The Secretary General of the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) proudly announced the victors of the night photography competition, conducted in collaboration with HUAWEI XMAGE. This competition, hosted on Instagram, garnered immense enthusiasm from the photography community, urging participants to showcase their night photography prowess. The competition is a natural extension of the partnership between HIPA and HUAWEI, with their earlier collaboration on the HUAWEI Themes platform receiving widespread acclaim.
In this unique competition, participants were invited to explore the creative realm of night photography, harnessing the remarkable capabilities of HUAWEI's advanced imaging technology, available on its latest devices.
The winners of the competition have now been unveiled, highlighting the exceptional talent and creativity of the participating photographers. Emirati photographer Abdulrab Salem Ali Sawad clinched the first-place position, while second place was secured by Azim Khan Ronnie from Bangladesh. Saudi photographer Faisal Saleh Aljrifani claimed the third spot, with Spanish photographer Shadi Nassri and Indian photographer Riyas Kulangarakath Muhammed emerging as the fourth and fifth-place winners, respectively.
First-place winner Abdulrab Salem Ali Sawad expressed his joy at the widespread appreciation of his winning photograph. The image had initially sparked some controversy as it appeared to have been taken during the day rather than at night. He explained that the photograph was captured during a night flight to observe the Northern Lights in Iceland, despite the Northern Lights being elusive. Abdulrab seized the opportunity to capture the moonlight, stars, and the magnificent Vestrahorn mountain with a long-exposure shot. He then combined multiple exposures in post-processing to achieve the stunning final result.
Abdulrab expressed his gratitude to HIPA for its role in enriching the local and international art scene through various artistic endeavors and activities, including this annual competition.
Faisal Saleh Aljrifani, the third-place winner, shared the story behind his winning photograph, taken in Al-Ula in 2022. He expressed his happiness at the win, noting that photography is his sole source of income, and this recognition will bolster his credentials and help him establish valuable connections with fellow photographers.
Shadi Nassri, the fourth-place winner, revealed the artistic planning behind his winning shot, in which he positioned the arm of the Milky Way above a lavender tree. The shot was taken in the charming town of Brihuega in the northeast of Madrid using a Nikon Z6 II and a 35mm lens.
HIPA Secretary General, Ali Bin Thalith, expressed his satisfaction with the success of the collaboration with HUAWEI, which has served as an inspiration for talented individuals and photographers alike. He highlighted the uniqueness of the competition theme, the diversity of participants, the captivating controversies, the insights gained from the judging process, and the rigorous criteria used for evaluation.
He added, "Another testament to the power of photography as a medium of expression is the remarkable success of HIPA photography on HUAWEI Themes, with over 800,000 downloads on the official HUAWEI Themes store, making it the second most downloaded content after official Huawei content."
William Hu, Managing Director of Huawei Consumer Business Group, Middle East and Africa Eco Development and Operation, expressed Huawei's delight in its ongoing collaboration with HIPA. The competition showcases the enchanting world of night photography and invites photographers of all backgrounds to unleash their creativity. Huawei's advanced imaging technology offers endless opportunities for photographers to capture the captivating beauty of the night, and the competition serves as a universal invitation to do just that.
