Diversity is Hipa photo competition's theme for 12th award

Brazilian photographer Ary Bassous’s photo of a doctor after eight hours of continuous work in the Covid-19 emergency room won him the grand prize at Hipa's 10th season. Photo: Hipa

Diversity will be the theme of the 12th Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award, organisers behind the annual competition have announced.

Open to submissions between April 1 and June 30, the competition has a grand prize of $120,000, and will take place across four main categories. While diversity serves as the main theme, it also has been titled as a category, along with general, which includes colour as well as monochrome photographs, portfolio and a new category: digital art.

For the diversity category, judges will be looking for a photograph that artistically captures the concept. “It is one that brings to reality the wonders of the world we live in, highlighting how different yet similar we all are as we share a kindred purpose,” the competition call reads.

Portfolio is a chance for photographers to showcase their storytelling skills. Judges will be looking for “a portfolio of photographs that allows photographers to capture the hearts and minds of audiences in a way which may not be possible through a single photograph.”

General, meanwhile, invites photographers to submit works that may not be in line with the other categories. The category is segmented into two sections for colour and black and white photographs.

The digital category is an opportunity for those with digital technology capabilities, organisers said, to “present works enhanced with meaning and nuances that boosted the overall work of art.”

“Hipa has been working on developing its knowledge and skills in order to continue achieving its vision of spreading the culture of photography,” Ali Bin Thalith, secretary general of the competition, said.

“Our aim is to highlight the progressiveness of civilisation and the evident bridges of communication between nations and cultures through the language of photography through the support of our communities around the world.”

Bin Thalith said diversity was chosen as the theme as it is “a crucial and culturally necessary topic in the global scene.”

“It is a platform for coexistence and the guiding principle of tolerance, acceptance of others, and appreciation of differences. The arts play a crucial role in improving the quality of human communication and confront the topics that counter the prosperity of civilisation, such as extremism and racism, amongst others.”

Bin Thalith also stressed that the grand prize of $120,000 is open to participants in all categories. The incentive, he says, is a challenge to “established and budding photographers.”

The competition also features three honourary prizes.

The Photography Appreciation Award will be given to a person or group with a long-standing commitment to enhancing the art of photography. The Photography Content Creator Award extends to editors, publishers, bloggers, researchers, inventors, promoters and all print and digital content creators that have had a positive impact on the photography industry. Finally, the Emerging Person/Organisation in Photography Award is presented to an emerging person or organisation that has shown outstanding work or vision in the industry, be it on a regional, national or international level.

Submissions for Hipa will be accepted on the official website www.hipa.ae. The deadline for submissions is June 30