HIPA Winners of ‘Lines’ and ‘Time’ Instagram Photo Contest

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the May 2022 edition of the Instagram Photo Contest, Lines, and the June 2022 edition Time.

Ten winners were announced across all the contests, with submissions being received under the hashtag #HIPAContest_Lines for the May edition and #HIPAContest_Time for the June edition. The contest winners hailed from; UAE, Iraq, Indonesia, India, and Turkey.

HIPA Secretary General Ali bin Thalith said, "Art does not depend on the complexity of things to be noticed, but on the contrary, its simplicity is more appealing, giving it an aesthetic value that delights its viewers and inspires creators. In the winning photos, we saw creative translations of a simplified concept such as 'Lines', which gave our photography community an extra dimension that most of us would not think of. As for 'Time', it is one of the deepest and most creative subject suitable for new visual philosophies that reflects the vision of every photographer."

Bin Thalith added, "Our competitions are ongoing and open to everyone. We congratulate all the winners and encourage the rest of the participants to continue developing their skills by participating in our various competitions until reaching the stage of winning."

The winner from India, Subhas Sudhakara Nayak @subhashnayak7 said about his winning photo in the ‘Lines’ competition, "I took the photo at Expo 2020 Dubai, it was in my archive, but I remembered it after knowing the title of the competition. This particular photo was taken from the top floor of the Singapore Pavilion, which has a unique view. This photo highlights the traditional clothing of the UAE and the black and white colours on the floor perfectly with lighting and shadows. I have won many competitions but winning such a prestigious international award, such as HIPA is unbelievable, and it has given me huge motivation. I used to be an amateur photographer but turned professional. Thank you to the UAE for its support to all photographers, as I got a freelance work permit and became an official part-time photographer."

Hendra Permana @hapelinium, the winner from Indonesia, said about his winning photo from the ‘Lines’ competition, "The photo was taken during a cycling race at the Jakarta Velodrome in January 2019. I have won many competitions and will stay in the competition to develop myself and reach my goal of winning one of the annual HIPA prizes. Winning a prestigious international competition such as HIPA is considered a benchmark for the level and perseverance of the photographer and gives a greater presence among photographers and followers."

Abbas Raad Jakra @abbas_raedd, one of the 'Time' winners from Iraq, said, "This is a photo of an elderly person who was a former soldier in the Iraqi army, he still keeps a special photo of him with an old friend who passed away; it is their 'Friendship Soul'. This man currently works in one of the popular markets in Dhi Qar Governorate, in the Suq Al-Shuyoukh district. I have won many competitions before, but winning in HIPA has a special place because of the intensity of participation and the strength of the competition and this win will support me a lot because of the popularity of this competition around the world."