2018 Hamdan International Photography Awards
2018's Hamdan International Photography Award-Winning Shot Will Hit You Hard
HIPA is one of the most prestigious photography events in the region. Founded four years ago by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, it stands for "Hamdan International Photography Award" and has attracted hundreds of thousands of photographers over the years from all over the world.
With over a quarter of a million photographic entries submitted in a variety of categories under one theme, which changes each year, 2018's theme was The Moment 2017-2018. Photographers were asked to "forget the past and ignore the future," instead focusing on one moment in time and capturing it, their website explains.
Entries this year were submitted under four categories; The Moment (one main entry – a show stopper, obviously); Portfolio (a series of photos that tell a story); and General (a photo that doesn't fit into any of the categories but still impactful. This category is divided into two sub categories; one for black and white and the other for colored submissions), and Time-Lapse (video entries). Time-Lapse is a newly-introduced category that recognizes that times are changing and that in the visual industry, videos are gaining a lot of attention and importance.
This year's prize money totaled a whopping $423,000. It was divided amongst all the prize winners – with each winner's prize money ranging from as little as $6,000 to as high as $25,000 for each category. However, the grand prize alone was worth $120,000.
This year's Grand Prize winner was Mohamed Alragheb from Syria, who won in The Moment category. He was honored at HIPA's Awards Ceremony in the Dubai Opera on Tuesday.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and these images certainly are. Check them out here.
