Fatima Shbair recounts the harrowing experiences of Gazans who have endured 190 days of struggle against illness, fear, and deprivation. Shbair witnessed repeated grief, desperate pleas for food, and the search for hope amidst the ruins of family homes and collapsed buildings. By documenting these stories, Shbair realized she was also sharing her own narrative—a "woven tale of survival and shared suffering."
The 13th edition of the Hipa awards, themed around sustainability, saw Chinese photographer Liping Cao win the grand prize of $200,000. Cao's black-and-white photograph captures a serene scene of nature and technology coexisting: towering wind turbines stand against a sky dotted with clouds, symbolizing the peaceful strength of renewable energy. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture, praised the award for embodying Dubai's vision and enhancing its global appeal as a hub for photographers and creatives.
Other notable winners include Emirati photographer Salma Ali Humaid Alsuwaidi, who received the photography content creator award for her work on UAE wildlife and bird species. The inaugural Hipa photographer of the year award went to Syrian astrophotographer Samy Al Olabi, known for his stunning images of celestial objects and nature photography. Ruijuan Huang from China, Rahul Vishwanath Sachdev from India, American photographer Renee Capozzola, Tobias Friedrich from Germany, and Aleksandr Tsuprun from Russia also took top honors in various categories.
Source link: https://www.khaleejtimes.com
