PHOTOGRAPHY HIPA Announces September Winners of Its Instagram Photo Contest

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the September edition of the Instagram Photo Contest themed ‘Youth Lens’. Five winners were announced for the competition which received submissions under the hashtag #HIPAContest_YouthLens. The contest winners hailed from; UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Indonesia. September’s ‘People’s Choice Award’ winner will receive a brand new NIKON D7200 SLR, courtesy of Nikon Middle East & Africa.

HIPA Secretary General, His Excellency Ali bin Thalith said, “Creativity has no age limit, and this competition is a testament to that. The quality, uniqueness, and talent of our youth are simply magnificent. We encourage everyone to take the time to focus on our youth and discover the abundance of emerging talent within our communities and nurturing their creativity. Congratulations to all our winners, and a promise to our emerging talent who participated, we will continue to provide you with opportunities to develop your skills.”

Winners

Maram Nader Al Bazzaz / Courtesy of HIPA

Ahmed Mohammed Al Harthy / Courtesy of HIPA

Maitha Abdulla Haj Qassim / Courtesy of HIPA

Muhammad addanial arfiyansyah / Courtesy of HIPA

Muhammad Tsaqif Althof / Courtesy of HIPA

September’s winner of the ‘People’s Choice Award’ was Maram Al Bazzaz @maram_albazzaz from Bahrain and she said, “I took the picture in Indian Kashmir in August 17, 2017. I was on a trip with my family so we went to a local market and I found this man. I am 16 years old but I took the picture when I was about 14 years old. My story began with photography when I was 9 years old when my father bought me a camera, taught me the basics and attended many workshops. In the future, I will continue as a photographer and perhaps become a food aesthetics' photographer. I love images that tell stories and that's the fun thing about photography.”

The Emirati winner, Maitha Qassim @maithaqassim said, “I took the photo at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi on January 2019. Although the picture is absent of people, it is rich in details from the beautifully decorated ceiling to the evening shadows on the building. In my view, the picture expresses the possibility of finding beauty even in the smallest details of life.

I was 16 years old and I started taking pictures in 2015 after being inspired by my grandfather, who was always walking around with the camera and lenses. I have always been attracted to the amazing images that photographers take around the world. Winning this competition is a great achievement for any girl of my age. I will continue on the path of photography and dream of becoming a famous photographer, proud of being an Emirati, and inspiring photographers of this generation to find their passion.

The most interesting thing in the world of photography, in my opinion, is that you will not find a closed door! You will be able to be creative and take pictures from your own perspectives, giving each photo its own voice."