UAE photography award back with $120,000 prize

The Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (Hipa) has just announced its eighth season with a prize of $120,000 (Dh440,696) for the winner.

The competition is open to photographers across the globe, with this year’s theme titled Hope.

The 2018 edition will also see the introduction of the Aerial Photography (Video) category, along with the regular general and portfolio categories returning this year, which encourage visual storytelling.

“In our previous season of competition, we noticed the positive feedback received as a result of the Time-lapse category. Therefore, we wished to continue this momentum for the coming season by once again offering a video category for photographers to showcase their skill,” said Ali Bin Thalith, Hipa secretary general. “The Aerial Photography category is a bold move for Hipa, but we believe that it falls right in line with current modern shifts in the industry with the prevalence of aerial and drone photo and videography.”

“Our main theme, Hope, resembles a natural human instinct shared by the majority of mankind which is reflected in their everyday lives. Hope is a sentiment enshrined in various cultures and traditions past and present and can be one of life’s greatest inspirations,” Bin Thalith said. “We felt it was important to expand on this inspiration and challenge photographers from all around the world to present photographic works that best represent hope to them and their vision.”

The winning photograph will not be limited to the submissions in the main category Hope, but will be awarded to any contestant participating this season.

Photographers all over the world can participate for free. To apply, they need to register on the official Hipa website. The deadline for submissions will be October 31 at 11.59pm. The photos will be judged by a respected authority group of photographers.

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Categories for Hipa’s eighth season

Hope

Organisers say this year’s main theme is open to interpretation and works as a test for talented photographers to capture this human emotion in a picture.

Portfolio (Story-telling)

The Portfolio category returns to give photographers the chance to showcase their storytelling skills through a series of photographs. A portfolio allows photographers to capture the hearts and minds of audiences in a way which may not be possible through a single photograph.

Aerial Photography (Video)

The category accepts one submission per entrant, which should be between 30 seconds and 3 minutes in total length.

Submissions must also be a minimum Full HD quality. For all the technical specifications and rules for this category, visit hipa.ae

General

There are two opportunities to participate in this category. One category is open to black and white entries and the other for coloured entries.

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HIPA Special Awards (Invitation Only)

Photography Appreciation Award

This award is a special category for a person or group who has/have shown a long-standing commitment to enhancing the art of photography.

Photography Content Creator Award

Service to photography is not limited to taking stunning photographs, but extends to editors, publishers, bloggers, researchers, inventors, promoters and all print and digital content creators that have had a positive impact on the industry and helped shape it to what it is today.

Emerging Person/Organisation in Photography Award

This 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.