HIPA Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award

Dubai Photo Forum 2 is a discussion platform for proposing and debating important and sensitive issues in the field of photography, with the aim of raising the bar and standards for this sector in the region, and contributing to the improvement, understanding and acceptance of its output.

Sessions

01 WOMEN IN PHOTOGRAPHY

Women and Photography as a profession and career.
Areas of specialization, and types of photography most suitable for women.
Women in photography.
Women as war photographers.
Female photographers in the East versus the West.

02 JUDGING: INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND JUDGES' PERSONALITIES

International critique and judging criteria, and pertinent facts.
Qualifications of a critic and a judge in photographic competitions.
Impartial judging and judging connected with participation levels (comparative judging).
The role of judging in creating a renewed framework for global photography.
The role of judging in eliminating wrong practices (pre-screening, practices contrary to the norms and ethics, imitating and repetition, etc.).

03 GCC PHOTOGRAPHERS: INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS OR WOULD-BE PROFESSIONALS

The level of GCC photographers globally, and the trend of winning awards in international competitions.
Do GCC photographers take up professional photography as means to make a living?
The role of GCC photographers as ambassadors for their countries and cultures.
GCC photographers’ need for institutional support, and the return on investment (ROI).
Absence/scarcity of women in the GCC photography scene.

04 EAST VS.WEST: A CLASH OF PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE?

Eastern Photographers: Arab, Indian, and East Asian photographers, and how they differ.
The quantitative dominance of Eastern photographers in Western competitions.
Shift in the global photography curve.
The rich subjects for photography in developing countries, and the tangible shift towards them.
Comparison between Eastern and Western Photographers (capabilities, education, richness, creativity).

05 WITNESSING ARAB PHOTOGRAPHY: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

Arab photography archives.
Copyright in photography: photographers or institutions.
The development of Arabic photography, and how it compares with global photography.
Restrictions on Arabic photography: confessional, political, social.
Arabic Photography, between past and present.
Photography for all and its effect on the recipients.