Dubai
How far would you go for a great photograph?
Larry Fink, an American photographer best known for documenting the country’s upper classes, told TIME magazine in an interview: “Photography is a marvellous way to empower people’s curiosity. It’s the critical instrument of the curious.”
Asking questions is often the first step to a fantastic photograph. You might ask someone, “What’s happening there?”, before venturing into a festival that’s full of light and colour and picture opportunities. Or you might ask someone busy at work, “What are you doing?”, and capture the daily rigours of their occupation.
US-based Digital Photography School (DPS) advises new photographers to learn about curiosity from the experts – children. With no idea or interest in political correctness or societal boundaries, children don’t just constantly wonder and ask questions, they also play. The DPS blog states: “With no other agenda than having fun and seeing what happens next, children will play with the things around them and experiment and push the boundaries of their environment. In doing so they learn about life, themselves and their world.”
By asking and experimenting, photographers set the pace for their work. And the possibilities are endless.
In October’s Reader Picture Competition, our reader photographers captured glimpses of other people’s lives, and shared their stories.
We asked Gulf News’ twitter followers to pick their favourite reader photograph. Of the three pictures in the editors’ shortlist, they retweeted the picture they liked best. The pictures were ranked based on the highest number of retweets. 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
Shameem Sha is the manager of a printing press, in Dubai.
He took this serene photograph of fishermen working with their nets at Kalba Beach in Sharjah.
He said: ‘Fishermen were cleaning their fishing nets, while birds were trying to flick their share of fish!’
Sha’s picture captured the attention of our twitter followers. They declared him the winner, with 26 retweets and 29 favourites.
SECOND PLACE
Lal Nallath is a designer based in Dubai.
He clicked his winning photograph at the Friday Market in Fujairah. He said: ‘This man was introduced by all the fishermen as the ‘big boss’. He looked very tough, but when I approached him, he was okay with me taking a few pictures. I think shooting at this angle somehow brought out his character.’
His picture garnered 25 retweets and 13 favourites on twitter.
THIRD PLACE
Gaanesh Prasad is a project director, based in Dubai.
He clicked his winning shot on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi, India. He said: ‘I took this shot early in the morning, and waited for the moment where only one devotee was praying. I treasure having the opportunity of this wonderful framing.’
Prasad’s photograph received 22 retweets and 16 favourites on twitter.
