Landscape Photography Magazine

Press Release

The Hamdan international photography award has recently completed a strategic campaign in the month of October that included visiting various universities and institutes around the United Arab Emirates. The award which in its second season of competition, is set to boast the largest grand prize in the world which will be worth $120,000.

The Universities roadshow campaign included seminars and workshops hosted by HIPA  to students in various educational institutions throughout the UAE. Seminars introduced the award’s categories and rules to students along with the vision the award has towards promoting photography amongst the local population. HIPA also hosted several workshops which taught students basic photography skills and techniques.

Prominent visits included that to the American University in Dubai (AUD), which saw over 250 students take part in an introductory HIPA workshop. Students were introduced to the basic elements of the current season of the award “Beauty of Light” and shown a number of the winning and finalist photographs from the previous season of the award “Love of the Earth.

Sahar Al Zarei, the Assistant Secretary General of HIPA described the completion of the October campaign as “ a strategic milestone for the award, as we had always wanted to spread the passion of photography amongst the local population. We visited a large number of universities and institiutes throughout the country, some of which did not even have photography or multimedia departments, the feedback received from all has been great. By educating students, we hope to build a solid foundation of young and confident local photographers who in due course will take part in our award in the near future.

The campaign is set to continue during the months of November and December with visits to the Zayed University in Dubai and Fatima College of Health Sciences as well as other universities in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.