WINNERS FOR HIPA’S ‘Emotions – Love’ INSTAGRAM PHOTO CONTEST ANNOUNCED

Dubai UAE 

Sallam Sallam

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the February 2021 edition of the Instagram Photo Contest themed ‘Emotions – Love’. Five winners were announced for the competition, which received submissions under the hashtag #HIPAContest_Love. The contest winners hailed from; Indonesia, Belarus, Bangladesh and Turkey.

HIPA Secretary General, Ali bin Thalith said, “The cultural and intellectual development of our photographers participating in the competition has been impressive, and is clearly portrayed in the work that has been submitted. Love is one of the highest and most sublime human feelings, but at times can be marginalized visually. This month’s particpants pushed the boundaries, horizon and depths of love to bring us photography that truly grasps the heart and inspires us with different perspectives on what the emotion of love is. A creative photographer is one who always strives to expand their reach and push themselves and us out of our comfort zones.  As always, we invite all our participants to continue persevering and participating in upcoming editions to achieve their own personal win.”

Our winner from Indonesia Gabriella Okki Alfian @gabriellaokki she said, “The photo was taken in a small village called ‘Ban’ near Mount Agung in (Kubu-Karangasem) in Bali, Indonesia, on March 8, 2018. I went with some friends to the village to bring used clothes and some snacks that we provide to children in that area, as well as taking some photos for humanitarian

purposes. In the beginning, the mother and the children were sitting at the entrance to their traditional kitchen, talking and joking with each other while taking pictures, and after moments it started to rain. The girl slept in the mother’s lap as the mother kept kissing her daughter several times. I kept pressing the shutter button until I captured a precious moment of love between a mother and her daughter.

I won several times before, but I feel very proud, as it is a dream come true to be a winner in the ‘HIPA’ competition; the most famous competition in the world. This win will motivate me a lot as photography is my passion and I aspire to spread the beauty that I put in a photograph to the whole world.”

Aygul Ozturk @aygul_ozturk_, our winner from Turkey said, “The photo was taken in Kayseri, Turkey, in 2018. Uncle Muhammad is an old, time-honoured manufacturer of wicker baskets. After the death of his wife, he felt very lonely, and struggled to cope with his loneliness, and then he adopted several cats to share his life and provide him much needed company.

I have won many photo contests before but this is my first win with the ‘HIPA’ competition. I was so happy when I received the great news. In my photography journey, I aspire to be artistically influential, especially on social issues, and to interact more with communities of photographers around the world.”