The General Secretariat of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Prize for Photography revealed the winners of the special prizes for the ninth session of the award, which was entitled "Water", as this session witnessed the presentation of three categories of special prizes: the Photography Content Makers Award, and the Personality Award / The most promising photographic establishment, along with the award given to photographers who have positively contributed to the photography industry.
And won the prize for the ninth session, American photographer Michael Yamashita, for his distinguished works and photographic contributions in the fields of the historical documentation and extensive studies of Asia.
The Photographic Content Makers Award was awarded to the International Photography Festival "Xposure", which is considered a renewed and influential artistic demonstration in the international photographers' societies, and more than 15 thousand participants from 31 countries participated in it.
The most promising photographic personality award was given to photographer Gulshan Khan, from South Africa, the first African woman to be appointed by the French press agency, AFP. Her work has been published in (The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Bertle, The Guardian, and Le Monde), in addition to (The Financial Times, El Pais, The Wall Street Journal) and others.
Supportive of global creativity
On the winning of the International Photography Festival (Xposure) the award of photographic content makers, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, stressed the importance of the Hamdan Bin Mohammed International Award for Photography in supporting the global creative environment, and the consolidation of the UAE’s position as an incubator for culture, arts and creativity. He thanked the winners of the award for choosing "Exposure" within the winning category of makers of distinctive photographic content for the ninth session of the award, which constitutes an incentive for more bidding and enhancing competitiveness in the photography sector.
The President of the Sharjah Media Council added that «the International Festival of Photography, which launched four continuous sessions, with the participation of famous photographers, creative photo makers, amateurs and talented people from different countries of the world, comes within the programs of the media office of the Sharjah government complementing the cultural scene of the Emirate of Sharjah, to spread awareness of the importance of the image, and its role in Civilization mobility and cultural and knowledge convergence.
Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi pointed out the importance of activities supporting the photography sector in exchanging experiences, encouraging creators, supporting amateurs, enhancing competition and developing photography skills, because the image constitutes the visual memory of human societies and outperformed words in reporting events, showing facts, documenting and communicating messages.
Honor the march
For his part, Michael Yamashita said: “I consider the award to honor my 40-year career, during which I worked to shed light on places, people and cultures that cannot be seen otherwise, and to share these images with audiences all over the world.” He added: “As a teacher My job was to motivate and inspire other photographers to tell their own stories with a unique vision and perspective. Grateful to the Hamdan Bin Mohammed International Photography Award, not only for promoting this art, but for their mission to encourage and support a diverse group of photographers, they have successfully embraced all talents and creative minds from all over the world.
While Gulshan Khan said: “I am very fortunate to win, and what makes me feel worthy of my victory is my great appreciation for the Hamdan Bin Mohammed International Photography Award. I consider photography competitions that require financial participation as exclusive competitions that do not reflect the reality of talent and the value of their work. I am honored to receive honors from this institution, which takes care of everyone and removes barriers in front of them in order to obtain fair opportunities. ” She noted that the victory will provide her with an incentive to continue her mission in her work, whose essence revolves around building civilizational bridges and bridging the gaps between peoples.
Precious contributions
For his part, the award's Secretary General, Ali Khalifa bin Thalih said: “We are pleased to announce our winners of the special prizes for this course, who have succeeded in providing valuable and beneficial photographic contributions to all those who are thirsty for more from the seas of this renewed art every day. By offering honor to these personalities and institutions, we seek to shed light on role models that have enriched the global imaging industry, and their support for those involved in them. ”
Bin Thalib added: “Honoring the creators in the three categories is at the heart of the award’s message, which is inspired by the thought of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the sponsor of the award, in supporting the arts and encouraging cultural and knowledge creativity, and advancing work, acquisition and achievement.” He continued: «We are glad that there is a leading Emirati institution in awareness-raising and visual education among the list of winners, as we are all proud of this different photographic event that has a tangible impact on the photographers' societies. With each of the (Exposure) courses, we discover the new and useful, and we see the seriousness of those responsible for the festival in developing everything that makes it a milestone on the map of the international imaging industry.
Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi:
"The image constitutes the visual memory of human societies and surpasses words in transmitting events and showing and documenting facts."
Ali bin Thali:
“We seek to shed light on examples to be followed in how rich it is for the global imaging industry, and its support for those involved in it.”
Michael Yamashita
With more than 1.6 million followers on "Instagram", Michael Yamashita has been known as one of the leading influencers in photography, working for "National Geographic" magazine for more than 30 years, and combines his passion for photography and travel. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a BA in Asian studies, he spent seven years in Asia, where he became a specialist in photographing this continent. On his return to the United States, Yamashita began filming for "National Geographic", as well as a number of other American and international magazines. Despite his focus on Asia, he has done work on all six continents. He specializes in tracking the travels of famous travelers and historical routes.
Gulshan Khan
Gulshan has achieved great success, and currently works for the French Press Agency, which is the first African to be appointed by the agency in 2017. Her work focuses on stories related to social justice, identity, human rights, transmission, belonging and human dignity, along with issues related to access to water and sanitation, Safe housing, education and equality in the provision of health care services, violence and social racism and plastic pollution, climate change and migration. She was one of six photographers chosen for the African version of World Press Photo 6x6 Talent, along with her nomination for the 2019 Joop Swart Award.