PHOTOGRAPHY Hamdan Photography Award Honours Speakers at Dubai Photo Forum 2 with Recognition Awards

The Board of Trustees of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has announced the presentation of recognition awards to speakers of the Dubai Photo Forum 2, which was held 17th to the 19th March 2016. The Forum included five sessions that stood out in the quality of their topics, perspectives and arguments. They were led by select speakers from the world of photography from around the globe.

HE Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith, Secretary General of HIPA / Courtesy of HIPA

"The Forum has become the most distinguished platform for photography in the Middle East, as it touches on the most pressing issues for the photographer community in the region. Topics were carefully selected to provide quality and current content for our audience. Imperative to the success of the Forum was selecting and inviting speakers with the right expertise and knowledge who would enrich and inspire the discussions. The success of the Dubai Photo Forum 2 is a testament to the dedication and time our speakers put into generating great dialogue. As a token of our appreciation, we would like to present our speakers and moderators with the HIPA Recognition Award and thank them for making the Forum a memorable event for the audience from both perspectives of art and culture," said His Excellency Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith, Secretary General of HIPA.

HIPA Golden Coin / Courtesy of HIPA

Dubai Photo Forum 2

The Forum’s first session was titled ‘East versus West; A Clash of Photographic Style’, and it was moderated by the renowned American photographer Ken Geiger. Speakers included Kuwaiti wildlife photographer Majed Al-Zaabi, Dimitri Beck from France and editor-in-chief of the Paris-based Polka Magazine, which is specialised in Photojournalism, and renowned photographers, Dr Shahidul Alam from Bangladesh and the internationally renowned Tom Ang.

The Forum’s first session ‘East versus West; A Clash of Photographic Style’ / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

HE Ali Bin Thalith with the speakers of the first forum: Tom Ang, Dr Shahidul Alam,, Dimitri Beck, Ken Geiger and Majed Al-Zaabi / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The second session, titled ‘Judging; International Standards and Judges’ Personalities’, was moderated by famous British photographer, Martin Grahame-Dunn. Speakers included Iraqi photographer and president of Arab Union Photographers, Adeeb Alani; famous Egyptian photographer and critic, Ayman Lotfy; and Dutch photographer Henk van Kooten.

L-R: Henk van Kooten, Adeeb Alani, Ayman Lotfy and Martin Grahame-Dunn / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Titled ‘Women in Photography’, the third session was moderated by American Photojournalist Maggie Steber. Speakers included photographers Samira AlKhalifa from Kuwait, Sahar Al-Zarei from UAE, and Eman Helal from Egypt, as well as renowned Emirati photographer and judge, Jassim Al-Awadhi.

L-R: Jassim Al-Awadhi, Samira AlKhalifa, Eman Helal, Sahar Al-Zarei and Maggie Steber / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

The fourth session was titled ‘GCC Photographers: International Competitors or Would-Be Preofessionals?’. It was moderated by Saudi photographer, Mohammed Al-Babelli, with speakers including Emirati photographer Ali Khalifa Bin Thalith, Secretary General of HIPA, Omani photographer and president of Photography Association of Oman, Ahmed Al-Bouseidi, as well as photographers Mohammed Al-Kandari from Kuwait and Maisa Al-Hooti from Oman.

The fifth and last session was held under the title ‘Witnessing Arab Photography: Past, Present and Future’ moderated by Alsaad Almenhaly, editor-in-chief of National Geographic Al Arabiya. Speakers included Oscar Mitri, renowned Egyptian photographer and one of the founders of Al-Arabi Magazine, as well as the winner of HIPA Fifth Season (Happiness) Photography Appreciation Award, Yemeni photographer with a multitude of artistic gifts Abdul Rahman Al-Ghabri, and rising Egyptian photographic talent, Mohammed Mahdy.