Dubai
As the year 2015 wound down, reader photographers preferred to turn their lens home, towards the UAE.
After all, the country had no dearth of entertaining and exciting events planned for the end of the year, from the World Air Games in Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s Al Dhafra Festival, to National Day and New Year’s festivities around the emirates.
Our reader photographers were there to capture it all, with their cameras ever at the ready.
Deputy Picture Editor Sankha Kar picked the top three winners of December and here, we present the photographs that stood out from the rest.
Editor’s note: Do you want to participate in our monthly Reader Picture Competition? Send us your best photographs, with captions, at readers@gulfnews.com.
RDS_160123 YT FIRST Winner Jeevan Nambiar
Profile:
Jeevan Nambiar is an art director, based in Dubai.
Deep in the Al Madam desert, off Sharjah, he took a candid picture of children in his group, enjoying the desert dunes on a Friday morning.
He said: “The undulating dunes provide the perfect playground for unforgettable moments.”
Reason for winning:
According to Deputy Picture Editor Sankha Kar, the picture was a winner because of the way it beautifully blended motion and light. He said: “It’s a candid shot and you can see the natural light falling diagonally on the children, as they create sand trails along the side of the dune. They are engrossed in what they are doing and their expressions are excellent.”
RDS_160123 YT SECOND Winner Manu Reghurajan
Profile:
Manu Reghurajan is a senior engineer, based in Dubai
His winning photograph is from Ittihad Park, in Palm Jumeirah.
He said: “I saw this young boy participating in and enjoying UAE’s traditional dance, along with the adults in the group. He was the only child among the group of performers and was the centre of everyone’s attention.”
Reason for winning:
For Deputy Picture Editor Sankha Kar, the composition of the image was paramount, and the reader nailed it.
He said: “The child’s face breaks the uniformity of movement of the adults’ hands. He breaks the fourth wall by looking straight at the camera, but while I don’t often recommend that – since candid shots make for more interesting photographs – in this picture, it works! He is the odd one out, and by looking at the camera, it creates an immediate sense of focus.”
RDS_160123 YT THIRD Winner Lal Nallath
Profile:
Lal Nallath is a designer, based in Dubai.
He said his photograph of Dubai’s skyline was taken for a specific reason. “Everyone in Dubai is in love with the city’s beautiful skyline. Once in a while, the clouds create a dynamic scene, so I stopped my car and took a picture of the reflection. The view is something I think all residents connect with.”
Reason for winning:
While Gulf News is commonly inundated by shots of Dubai’s skyline, Deputy Picture Editor Sankha Kar said this one was unique in the way it was clicked.
He said: “Normally, we see sunset shots with the skyscrapers lined up in front. But the added element of a car bonnet, reflecting the picturesque scene, shows the creativity of the reader photographer. Where most people would just click a straight-on shot, he has improvised by thinking out of the box, and bringing added value to the image.”
