Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has announced the winners of the contest’s fourth year ( Life In Colour) at the grand ceremony, which took place at the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) on the evening of 16 March.

This year’s grand-prize winner is photographer Anurag Kumar from India. For an amazing photography of Holi, India’s festival of colours. Dodho Magazine, at the invitation of the organizers, traveled to Dubai to attend the prestigious ceremony of the fourth ‘Hamdan International Photography Award’. (HIPA)

HIPA GRAND PRIZE

Anurag Kumar | India | Grand – $120,000

Each year, India witnesses an unprecedented wave of vibrancy and colour during Holi, the festival of colours, celebrated throughout the country. The photo could have been restricted to a red and yellow affair, had it not been for the man throwing a handful of blue powder which made all the difference. The seated worshippers in the photo, seem to be letting the barrage of colours layer them, which adds to the uniqueness of this photograph.

LIFE IN COLOR

Aruna Bhat | India | 1st – $25,000

This photograph was taken in Ki Gompa, a monastery of Tibetan Buddhists in the Indian Himalayas. Every evening, the young monks of the temple are given time off to play in an open area nearby. These young monks, in their richly coloured robes, manifest the true meaning of enthusiasm and cheerfulness, unlike the greyness of the walls behind them.

Zhang Xiangli | China | 2nd – $20,000

This photograph of Asian paradise flycatchers was taken in the village of Sha Tin, Jiangxi province, China. It shows two adult (male and female) Asian paradise flycatchers feeding their chicks on a small tree branch. The pale coloured chicks are seen to be vulnerable and weak while the colourful flycatchers resemble life and hope, epitomising ‘Life in Colour’.

Zeki Yavuzak | Turkey | 3rd – $15,000

In Aydin, Turkey, red peppers, eggplants and zucchinis are string-dried in the summer in preparation for the cold winter months. Women, teenagers and children work this delicate and careful job as a way of earning extra money in the summer, a common practice in that part of the country. The girl in the photograph is a local high school student who works this job as a means of helping her family as well as saving money for the school year ahead.

Mujeeb Kizhakkechalil | India | 4th – $12,000

This picture comes alive because of the varied colours of the prayer flags lined above the young monk, as he tries to touch one of them. This does not only capture his emotions, but also the vibrancy of the shades which are reflecting the innocence of the young monk’s face. The simplicity of the photograph is fitting of the young monk who is overjoyed during his playing time and it reminds us that the smallest things can sometimes help us attain happiness.

Fabrizio Moglia | Italy | 5th – $10,000

Russia’s remote Kamchatka Peninsula has some of the richest salmon runs in the Pacific, especially in the national wildlife preserve, Kurile Lake. Since the dawn of time, red salmon has been the basic food for the Kamchatka brown bear. The photo captures the big Russian bear going about its regular meal, the casual look in its eyes is in sharp contrast to the victim, the salmon, which flaps its colourful tail-end as if saluting life, for this is its destiny.

GENERAL

Harish Chavda | United Kingdom | 1st – $15,000

Even though Dwain Chambers (Right) was not considered to be one of the favourites at the UK Athletics Olympic trials in Birmingham, he definitely had something up his calves. As Dwain crossed the line, it dawned on him that he as an underdog had ripped through popular expectations. His roar and the twitch of every single muscle on his upper body reflected the triumph within.

Ali Rajabi Shomali | Iran | 2nd – $12,000

This photo was taken on 6th Ave in Manhattan, New York City in January 2014. The photographer captured walking pedestrians as they crossed the road in freezing conditions. Although the red lights and cold weather indicate inactivity, the crossing pedestrians and their will to get to where they need to be, indicates the exact opposite.

Antonius Andre Tjiu | Indonesia | 3rd – $1o,000

In the animal kingdom, the struggle to survive is apparent, to live you must kill. This photo was taken in South Borneo in Indonesia and features the crested serpent eagle which is a specialist reptile eater. The snake in the photograph is curled in defense, knowing that its best chance for survival lies in attacking the much larger eagle.

Yvon Andre Pierre Buchmann | France | 4th- $8,000

This photo was taken in April 2011 at a train station in the small French town of Bollwiller. The clock in the station is symbolic of static time as opposed to the passing train which can symbolize the speed of time. The standing man is caught in the conflicting scenarios as if to indicate that the train of life will pass you by, if you don’t watch the time.

Jaime Singlador| Philippines | 5th- $6,000

The photograph shows children enjoying an afternoon dip at the kawa hot bath fuelled with dried woods and sprinkled with organic leaves, believed by the locals to have medicinal benefits. In the Western Visayas region of the Philippines, there is a small town named Sitio Tuno where the locals set up hot bath spas with medicinal plants picked from the surrounding forest. The excitement on the children’s faces as they bathe in hot bath is matched by the green and blue colours around them, creating a pristine feel to the photograph.

FACES – BLACK & WHITE

Rudoi Vladimirovich | Russian Federation | 1st – $15,000

This photograph was taken inside a photography studio and is of a young girl named Stella-Maria. With her deep stare, Stella-Maria is able to captivate the viewer through her innocence and youth, whilst being presented in classic black and white colours. The shadow covering part of Stella-Maria’s face also adds to the intrigue in this young lady. Her natural face and look is a testament to the beauty of the photograph taken.

Kenneth Geiger | United States | 2nd – $12,000

This photograph is a reflection of innocence, beauty, helplessness and revolt. In 1989, the ethnic Burmese ‘Mon’ army was made up of 3000 soldiers, including 100 women fighters. This photo was captured at one of the Mon checkpoints at the end of a winding dirt road, featuring this serious staring 20-year-old Ma Ngua, her cheeks covered with powder to protect her beauty while an M-16 rifle is beside her to protect her post.

Chi Hung Cheung | Hong Kong |3rd – $10,000

This photo was taken on a cold February morning, at the time of Chinese new year, in Huangnan, China. This photo shows three old women, each carrying a warm cup of buttered tea whilst talking and laughing. The impact of the picture lays in the warmth of the women’s smiles as well the warmth emanating from their tea, which appears to engulf their friendship and happiness.

Ali Zohari | United Arab Emirates |4th – $8,000

This photograph is of an old Vietnamese lady, who had been living near a mountain range for many years, watching tourists come and go. The wrinkles on her gracefully shaped face feel like pathways leading to various stories from her life, many of which are filled with simplicity and wisdom. Despite her old age, her face offers optimism and hope. The window behind her depicts that there is still enough light in her life for some more pathways to be explored.

Xyza Dela Cruz Bacani| Philippines |5th – $6,000

This candid portrait of a child behind a translucent glass window in Hong Kong stands out because of the transparent strip that runs across. It is in that strip that the power of the photo lies with the girl’s eyes clearly looking at something she is seeing for the first time at her tender age. Her gape adds to the curiosity and innocence while her hands try to push through the window to explore the unknown beyond.

NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Peng Li | China | 1st – $15,000

This photograph was taken of an ancient Chinese ‘Diaojiaolou’ house in the town of Fenghuang, located near the Tuojiang River in Hunan province. Diaojiaolous are often used as hotels or restaurants in Hunan province, due to their great charm and beauty. As the night falls, countless red lanterns provide light inside the Diaojiaolou, giving a priceless and surreal view of past and present in one photograph.

Ho Sung Wee | Malasya | 2nd – $12,000

This photograph captures Sulphuric fire fishing, an ancient and eco-friendly way of fishing near Jinshan, Taiwan. Fishermen add water to Sulphur soil to produce acetylene, which is used to produce light that attracts Harengula fish, which in turn begin jumping out of the water. The rush hour in the sea amid the excitement of seeing the fire, is indeed a timeless frame.

Nguyễn Minh Tân | Vietnam | 3rd – $10,000

Alexandre Buisse | France | 4th – $8,000

This photo was taken in January 2014 at the Lau Bij climb in the Cogne Valley of the Gran Paradiso Park, in Italy’s Aosta valley. The beautiful medium of ice combines really well with the flash photography, showcasing the transparency of the deep blue colours of the ice, as well as the athleticism of the climbers. The unique textures of the ice along with the splash of blue and the amazing depth of field sums up the two men conquering nature’s might and the one (photographer) capturing it.

Daniel Cheong | France | 5th – $6,000

This photo was taken at the Address Hotel in the Dubai Marina. The building’s facade is made of glass and is very reflective which created a powerful ‘vertigo’ view. The biggest visual impact of this photograph is the sense of disorientation upon seeing it for the first time. The surrounding cityscape and vertigo view of the building creates a sense of confusion for a viewer and one may need to look at the photograph more than once to fully understand it.