WINNERS of the Bahrain Today photography competition were recently honoured in an intimate ceremony, after making the cut from among more than 300 submissions.
The triumphant four talented lensmen received their certificates and prizes at the Al Hilal Group headquarters in Hoora.
They were:
Air traffic controller Kamaljeet Singh K, 37, who won in the Architecture and Buildings category,
Sales co-ordinator Mahamood Abdul Rasheed, 28, who clinched the title under Landscapes and Seascapes,
Sales executive Glitto Raphel C, 34, who stood out in the People of Bahrain section, and
Mechatronics student Kesshav Jayaraj, 20, who bagged first place in the Flora and Fauna category.
Bahrain Today is GDN Media’s annual contest that seeks to showcase the kingdom in all its glory, through the eyes of its residents. The eighth edition this year witnessed a flood of entries by amateur and professional photographers across Bahrain.
The creative talents were judged for technical competence, subject matter and creative composure. The number of likes the photos received on the newspaper’s social media platforms, where the shortlisted entries were uploaded, were also taken into consideration.
New Delhi snapper Mr Singh, who moved to Bahrain from Kuwait six months back, captured the Al Fateh Mosque – a ‘majestic’ view he enjoys from his apartment in Juffair.
“Bahrain has beautiful winter skies, which I have tried to reflect in the image,” Mr Singh told the GDN. “Architecture and landscapes inspire me, especially old buildings like the ones you see in Muharraq that are an engineering marvel,” added the Indian expatriate and self-taught photographer, who took to the lens 10 years ago.
Mr Rasheed from Kerala, India, finds inspiration in most things but landscapes are one of his top muses. The Manama resident has brought the kingdom’s skyline alive against the ‘mesmerising’ sunset in his entry.
“I liked the angle and it was sunset time so, I thought it would be good. I captured the moment with my Sony mirrorless camera,” explained the ‘passionate photographer’, who has been living in Bahrain for the last decade and pursuing pursing photography as a hobby since his school days.
Mr Raphel, also from Kerala, captured his winning entry when he visited the Farmers Market in Budaiya. The cultural enthusiast was there as part of a local photography group and was inspired, watching an old Bahraini craftsman weave a basket.
“I felt that it showcased the local culture and tradition beautifully. I also thought it would inspire the younger generation to see an old man so dedicated to his work,” the Riffa resident, who has lived in the kingdom for the last nine years, revealed, adding that Bahrainis are ‘friendly’ – a human quality he finds endearing.
Young Mr Jayaraj is currently studying in Germany but often visits his parents in Umm Al Hassam. He captured the flamingo against the sunset on one of his trips ‘home’. While the photograph turned out to be a stellar click, the process was far from easy, and took a total of three weeks with a lot of trial and error, according to his father Jayaraj Sivadasan, also an avid shutterbug.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to see Kesshav win for a third time. He won in the same category two years ago,” beamed dad Sivadasan, who has also been a winner in the contest’s previous editions and received the prize on behalf of his son.
From left, Mr Bigg, Mr Rasheed, Mr Sivadasan, Mr Raphel, Mr Singh, GDN Media’s sales director Alison Lillywhite, and GDN Media operations manager Rathul Rameshan
The entries wowed the panel of judges featuring Al Hilal and GDN Media executives, chaired by group creative director André Bigg, and they had a tough time studying all the submissions and picking the winners.
“We had around 380 photos submitted and the response to online voting was phenomenal! Not only did we receive a large volume of submissions, even the quality surpassed expectations. Our congratulations goes to the winners and to all who submitted some of the most stunning images of our kingdom,” Mr Bigg said.
“With the growing interest, we plan to introduce additional categories and runner-up prizes for next year,” he added.
Al Hilal Group’s managing director Ronnie Middleton, who was also on the judging panel, could not agree more.
melissa@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))