Sharjah: Some of the biggest names in photography are visiting Sharjah to inspire visitors to the first-ever Xposure International Photography Festival 2016, which runs until Saturday at Expo Centre Sharjah.
The four-day event, organised by Sharjah Media Centre (SMC), was inaugurated on Wednesday by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
Some of the works by almost 50 leading photographers, who are interacting with show visitors, have been unveiled for the first time. They include the likes of award-winning Jordanian war photojournalist Mohammad Muheisin, Ian Ruther “The Alchemist” from America, and US Magnum photographer David Alan Harvey.
SMC Chairman Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi said in his keynote address at the event’s opening ceremony that photography has not only become the visual documentation of society but has influenced the course of history.
‘Respect and ethics’
He added that digital and social media have enabled instant photo sharing and feedback of the audience, a phenomenon that warrants “respect and ethics”.
Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad told Gulf News on the sidelines of the event that the show was a coveted opportunity for enthusiasts and professionals alike to learn from each other and meet some of the world’s top photographers.
“Everyone has his or her own talent and way of shooting, so it’s an opportunity for everyone,” he said, adding that event workshop rates have been discounted for Emiratis to encourage them to register.
Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad added that a lot of local talent has also surfaced through competitions held under Xposure — now being planned as an annual event — with Emiratis taking the lead in submissions.
He pointed out that everyone with a mobile phone camera today is, in effect, a photographer with a story to tell.
Whole story
Some of those stories at the event, told through pictures, narrate the horrors of war. Muheisin, who is the Associated Press Chief Photographer for the Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan and two-time Breaking News Pulitzer Prize winner, turns his focus on children.
“They are the real victims of any conflict. Their voices need to be heard through pictures, and I hope to tell the whole story in one picture,” Muheisin said.
Some of his pictures, such as an image of a ‘school’ in a graveyard in Pakistan, have prompted authorities to help refuge children.
‘Beautiful culture’
Stressing the impact of images, Harvey said during the opening ceremony that photography has become the “common international language… You can use it for anything, for science, documentation, or showing one culture to another culture”.
Ruther told Gulf News he has been captivated by UAE culture during his first visit to the Middle East and has in turn captured it on glass.
Ruther has created a half dozen Ambrotypes, transparent glass negatives placed against a dark background to make them visible, of a mosque in Sharjah. The Ambrotypes, made from a huge camera placed inside a truck, could be the biggest ever made, he said. They are on display at Xposure.
Speaking about his interactions with local people during his shoots here, he described them as “the nicest people I’ve ever met, who have the most beautiful culture. I learnt so much and I want to keep learning more and more”.
