The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the August 2021 edition of the Instagram Photo Contest, Geometry. And the September edition, Then and Now’.

Ten winners were announced for both contests with submissions being received under the hashtag #HIPAContest_Geometry for the August edition, and #HIPAContest_ThenandNow for the September edition. The contest winners hailed from; Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Australia, Turkey, Ukraine, India and Bangladesh.

HIPA Secretary General, Ali bin Thalith said, “Geometry requires an unique perspective by the photographer to share with us what they may see that we don’t. Geometry has its own secrets and stories to tell; be it subtle, bold or simply exquisite. Bin Thalith added, “One of the most prominent rhetorical abilities of the photo is also its ability to visually compare between times. We chose this topic to give photographers the opportunity to explore every changing faces of time over the years through structures. Congratulations to all our winners, and we commend all our participants who continue to persevere and are dedicated to the continued development of their craft. 

“We congratulate the Egyptian photographer Ahmed Abdel Hamid Shaaban for his second successive win, a true reflection of his hard work and photographic versatility.”

Ahmed Abdel Hamid Shaaban @ahmedhamid77 said, “The photo was taken in Doha, the capital of Qatar last March. This building designed by the famous architect I. M. Pei, always inspires me. Perhaps my architectural experience is the reason for my great interest in symmetrical forms.”

Regarding his win in the Then and Now competition, Ahmed said, “I was invited by a friend to take some morning photos from the rooftop of a high-rise building in Doha. It was a good opportunity to photograph this antique hotel, and as soon as I knew about the contest I decided to use the photo.

“I have previously won many competitions but winning in HIPA is a constant goal that I strive for. Winning here gives me even greater credibility as a photographer, promoting both my work and I.”

As how he felt about winning two consecutive competitions, he said, “It is a great honour to win two competitions in a row with two different themes. It has inspired me to aim even higher and chase the grand prize for the Nature Season.

Moneer Mohammad Alhammad @moneer_alhammad, our Geometry winner from Saudi Arabia, expressed, “The photo was taken outside an IKEA store. I was going to take the photo to highlight the contrast of yellow and blue next to the shopping carts, then I heard the sound of a quarrel between the workers and their supervisors, and suddenly an angry worker passed by the shopping carts, and this unexpected moment became the focus of the photo. This is my first win, and came as a great surprise. Winning has given me the courage to develop my photography skills and develop it as a fine art.”

Khaled suleyman @khaled_suleyman, our Then and Now winner from Egypt, said, “I took the photo in front of the Qasr El-Nil Bridge in Cairo during sunset on November 24, 2017, and was the first time I was experimenting with long exposure. I have previously won many competitions locally and internationally, but winning the HIPA competition made me especially proud, as the Award has a great reputation in the photography community. I am grateful to the team at HIPA for nurturing such a wonderful platform for us photographers.”