The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has concluded the June 2021 edition of the Instagram Photo Contest, Your Pet. Five winners were announced for the competition, which received submissions under the hashtag #HIPAContest_YourPet. The contest winners hailed from; Indonesia, Turkey and India.

HIPA Secretary General, Ali bin Thalith said, “The lens has an amazing ability to capture the depths of emotions and feelings, if the photographer has the skill of timing. The relationship between humans and their pet is deeply ancient. The quality of its emotions is complex; it’s rich in detail, situations and beautiful in its spontaneous reactions. Our photographers have creatively and empathetically captured the gentle and heartwarming moments between humans and their ‘best friends’.  We congratulate our winners and encourage all our participants to draw inspiration from the winning photos and continue to submit in future competitions. We wish everyone great success.”

Our winner from India Kishore Das @kishoredas4u said, “The photo was taken in January 2016 at the Sacribel Elephant Camp in Shimoga district in the Indian state of Karnataka. I was catching a scene in the distance when I suddenly noticed this little elephant playing with one of the caretakers of an elephant camp near me. I wanted to capture this perfect emotional moment, so I had to use my 70-300 mm zoom lens.  One of the reasons that I love this photo is because it was the baby elephant who approached and showed his closeness and interdependence.

This is not my first win, but having my name as the sole winner from India in this competition has made me very happy. Winning a prestigious global competition like HIPA is very precious. It has given me recognition, fuel and support to continue fearlessly in my chosen path. I used to work as a manager in a reputable IT company in Bangalore, but I quit my job in February 2020 to pursue my passion for travel and photography and to gain unlimited knowledge and skill in the photographic industry.”

Fikret Dilek Uyar @fdilekuyar, our winner from Turkey explained, “The photo was taken in Kayseri, Turkey in June 2018, when I saw a little girl petting a calf, I really wanted to capture the moment because the connection between them was magical. This is my third win in the Hamdan Bin Mohammed International Photography Award competitions, which makes me proud as it is more than just luck, it shows my dedication, hard work and continued development. As a photographer, I aspire to tell people’s stories in a distinctive way and make my photos eloquent messages about different social issues.”