Dubai
Sometimes, an image can depict the right moment at the right time. Mesmerising scenes can be brought to life through a picture. For instance, hundreds of water droplets that are held tightly in the air by the magic of the camera, can take you to the precise moment a wild bear splashes in the river.
Oftentimes, however, we carry on with our daily lives without eternalising what we come across. Being prepared with your camera, waiting and effectively capturing the right moment, make for the best shots. Pictures have the ability to encapsulate powerful glimpses and a photographer must keep an eye out for that perfect shot.
Pictures Editor K. P. Devadasan had some advice for amateur photographers. He said: “Details, colour, depth and emphasising each layer in the picture is key. It’s a matter of a fraction of a second, when you want to freeze the moment. Photographers need to look for symmetry, composition and pay special attention to details.”
So next time you stumble upon an interesting scenery, don’t hesitate to capture it. Who knows? It might becoming a winning picture.
We asked Gulf News’ Instagram followers to pick their favourite reader photograph of the month of February. They selected the picture they liked best, by responding to a poll on Instagram Stories. Here, we present the winners.
Editor’s note: Do you want to participate in our monthly Reader Picture Competition? Send us your best photographs, with captions, at readers@gulfnews.com.
FIRST PLACE
Vinaya Mohan, is a Dubai-based director of business development and marketing.
His picture received 1,705 votes in our poll on Instagram, landing him in first place.
Mohan’s images of brown bears that were part of a reader picture essay, are from his trip to Kamchatka, in Russia. His photography proved to be so interesting that Gulf News received numerous calls from readers inquiring about Kamchatka and how to find the bears! His photographs also helped highlight the current trophy hunting practices that target large dominant male bears in the region, causing the social dynamics of the bear population to change.
SECOND PLACE
Malabika Roy has been a regular contributor to the Gulf News’ reader pictures section, despite moving from Dubai to Singapore recently. Her picture, which was part of a reader picture essay last month, received 1,679 votes in our poll on Instagram.
The image is from the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park in the US, the largest hot spring in the country, and the third largest in the world. She said: ‘We had to climb quite a lot to see this spectacular sight. These colours are caused by pigmented thermophilic bacteria that thrive on the rich minerals produced by the geothermic activity.’ She is passionate about Nature and wildlife.
THIRD PLACE
Eduard Yaco is a product photographer, based in Dubai.
His picture received 1,091 votes in our poll on Instagram. He captured an image of window cleaners scaling a building in Dubai. He said: ‘I took this picture one morning, on my way to the office in Al Nahda 1 area. I just want to salute workers who risk doing this job, and who work hard in order to support their families.’ Upon winning third place, he said: “I am grateful for Gulf News’ wonderful platform and for creating this kind of atmosphere for aspiring artists like me.”
