. As a self taught photographer he won the 2nd place at Piala Presiden 2012 in Indonesia.

3rd Prize (International) - Muhamad Saleh Bin Dollah, Malaysia

Muhamad Saleh Bin Dollah, 'Find something', Malaysia / Courtesy of HIPA

Muhamad Saleh bin Dollah started his photography career in 1995 first as hobby then as photography business. He won WPO (SONY) Second Prize at the National Award in Malaysia. Muhamad explains, "I like the character of that old man and at that moment he is finding his grandson that hasn't come home yet around 7.00 pm."

1st Prize (Emirati) - not awarded

2nd Prize (Emirati) - Sulaiman Ahmed Eid Al Hammadi, UAE

Sulaiman Ahmed Eid Al Hammadi, 'Calm of Art', 2012, UAE / Courtesy of HIPA

3rd Prize (Emirati) - Saeed Abdalla Jumoh Al Yahyaee, UAE

Saeed Abdalla Jumoh Al Yahyaee, UAE / Courtesy of HIPA

Saeed's passion for photography began back in 1999. He has a diploma degree in the art of photography and has attended a number of courses and workshops related to photography. Recently he has won an award from National Geographic. Saeed Abdalla Jumoh Al Yahyaee explains his photo: "I have always been passionate about the spectacular sights of the marine life."

BLACK AND WHITE

1st Prize - Yanan Li, China

Yanan Li, China / Courtesy of HIPA

Yanan Li started his photography career in 2012. He majored photography in Communication University of China. He has been always interested in fine art and learned painting. This is the very first time that he participated in a photo contest. Yanan Li explains, "The photo was taken in Islamabad, in Pakistan. I walked into an adobe house in the Afghan slum in Islamabad, seeing the family having their lunch. It’s quite an unusual scene to see them having lunch on a bed, the only furniture in their house. They kindly invited me to their lunch. I had a piece of Naan and took this picture. We could only communicate with each other with body language. I was really touched by their kindness and their optimism."

2nd Prize - Edmondo Senatore, Italy

Edmondo Senatore, Italy / Courtesy of HIPA

3rd Prize - Wong Ngai Bun, Hong Kong

Wong Ngai Bun, 'Horse fighting', Hong Kong / Courtesy of HIPA

Wong Ngai Bun started his photography career when he was sixteen years old. With a Major in Commercial Photography, he won his first award at Open Student Photography Competition of Hong Kong in 1992. Wong Ngai Bun explains, "This photo was taken in 2013 in Rongshui, Liuzhou Guangxi in China. Overall, during the day it was a gloomy sky and it started to drizzle, so I decided to take a photo as a color raw format which could preserve everything. Due to the gloomy sky very gray was induced in color which could retain all particulars in layers. Finally, I turned to black and white so that more abundant layers could occur."

STREET LIFE

1st Prize - not awarded

2nd Prize - Jianhua Lin, China

Jianhua Lin, China / Courtesy of HIPA

2nd Prize - Repeated - Jianhui Liao, China

Jianhui Liao, China / Courtesy of HIPA

3rd Prize - Santiago Daniel Bañon Irujo, Spain

Santiago Daniel Bañon Irujo, Spain / Courtesy of HIPA

Santiago Bañón has been taking pictures all his life, but since 2008 he started to learn and take it more seriously. He won the 1st prize in National Geographic- Ron Brugal contest, 2nd in Helie Memorial, and many other local and Spanish prizes. Bañón explains his photo: "It's a part of a personal project, looking for beauty and joy in common urban places, full of colour, and the interaction with the people that live there."

SPECIAL AWARDS

Steve McCurry (USA) – Photography Appreciation Award Winner

“What is important to my work is the individual picture. I photograph stories on assignment, and of course they have to be put together coherently. But what matters most is that each picture stands on its own, with its own place and feeling.” (Steve McCurry)

Dr. Ren Ng (Australia) - Photographic Research/Report Award Winner

"My passion for photography was the source of energy for beginning research into light field photography, founding Lytro, and working to bring this new imaging paradigm to market so that other photographers can benefit." (Dr. Ren Ng)

HE Sheikh Hasher Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum - Special Photography Appreciation Award Winner